Matthew Colton
Biographic Data
| ID | 3674455 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Matthew Colton |
| GIVEN NAMES | Matthew |
| FAMILY NAME | Colton |
| SIGNATURE | COLTON M |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Wales |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 19 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 87 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 19 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1988 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2017 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
Professionalization and Institutional Abuse in the United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom (UK), residential child and youth care work is the poor relation of a developing social work profession, the legitimacy of which is subject to ongoing challenge. The lack of priority given to residential work is reflected in recent controversy associated with the widespread abuse of young people placed away from home. The chapter attempts to assess the extent to which professionalization can address the manifest failure of t…
Learning Lessons from Men Who Have Sexually Abused Children
The sexual abuse of children and young people by those who work with them is a global problem. Yet, our knowledge of this form of abuse remains limited. There is a dearth of research on offenders' accounts of how they perpetrated abuse within a paid work or voluntary sector environment. Thus, our focus here is on data collected during individual interviews with eight adult males who had been imprisoned for abusing a total of 35 children while in …
Factors that contribute to high turnover among residential child care staff
In this paper we draw on our own empirical research and that of others to consider the factors that contribute to high staff turnover in residential child care. First, we focus on the problem of retaining staff in children’s services. Second, we turn our attention to the factors that contribute to staff turnover in residential care: namely, perceptions of the service; of children and young people; and of human resource issues. Third, we attempt t…
The Recruitment and Retention of Family Foster-Carers
Fostering services across the globe encounter difficulties in recruiting and retaining family foster-carers. Yet, we know little of the international and cross-cultural issues which impact on recruitment and retention. In this article, we draw on previous empirical research, and also on information collected during a recent study of global trends in family foster-care, to present an international comparative analysis of those issues. Three key th…
Factors associated with abuse in residential child care institutions
Confidence in the public care system in the United Kingdom (UK) has been shaken by numerous and widespread scandals surrounding the abuse of children and young people, particularly those in residential child care institutions. This paper examines factors associated with such abuse, including: failings in relation to staff recruitment, training, and supervision; ineffective management and systems of accountability; the development of inappropriate…
Victimization, Care and Justice
Journal Article Victimization, Care and Justice: Reflections on the Experiences of Victims/Survivors Involved in Large‐scale Historical Investigations of Child Sexual Abuse in Residential Institutions Get access Matthew Colton, Matthew Colton Correspondence to Professor Matthew Colton, Centre for Applied Social Studies, School for Social Science and International Development, University of Wales Swansea, Science Tower, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2…
Perceptions of Stigmatization and Satisfaction with Services Received, Among Users of Social Welfare Services for the Child and the Family in 3 European Regions
Perceptions of Stigma and User Involvement in Child Welfare Services
This paper explores the perceptions of social disqualification or ‘stigma’ that service users attributed to public child welfare services in random samples of service users taken from the Netherlands, a part of Spain (Catalonia) and a part of the United Kingdom (Wales). It was found that, in all three samples, foster and residential care invoked the greatest sense of stigma, while the health related and the preventive family services were perceiv…
Betrayal of Trust
Sexual Abuse by Men who Work with Children
This paper reports findings from an exploratory study on sexual abuse by men who work with children. As a first step towards filling a major gap in the relevant research literature, in-depth interviews were carried out with a small sample of men serving prison sentences for sexually abusing children in their trust. The paper focuses on their accounts of their life histories, including their experiences of prison treatment programmes, and provides…
Social workers, parents and stigma
This paper draws on an empirical study of stigma and child welfare services in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Spain. It focuses exclusively on the findings relating to the United Kingdom and shows how stigma continues to be a part of the experience of using and delivering child welfare services, despite the positive determination of policies that this should not be so. More optimistically, however, it is also evident that the experience…
Child Welfare and Stigma
This article draws on an empirical study of stigma and child welfare in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Spain; it shows how stigma continues to be a part of the experience of using and delivering child welfare services, despite the positive determination of policies in all three countries that this should not be so. More optimistically, however, it is also evident that the experience of stigma and exclusion can be reduced, and the article…
Social Work and the Education of Children in Foster Care
To what extent should social workers advocate the educational needs of children and young people in foster care? Jane Aldgate, Anthony Heath, Matthew Colton and Michael Simm present the findings of a recent study
Carers of Children
This article takes further the themes outlined in Children & Society, Volume 3(1) of examining the practices of special foster and residential caregivers in terms of the management of daily and other recurrent social events, and the methods used by caregivers to control children. Data are also presented on the role activities of caregivers and their interactions with children. Care practice in the special foster homes was generally found to be si…
Educational Attainment and Stability in Long‐Term Foster Care
