John Devaney

• PhD
• Head of Department at University of Edinburgh

Internationally, there is growing recognition of the scale and consequences of intimate partner homicides (IPH). A significant, though often neglected consequence is how many children are impacted by these tragic events. In such challenging circumstances, children need stability, continuity and trusted people they can rely on for support. This pape...

A Scottish national child protection audit has shown that practitioners can have differing understanding of the term ‘disability’ and are variable in their own recording of disabilities. It was apparent from the audit that disability was more likely to be recorded for older children than those under five. The audit found that an abuse allegation is...

Purpose Losing a parent due to intimate partner homicide is a traumatic experience, exacerbated by homicide and the associated grief being a taboo in many western cultures. This study investigated the experiences of young people and adults bereaved by parental intimate partner homicide during childhood, to gain a better understanding of how they ma...

Purpose Bereavement through parental intimate partner homicide (IPH) is a unique form of complex trauma that may disrupt and destabilise identity in surviving children. This qualitative study aimed to generate a better understanding of post-homicide experiences and needs in the context of identity to improve support for these neglected victim-survi...

Purpose To develop a socio-ecological understanding of the immediate and long-term effects on, and the needs of, children and young people (CYP) in the UK and Ireland bereaved by parental intimate partner homicide (IPH). Method The study draws on in-depth interviews from three different informants: those with lived experience (LE) (10); caregivers...

Purpose Childhood exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) is a pervasive problem worldwide. In addition to directly observing or indirectly experiencing IPV, children may be killed because of IPV. To date, research on child IPV-related deaths exists in various, disconnected areas of scholarship, making it difficult to understand how IPV contrib...

Objective Young people in care (i.e., in the child welfare system) are a group who have often experienced very high rates of potentially traumatic events, including maltreatment. It is well‐documented that they have high rates of trauma‐related mental health difficulties, such as posttraumatic stress. To address the needs of the large number of you...

Key Practitioner Messages Mothers who have a child removed from their care often face a range of vulnerabilities, such as abuse in childhood, isolation, poverty, poor mental health, domestic abuse, and substance misuse, which contribute to the reasons for their children being removed. Yet following this removal, and at a time of acute need for them...

On the 4th of June 2024, 13 Swedish academics (including the lead author, who is based at UCL in London, UK) and psychologists raised caution related to the use of the so-called ‘parental alienation' belief system in Swedish Family Courts through the article ‘Parental Alienation is Pseudoscience’ published in the Swedish magazine directed at psycho...

Purpose Children bereaved by domestic homicide face unique challenges that are likely to require professional interventions. In this study, the theoretical lens of candidacy, which considers the dynamic factors that affect service eligibility and access, is employed to evaluate current service provision in the United Kingdom. Method We conducted a...

Part of the complexity of responding to child maltreatment lies within the intersection of the child welfare and criminal justice systems. Drawing upon learning from two separate research studies in the United Kingdom, we identify several key considerations for the introduction of the Barnahus model into a new context. We argue that the Barnahus mo...

Purpose There is a growing acknowledgement that children are direct victims of domestic violence and abuse, and require support and protection in their own right. However, professional interventions designed to protect children may unintentionally further victimise parents, most often mothers. In response, a number of new interagency approaches hav...

IntroductionChild maltreatment affects a substantial number of children. However current evidence relies on either longitudinal studies, which are complex and resource-intensive, or linked data studies based on social services data, which is arguably the tip of the iceberg in terms of children who are maltreated. Reliable, linked, population-level...

This qualitative study highlights how people bereaved due to parental intimate partner homicide relate to themselves and the world in meaningful and trauma-specific ways.

Introduction Adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at elevated risk of a range of difficulties, among which emotion regulation, peer and co-occurring mental health problems are prominent challenges. To better support adolescents with ADHD, ecologically valid interventions that can be embedded in daily life to target t...

Purpose One of the challenges for mental health research is the lack of an agreed set of outcome measures that are used routinely and consistently between disciplines and across studies in order to build a more robust evidence base for how to better understand young people’s mental health and effectively address diverse needs. Methods This study i...

The use of standardized screening tools to identify trauma exposure and associated symptoms is commonly recommended as a key component in the development of trauma informed services and is seen as integral to facilitating access to evidence‐based therapies. However, there is limited evidence in the UK about the factors influencing the adoption of s...

Background Parental mental illness is a major public health issue and there is growing evidence that family focused practice can improve outcomes for parents and their families. However, few reliable and valid instruments measure mental health and social care professionals’ family focused practice. Objectives To explore the psychometric properties...

Adverse childhood experiences encompass both direct harm, such as abuse and neglect, and indirect harm via family issues, including parental substance abuse and mental illness. They create significant risks for problems in later life, including mental health problems, substance abuse, interpersonal violence and self-harm. Due to these enduring and...

