Role of NSPCC in School Crisis Intervention

The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children is a program that lobbies governments on child welfare issues. It as well creates a campaign with the aim of publicizing child protection issues. It helps school children, teenagers, and families. The NSPCC gathers in-depth information on children and their families (Finkelhor 2009). The purpose of this information is to be able to identify a child's needs and know whether those needs are met. Gathered information also enables the experts in the NSPCC to analyze the nature of a child's risks, and establish the level of risk that the child is exposed to. With the information, the NSPCC can make informed decisions on whether or not to support a child's family and to come up with measures to eliminate the problem, especially if the family is the cause of the problem(Finkelhor 2009).

NSPCC plays a significant role in safeguarding children in school. The practitioners in the program help children understand healthy and safe relationships. They also encourage children to speak out their problems with trusted friends, teachers or counselors. NSPCC also trains school staff and equips them with skills to tell or spot a disturbed child(Finkelhor 2009). Teachers and other school staff are trained so that they can be able to detect signs of abuse in children. As they visit schools, they help children understand and recognize all forms of child abuse both at home and school. They also teach children to know how to protect themselves from these forms of violence and abuse. Children are also encouraged to call for help, ask for guidance and notify NSPCC through child line services whenever they are troubled.

To be able to intervene in a child's crisis, the social workers, who are members of NSPCC, assess the crisis. During this assessment, they get to know the child's needs and also to determine whether the needs are met at the family level or not. They also analyze the nature of the risk, and how big the risk is. After identifying and establishing the level of the threat, they come up with crisis intervention measures. Social workers will use the crisis intervention theory to intervene(Bryman 2016). According to this theory, a social worker, who in this case is a member of NSPCC, should first identify a crisis. Secondly, the worker must be able to discover the nature of that particular problem. It is vital that the social worker establishes the risk level, to be able to know how affected the child is, and what level of danger to which the child is exposed. During child crisis intervention, NSPCC analyzes the coping ability of a child. More attention is given to a child that is poor at coping with problems(Bryman 2016). The family, with the help of a social worker, can also help in enabling the child to develop coping skills. The role of NSPCC to prevent child crisis as well as to offer interventions in case the child is already in a crisis. They protect children and teenagers from problems and also help them be able to cope with crisis and overcome such challenging situations.

The NSPCC trains teachers and parents on crisis intervention approaches and techniques, to help in case the crisis relapsed. The main aim is to be able to keep the child protected at whichever cost(Bryman 2016). The child is the most important and is a priority to the NSPCC. They aim to achieve a world where the child's needs are met, and the child's safety is prioritized. If the problem is to be eliminated, the intervention should start from the family to friends and the individual. The family has to be part of the intervention program.

Theoretical knowledge reinforces perspectives of supporting the family, child, and education constructively. Crisis intervention theory equips social workers with expertise that helps them understand situations and come up with best solutions to those problems. Knowledge in crisis intervention enables the NSPCC social workers to put themselves in the shoes of the child or the family and propose solutions that would help them recover best(Roberts 2012). Knowledge of crisis intervention theory enables NSPCC members to be able to understand that one has to be patient for the outcome to be desirable. Positive results may not be visible immediately, as expected. Their priority is to increase stabilization. To summarize the above, theoretical knowledge is essential if a social worker is to be able to stabilize the individual and his family, enable understanding, facilitate adaptive coping skills and restore functioning(Bryman 2016).

Application of sociological theories in cases that involve children have led to successful interventions. NSPCC uses such theories to establish the cause of a crisis. In most cases, child crisis originates from the families. Strains and crisis in families can be extended to the child, and affect the education of a child. A crisis cannot be resolved until the cause has been established. A crisis that originates from school can also be well solved with the application of sociological theories such as the crisis intervention theory (Roberts 2012). Bullying, which can be the cause of a student's crisis can be resolved through understanding the reasons behind the bullying. Theoretical knowledge enables social workers working with NSPCC to apply their expertise and experience in addressing not only the child-related issues but also family and school-related issues.

References

BAILEY, R. (2011).Letting children be children: report of an independent review of the commercialisation and sexualisation of childhood. London, TSO BRYMAN, A. (2016). Social research methods. Oxford University Press

CHALL, L. P. (1953). Sociological abstracts. [San Diego, etc.], [Sociological Abstracts]. FINKELHOR, D. (2009).Children's exposure to violence: a comprehensive national survey. Washington, D.C., U.S. Dept. of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

GREAT BRITAIN. (2012). Children first: the child protection system in England : fourth report of session 2012-13. Vol. 2, Vol. 2. London, Stationery Office.

ROBERTS, H. (2012). What works in reducing inequalities in child health. Bristol, Policy Press.

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