This paper explores the relationship between the reading attainment of a group of 8–14 year olds in long‐term foster care and factors in their histories and current home environments. The findings suggest that children's early histories before entry to care may have an effect on their educational attainment in middle childhood. Some amelioration of early childhood experience may be found in a stable foster home placement which has an expectation …
Attitudes of special foster parents and residential staff towards children
This paper compares the attitudes of special foster parents and residential staff towards children in their care. The exercise was carried out as part of a comparative study of care practice in ‘special’ foster homes (accommodating children traditionally considered too old or difficult for fostering) and ordinary community or children's homes. Overall, care practice in the foster homes was significantly more child oriented than in the children's …
Care fit for children
Following on from articles in Children and Society (3.1), this article discusses issues raised by recent research on foster and residential care practices, and centres on the question of whether children's homes should seek to provide child oriented day‐to‐day care. The role performed by children's homes in substitute child care is considered in order to highlight the dangers inherent in the notion that it may be appropriate to trade off child or…
The Educational Progress of Children In and Out of Care
Results are reported from the first of three rounds of testing associated with a longitudinal study comparing the educational progress and behaviour of a group of foster children with that of a “control” group. The latter comprised youngsters who have never been in care but whose families have received social work help. The educational attainment of both groups was generally found to fall below the national average. Both groups also manifested re…
Substitute Care Practice
Factors that contribute to high turnover among residential child care staff
In this paper we draw on our own empirical research and that of others to consider the factors that contribute to high staff turnover in residential child care. First, we focus on the problem of retaining staff in children’s services. Second, we turn our attention to the factors that contribute to staff turnover in residential care: namely, perceptions of the service; of children and young people; and of human resource issues. Third, we attempt t…
The Recruitment and Retention of Family Foster-Carers
Fostering services across the globe encounter difficulties in recruiting and retaining family foster-carers. Yet, we know little of the international and cross-cultural issues which impact on recruitment and retention. In this article, we draw on previous empirical research, and also on information collected during a recent study of global trends in family foster-care, to present an international comparative analysis of those issues. Three key th…
Social Work and the Education of Children in Foster Care
To what extent should social workers advocate the educational needs of children and young people in foster care? Jane Aldgate, Anthony Heath, Matthew Colton and Michael Simm present the findings of a recent study
Perceptions of Stigma and User Involvement in Child Welfare Services
This paper explores the perceptions of social disqualification or ‘stigma’ that service users attributed to public child welfare services in random samples of service users taken from the Netherlands, a part of Spain (Catalonia) and a part of the United Kingdom (Wales). It was found that, in all three samples, foster and residential care invoked the greatest sense of stigma, while the health related and the preventive family services were perceiv…
Perceptions of Stigmatization and Satisfaction with Services Received, Among Users of Social Welfare Services for the Child and the Family in 3 European Regions
The Educational Progress of Children In and Out of Care
Results are reported from the first of three rounds of testing associated with a longitudinal study comparing the educational progress and behaviour of a group of foster children with that of a “control” group. The latter comprised youngsters who have never been in care but whose families have received social work help. The educational attainment of both groups was generally found to fall below the national average. Both groups also manifested re…
Victimization, Care and Justice
Journal Article Victimization, Care and Justice: Reflections on the Experiences of Victims/Survivors Involved in Large‐scale Historical Investigations of Child Sexual Abuse in Residential Institutions Get access Matthew Colton, Matthew Colton Correspondence to Professor Matthew Colton, Centre for Applied Social Studies, School for Social Science and International Development, University of Wales Swansea, Science Tower, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2…
Social workers, parents and stigma
This paper draws on an empirical study of stigma and child welfare services in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Spain. It focuses exclusively on the findings relating to the United Kingdom and shows how stigma continues to be a part of the experience of using and delivering child welfare services, despite the positive determination of policies that this should not be so. More optimistically, however, it is also evident that the experience…
Substitute Care Practice
Attitudes of special foster parents and residential staff towards children
This paper compares the attitudes of special foster parents and residential staff towards children in their care. The exercise was carried out as part of a comparative study of care practice in ‘special’ foster homes (accommodating children traditionally considered too old or difficult for fostering) and ordinary community or children's homes. Overall, care practice in the foster homes was significantly more child oriented than in the children's …
Care fit for children
Following on from articles in Children and Society (3.1), this article discusses issues raised by recent research on foster and residential care practices, and centres on the question of whether children's homes should seek to provide child oriented day‐to‐day care. The role performed by children's homes in substitute child care is considered in order to highlight the dangers inherent in the notion that it may be appropriate to trade off child or…
The Educational Progress of Children In and Out of Care
Results are reported from the first of three rounds of testing associated with a longitudinal study comparing the educational progress and behaviour of a group of foster children with that of a “control” group. The latter comprised youngsters who have never been in care but whose families have received social work help. The educational attainment of both groups was generally found to fall below the national average. Both groups also manifested re…