The Oxford Handbook of Family Policy Over the Life Course examines how countries devised measures for child protection outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). The UNCRC highlights the importance of protecting children from a range of human rights violations. In response, countries respond differently to human r...

Abstract Background Integrated programmes addressing varying forms of violence and abuse are increasingly delivered to children under 12 but uncertainty remains about what should be delivered to whom, when and in what dose. Objective To examine the impact of Speak Out Stay Safe (SOSS) - an integrated prevention programme for children under 12 - an...

Young people who are currently or were previously in state care have consistently been found to have much higher rates of mental health and neurodevelopmental difficulties than the general youth population. While a number of high‐quality reviews highlight what research has been undertaken in relation to the mental health of young people with care e...

Objective: Trauma exposure in childhood is common and can lead to a range of negative mental health outcomes, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In many settings, resources to address this distress are scarce. Group-based interventions require minimal resources and training, can be delivered by non-mental health specialists, and targe...

Background Little is known about the causal pathways through which domestic violence affects children's internalising, externalising and prosocial behaviours over time, and the role that risk and protective factors play in mediating and moderating direct effects. Objective We explored how different risk and protective factors affect children's psy...

This paper reports on a feasibility study for an evaluation of a UK primary school‐based prevention programme that addresses multiple forms of abuse and neglect, identifying research design and ethical issues and exploring research practice. For this feasibility study, 194 children aged 6–11 years completed a baseline survey and 113 did so followin...

Background Research on child maltreatment in the context of intimate partner violence (IPV) rarely draws on nationally representative samples, and rarely accounts for maternal, paternal and child reports of parental aggression towards children separately. Objective We explore if living with IPV makes children more likely to be smacked or slapped b...

In recent times the production of research linking childhood experiences with later life outcomes has had the effect of producing new understandings of child development, with increased attribution given to this stage in the life cycle as being foundational for future outcomes. In turn, this has generated the development of models which combine phy...

Key Practitioner Messages Cases are complex and families can feel overwhelmed by the number of agencies and referrals involved. Systemic, family‐focused practice can lead to improved outcomes; this should be consistent across mental health, addictions and children's services. Efforts to promote interagency collaboration include: clear job descripti...

Filicides, where children are killed by their parents or stepparents, are uncommon occurrences, which are committed by both paternal and maternal perpetrators. The aim of this paper is to explore to what extent the antecedents of filicides can be traced back to one of the factors identified within the literature – the adverse childhood experiences...

Introduction Young people in out-of-home care have often experienced trauma, such as direct maltreatment or witnessing violence. There is good evidence that rates of mental health difficulties are high in this group, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a trauma-specific mental health outcome. There remains less evidence to guide how to...

Traumatic experiences during childhood are common and often lead to chronic mental health conditions such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The primary aim of this study was to determine whether a well-validated screening tool for PTSD administered in frontline services effectively identifies diagnosable PTSD in young people with a history o...

The mental health problems of parents can negatively affect their whole family. The organisational and wider context may also influence the outcomes for all involved. The aims of this systematic review were: to develop a working definition of family‐focused practice (FFP); identify the types of outcomes that are measured with a focus on service use...

This qualitative study explored how professionals and parents with mental illness experience their relationships with each other, what aspects of interaction promote a constructive relationship and the role of wider organisational and systemic factors. A purposive sample of 30 adult mental health and children’s services professionals, and 21 parent...

This book will equip Social Work students with the knowledge, skills and confidence to produce first-rate written assignments. Part One focuses on the foundational skills needed to produce excellent written work. Students are taken through the core stages of working on an assignment, from planning the task and reading and note-making through to fin...

Domestic abuse is a pernicious societal issue that has both short- and long-term consequences for those who are victimized. Research points to motherhood being linked to women’s victimization, with pregnancy being a particular point of risk. Across UK jurisdictions, new legislation aims to extend the criminalization of domestic abuse to include coe...

In this article, we engage with some of the fundamental concepts underpinning the original adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) study and subsequent work, whilst recognising that the terminology of ACEs has in some ways become reductionist and problematic. Although an imperfect concept covering a range of childhood adversities at a personal, intrap...

Individuals with higher numbers of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been found to be overrepresented amongst users of social services. This poses challenges for service providers in seeking ways to incorporate knowledge about ACEs in the calibration of service provision, and for social workers as to how they might use such knowledge in the...

We welcome the opportunity to respond this commentary on our article. As we read it, there seem to be three main points, and we will respond briefly to each in turn. 1. The ‘hybrid’ comment regarding the combined use of systemic and psychodynamic concepts is disputed. The bulk of the commentary seems to present a long argument to dispute our commen...

