Can More Be Done?

BLOG: Service provisions to vulnerable families with babies. Blogpost by Marit Skivenes, Research leader for the Child Right Unit at LawTransform, Director of Centre for Research on Discretion and Paternalism, and a Professor in Political Science at the University of Bergen. Governments have a responsibility to provide necessary support for vulnerable families, and the Nordic welfare […]

Blogpost: “Causa Justa” Movement for the elimination of abortion crime in Colombia

Ana María Méndez, Ana Cristina González Vélez, Catalina Martínez and Mariana Ardila (2021)

“… The event of conception and even its eventual desire do not imply a project, let alone a desire for motherhood” (Pitch, 2003)   The time for the feminist movement to fight for the complete decriminalization of abortion in Colombia has arrived. More than 90 organizations and 150 activists around the country have joined together towards […]

Deportation of Children

Claire Breen, Professor of Law at the University of Waikato (New Zealand). (2021)

BLOG: When a state decides to deport a child, this decision needs to take the child’s rights and their best interests into account. Children and young people are at the centre of strained relationships between New Zealand and Australia at the moment. In February, Australia denied entry to a New Zealand born mother and her two children […]

Anger and Anxiety About Child Protection

Tarja Pösö (2021)

BLOG: The role of emotions in child protection are understudied and underemphasized. Blogpost by Tarja Pösö, Professor of Social Work at Tampere University (Finland), Professor II at the DIPA-centre at UiB and member of the Child Right Unit at LawTransform. Finnish TV has recently broadcasted the Danish drama Ulven kommer (‘The Wolf is coming’ or ‘Cry Wolf’ in English) […]

Saving democracy

Katrin Kriz (2021)

BLOG: What can child welfare research teach us about saving democracy? Blogpost by Katrin Kriz, Professor of Sociology at Emmanuel College (US) and member of the Child Right Unit at LawTransform. The violent attack on the United States Capitol on January 6 this year by extremist insurgents demonstrated how fragile democracy is. According to the dictionary […]

Services to vulnerable families

Katre Luhamaa, Amy McEwan-Strand, Ruiken Barbara, Marit Skivenes, Florian Wingens (2021)

Children and Youth Services Review, Volume 120

NEW ARTICLE: Study of services and support for mothers and newborn babies in vulnerable situations in eight European jurisdictions. European countries have a legal obligation to provide services to vulnerable families, and children should not be removed from their parents’ care unless no other viable measures are available. In an article published in Children and […]

Special issue: Abortion Lawfare in Latin America – Some Readings Keys For a Changing Scenario

Barbieri, Catarina, Camila Gianella, Maria Defago, and Marta Machado (eds) (2021)

Rev. direito GV vol.17 no.3 São Paulo 2021 Epub Dec 15, 2021

In 2021, the LawTransform projects Abortion Rights Lawfare in Latin America,  Sexual and Reproductive Rights Lawfare: Global Battles  and Political Determinants of Sexual and Reproductive Health jointly published a special issue in Revista Direito GV. This special issue brings together novel scholarship produced since 2013 by a project of similar name based at the Centre on […]

Reporting Corporal Punishment

Burns, Helland, Križ, Sánchez-Cabezudo, Skivenes & Strömpl (2020)

Corporal punishment and reporting to child protection authorities: An empirical study of population attitudes in five European countries. Children and Youth Services Review ILLUSTRATION: Colourbox

NEW ARTICLE: Study of population attitudes towards corporal punishment in five European countries. A global consensus that violence against children challenges children’s fundamental human rights appears to be expanding, with more and more countries reforming their laws to ban physical punishment of children in all settings. The use of corporal punishment (CP) to discipline children […]

The Importance of Parental Commitment

Hege Stein Helland (2020)

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105693

NEW ARTICLE: Decision-makers exercise of discretion in decisions on adoption from care. Termination of parental rights and adoption from care are intrusive child protection interventions. Such decisions have far-reaching implications and are by many considered controversial. All European countries have legal mechanisms that allow for adoption without parental consent, but there is scarce knowledge on […]

Picture of Jill Berrick Blog: The Ultimate Denial of Children’s Rights

BLOG: Voices in the US are advocating to abolish child welfare. This is a dangerous and irresponsible suggestion. Blogpost by Jill D. Berrick, Professor II at the Centre for Research on Discretion and Paternalism and Professor at UC Berkeley. Calls to address longstanding racial injustice in the U.S. came to a fevered pitch in May, 2020, […]