Mediation and empowerment in child protection cases

Abstract

Abstract Child protection workers are vested with certain powers and authority to ensure the safety and welfare of children. When issues of neglect and abuse arise, workers are challenged with how to promote self‐determination and autonomy of families, without putting children at risk. The participant‐focused study reported here examined how mediation might have an empowering effect on family members. Participants suggested that mediation empowers through four processes: development of options, equal opportunity to participate in the process, decision‐making responsibility, and power balancing.