Abstract

Strengths Based Education: Helping to Protect

Author(s)

Angela Fenton -James Cook University

The poster will describe the development and key findings from a recent research project that used a Strengths Approach to teach pre-service teachers child protection skills. The e-poster presents information on the methodology, literature findings and results that emerged from the project including the suggestion that a Strengths Approach to child protection education is not only valuable but necessary.

Participants will be able to engage with the researcher about how strengths based resources (including picture cards, stories and children's activities) were used in the teaching module and how participants' responses to child protection issues developed after strengths training.

This cross sector application of the Strengths Approach from social services to education provided a unique opportunity to extend and enhance prevention and intervention strategies for children. Teachers are in an ideal role to both identify and prevent abuse yet they currently generally only receive a brief child protection workshop during their teaching degree.

This research indicates that after using an extended Strengths Approach, pre-service teachers were willing to engage with abuse and protection issues where previously they had expressed hesitation and lack of confidence. Well prepared teachers have the potential to transform child protection.