Carers of Children
This article takes further the themes outlined in Children & Society, Volume 3(1) of examining the practices of special foster and residential caregivers in terms of the management of daily and other recurrent social events, and the methods used by caregivers to control children. Data are also presented on the role activities of caregivers and their interactions with children. Care practice in the special foster homes was generally found to be si…
Educational Attainment and Stability in Long‐Term Foster Care
This paper explores the relationship between the reading attainment of a group of 8–14 year olds in long‐term foster care and factors in their histories and current home environments. The findings suggest that children's early histories before entry to care may have an effect on their educational attainment in middle childhood. Some amelioration of early childhood experience may be found in a stable foster home placement which has an expectation …
Social Work and the Education of Children in Foster Care
To what extent should social workers advocate the educational needs of children and young people in foster care? Jane Aldgate, Anthony Heath, Matthew Colton and Michael Simm present the findings of a recent study
Social workers, parents and stigma
This paper draws on an empirical study of stigma and child welfare services in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Spain. It focuses exclusively on the findings relating to the United Kingdom and shows how stigma continues to be a part of the experience of using and delivering child welfare services, despite the positive determination of policies that this should not be so. More optimistically, however, it is also evident that the experience…
Child Welfare and Stigma
This article draws on an empirical study of stigma and child welfare in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Spain; it shows how stigma continues to be a part of the experience of using and delivering child welfare services, despite the positive determination of policies in all three countries that this should not be so. More optimistically, however, it is also evident that the experience of stigma and exclusion can be reduced, and the article…
Betrayal of Trust
Sexual Abuse by Men who Work with Children
This paper reports findings from an exploratory study on sexual abuse by men who work with children. As a first step towards filling a major gap in the relevant research literature, in-depth interviews were carried out with a small sample of men serving prison sentences for sexually abusing children in their trust. The paper focuses on their accounts of their life histories, including their experiences of prison treatment programmes, and provides…
Perceptions of Stigma and User Involvement in Child Welfare Services
This paper explores the perceptions of social disqualification or ‘stigma’ that service users attributed to public child welfare services in random samples of service users taken from the Netherlands, a part of Spain (Catalonia) and a part of the United Kingdom (Wales). It was found that, in all three samples, foster and residential care invoked the greatest sense of stigma, while the health related and the preventive family services were perceiv…
Perceptions of Stigmatization and Satisfaction with Services Received, Among Users of Social Welfare Services for the Child and the Family in 3 European Regions
Factors associated with abuse in residential child care institutions
Confidence in the public care system in the United Kingdom (UK) has been shaken by numerous and widespread scandals surrounding the abuse of children and young people, particularly those in residential child care institutions. This paper examines factors associated with such abuse, including: failings in relation to staff recruitment, training, and supervision; ineffective management and systems of accountability; the development of inappropriate…
Victimization, Care and Justice
Journal Article Victimization, Care and Justice: Reflections on the Experiences of Victims/Survivors Involved in Large‐scale Historical Investigations of Child Sexual Abuse in Residential Institutions Get access Matthew Colton, Matthew Colton Correspondence to Professor Matthew Colton, Centre for Applied Social Studies, School for Social Science and International Development, University of Wales Swansea, Science Tower, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2…
Factors that contribute to high turnover among residential child care staff
In this paper we draw on our own empirical research and that of others to consider the factors that contribute to high staff turnover in residential child care. First, we focus on the problem of retaining staff in children’s services. Second, we turn our attention to the factors that contribute to staff turnover in residential care: namely, perceptions of the service; of children and young people; and of human resource issues. Third, we attempt t…
The Recruitment and Retention of Family Foster-Carers
Fostering services across the globe encounter difficulties in recruiting and retaining family foster-carers. Yet, we know little of the international and cross-cultural issues which impact on recruitment and retention. In this article, we draw on previous empirical research, and also on information collected during a recent study of global trends in family foster-care, to present an international comparative analysis of those issues. Three key th…
Learning Lessons from Men Who Have Sexually Abused Children
The sexual abuse of children and young people by those who work with them is a global problem. Yet, our knowledge of this form of abuse remains limited. There is a dearth of research on offenders' accounts of how they perpetrated abuse within a paid work or voluntary sector environment. Thus, our focus here is on data collected during individual interviews with eight adult males who had been imprisoned for abusing a total of 35 children while in …
Professionalization and Institutional Abuse in the United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom (UK), residential child and youth care work is the poor relation of a developing social work profession, the legitimacy of which is subject to ongoing challenge. The lack of priority given to residential work is reflected in recent controversy associated with the widespread abuse of young people placed away from home. The chapter attempts to assess the extent to which professionalization can address the manifest failure of t…
Medicine (16 works) · Psychology (16 works) · Political science (12 works) · Child Welfare and Adoption (11 works) · Nursing (10 works) · Law (9 works) · Social Work Education and Practice (8 works) · Sociology (8 works) · Criminology (7 works) · Child Abuse and Trauma (6 works)