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Twenty-four sites in northern Tasmania on Ferrosols formed on Tertiary basalt were sampled in 1997, 2005, and 2010. The farming systems at the sites during this period were either (a) continuous pasture, (b) continuous cropping of vegetable, cereal, and other cash crops in rotation, or (c) a mix of pasture and cropping (intermittent cropping). Average organic carbon (OC) concentrations across all sites and both sample depths (0–150 mm and 150–300 mm) decreased from 4.0% in 1997 to 3.5% in 2005 and 3.3% in 2010 (P< 0.001). Average OC was greater at 0–150 mm (4.1%) than at 150–300 mm (3.1%) (P< 0.001). Average total soil nitrogen (N) in 2010 (0.42%) at 0–150 mm was not significantly different (P = 0.07) from the average in 1997 (0.38%). Soil pH in water (pHw) showed the opposite trend to OC, increasing with time from 6.0 in 1997 to 6.2 in 2010. This reflects the consistent use of calcite and dolomite in Tasmanian farming because the natural pHwof these soils is less than 5.5. Exchangeable calcium and magnesium were also greater in 2010 compared with 1997. Bicarbonate-extractable phosphorus (P) averaged across both depths increased (P< 0.001) steadily from 77 mg kg−1in 1997 to 95 mg kg−1in 2005 to 126 mg kg−1in 2010. At the five sites that remained under continuous cropping throughout the study, average 2010 OC in the topsoil was 3.2%, a decrease of 0.5% since 1997; pHwwas unchanged at 6.4; and bicarbonate-extractable P increased by an average of 73 mg kg−1to 211 mg kg−1. For the three sites that remained in pasture the corresponding topsoil changes were 0.3% less OC to an average of 4.8%; pHw0.4 units greater at 6.0; and 41 mg kg−1more bicarbonate-extractable P to an average of 99 mg kg−1. At the six sites converted from continuous pasture to intermittent cropping the average 2010 topsoil OC was 4.5%, a loss of 1.3%; pHwincreased by 0.5 units to 6.1; and bicarbonate-extractable P increased by 35 mg kg−1to 97 mg kg−1. There was a highly significant (R2= 0.82) exponential relationship between topsoil OC in 2010 and the number of years each site had been cropped during the 38 years 1972–2010, for which reliable records were available (OC = 4.933e−0.018years), which suggested an equilibrium topsoil OC concentration of about 2.5% under continuous cropping on these soils. These results indicate that Tasmanian farmers on Ferrosols continue to increase the pHwand P fertility of their soils and that increasing cropping intensity on these soils comes at the expense of soil carbon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The involvement of children in research studies is historically fraught with difficulties. Experiments on children without their consent or knowledge have been carried out in the past and thus the need for stringent ethical control is undoubtedly necessary. However this paper argues that the need to protect children from unethical research has somehow become entwined in the web of secrecy that surrounds the very nature of child abuse. In the name of ‘protection’ are children in danger of not having their voice heard? In the foreword to ‘Listening to Children’ (Alderson, 1995) Roger Singleton writes, ‘much research is carried out on and about children, but seldom with children. Children themselves are often strangely silent’. This paper draws on recent literature on the institutional abuse of young people in residential care and the lack of voice that those abused in residential care have traditionally had, suggesting that their silence is not ‘strange’ but perhaps contrived. This paper does not repeat the work of Alderson (1995) and make suggestions as to how research with children may best be carried out, but seeks to address the issues in relation to research with children who are in institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper describes and discusses a research dissemination project undertaken by participants in the Leicester University School of Social Work Child Protection Studies programme. The initiative was designed to enable experienced social workers to share with others findings from their recently completed research projects, to encourage other health and social care practitioners to engage in research activities, and to promote links with employers. Past and current students worked with staff to mount a successful national conference attended by eighty people which promoted discussion of a number of important child protection topics. It encouraged participants to continue with further research and dissemination activities. It also promoted the setting up of a partnership between the course team and local employers to run a programme of day events to bring relevant recent research findings to the attention of social work practitioners and first line managers. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The paper begins by outlining briefly the impact of legislative changes in England and Wales following the implementation of the Children Act 1989 on the 14th October 1991. The Act was described by our Lord Chancellor, Lord Mackay as “the most comprehensive and far reaching reform of child law which has come before Parliament in living memory.” (Hansard, H.L. Vol. 502, col 488) The notion of parttnership is central to the Act; it is the intention that it should permeate all aspects of practice. This paper focuses on preventive practice and partnership with parents in cases involving child protection, issues of anti‐oppresive practice are applied to the notion of partnership, and the balance between partnership on the one hand and collusive or oppresive practice on the other is explored. The implications of such an analysis for child prevention is then discussed with reference to a case example, and conclusions drawn. *THE NINTH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT, 30 August ‐2 September 1992, Chicago, Illinois, USA [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper draws upon Max Weber's work on domination to analyse an authority structure within an institution where physical and sexual abuse occurred. The paper raises questions about the solutions currently offered by the modern state and welfare bureaucracies to prevent re‐occurrence of abuse in institutions. *This paper was presented to the 4th European Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect, Abano Terme, Padova, Italy, 28‐31 March 1993 [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (respectfully referred to hereafter as “Aboriginal”) children in the child protection system is a concern in Australia, with Aboriginal children placed in out-of-home care at a rate 11 times that of non-Aboriginal children. This study utilised linked administrative data to determine the longitudinal child protection pathways from birth to age 10 years for a cohort of 15,815 Aboriginal children born in Western Australia between 2000 and 2006. In total, 9,269 (59%) children did not have any contact with child protection between one year prior to birth and their 11th birthday. Conversely, 6,546 (41%) Aboriginal children were involved with child protection during the study period, with 1,405 (9%) children placed in out-of-home care. Infants who had a child protection notification were more likely than other age groups to have a substantiated notification of abuse and neglect and placed in out-of-home care. More than half (56%) of all children were predominantly placed in kinship care; however, only 22% had their first placement with kinship carers. Aboriginal-led strategies together with the support and commitment of all levels of government are required to reduce entry into care and improve outcomes for Aboriginal children in care.IMPLICATIONSAboriginal-led strategies and wholistic responses can reduce the overrepresentation of Aboriginal children reported to child protection systems, and support families and communities.Infancy stands out as a key point of system involvement. This stage offers an opportunity where early intervention and family support strategies may prevent first time involvement with the child protection services and promote kinship placement, reunification with parents, and community-led supportive care.Aboriginal-led strategies and wholistic responses can reduce the overrepresentation of Aboriginal children reported to child protection systems, and support families and communities.Infancy stands out as a key point of system involvement. This stage offers an opportunity where early intervention and family support strategies may prevent first time involvement with the child protection services and promote kinship placement, reunification with parents, and community-led supportive care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]