Social work practice has an essential, yet ambiguous, relationship with theory. This state of affairs is currently evident in the range of contemporary relationship-based practice (RBP) models being applied within Child and Family Social Work. This article argues that there is an urgent need for a theoretically coherent conceptualisation of these m...

This article aims to systematically review the empirical literature in relation to the homicides and maltreatment‐related deaths of disabled children in order to better understand the risk factors and to assess support for the explanatory theories posited. These theories include: (1) the stress of caregiving; (2) altruistic intent; (3) lack of bond...

It is now widely accepted that living with domestic abuse (DA) can significantly affect children, with the effects of DA continuing to be felt into adulthood. The common conceptualisation of children as passive ‘witnesses’ of DA and the failure to recognise them as direct ‘victims’ in their own right, separate from adult victims, can act as a major...

Parenting programs are increasingly being offered in prison as governments seek to reduce the negative consequences of parental imprisonment and encourage desistance from crime. However, little is known about the design and delivery of such programs and how this may shape program effectiveness. This article seeks to address this gap by examining ho...

While an adverse childhood experience (ACE)-informed approach to child protection and welfare has become influential in USA, it has had markedly less influence in the UK, this despite growth in adoption of ACE research as a basis for understanding population needs and aligning service delivery amongst policymakers and other professional groups. In...

The financial crisis of 2008, has led central governments in industrialized nations to seek to reduce public expenditure at the same time that demands upon the welfare state are increasing. Using the example of statutory social work with children and families in England, this article explores whether the concept of rationing might be a more useful...

During imprisonment, fathers are separated from their families and contact is limited. When delivering a prison based parenting programme, providing an opportunity to rehearse newly acquired parenting skills can be key for mastering the performance of these skills and using these skills to improve father-child relationships. This paper takes an in-...

While the principle of contact between children in care and their families is enshrined in law, the precise form and frequency is at the discretion of social workers and the courts. Professionals must seek to balance the twin principles of children’s need for protection from the psychological, emotional and physical harm that may arise from having...

Background: This special issue presents research undertaken in Europe on gender-based violence. The articles illustrate the range of European research reflecting the very different levels of gender equality, violence awareness, and policy and service development across the continent. While the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention approved in 201...

This study explores how digital technology is being used to provide innovative family support services (FSS), and the challenges and opportunities that this holds for practitioners in delivering the service. Online services hold the possibility of accessing increasing numbers of parents, and providing support that fits with their own needs and avai...

Domestic violence is a serious, widespread public, social and health problem that affects the lives of many women, children and men. There is also evidence to suggest it has one of the highest rates of recidivism. This comprehensive book provides an overview of what the research tells us about the perpetrators of domestic violence and what works, a...

Background: Domestic abuse is a significant public health issue. It occurs more frequently among disabled women than those without a disability and evidence suggests that a great deal of domestic abuse begins or worsens during pregnancy. All women and their infants are entitled to equal access to high quality maternity care. However, research has...

Women and their babies are entitled to equal access to high quality maternity care. However, when women fit into two or more categories of vulnerability they can face multiple, compound barriers to accessing and utilising services. Disabled women are up to three times more likely to experience domestic abuse than non-disabled women. Domestic abuse...

No abstract is available for this article.

Co-Sleeping and bed sharing are considered the social norm for approximately 90% of the world's population, with two-thirds of the world's cultures habitually practicing mother-infant co-sleeping on the same bed. Although international studies show that the practice of co-sleeping is common, it is controversial in the public health community, as ma...

Child welfare professionals regularly make crucial decisions that have a significant impact on children and their families. The present study presents the Judgments and Decision Processes in Context model (JUDPIC) and uses it to examine the relationships between three independent domains: case characteristic (mother's wish with regard to removal),...

The aims of this study were to identify the themes Social Workers regard as important in supporting decisions to remove children from, or return them to, the care of their parents. To further elicit underlying hypotheses that are discernible in interpretation of evidence. A case study, comprising a two-part vignette with a questionnaire, recorded d...

Domestic violence is now widely acknowledged as being a significant social, health and legal issue. At both a national and transnational level governments have sought to develop strategies built upon prevention, support for victims and holding perpetrators to account through criminal justice sanctions. However, the current paradigm that informs the...

Background Although disabled women are significantly more likely to experience domestic abuse during pregnancy than non-disabled women, very little is known about how maternity care access and utilisation is affected by the co-existence of disability and domestic abuse. This systematic review of the literature explored how domestic abuse impacts up...

On the whole research has concluded that most young people navigate adolescence with few difficulties, but a minority do find this stage of life challenging, and their ways of coping may have negative consequences for both themselves and others. For some the experience of adversity in earlier childhood, and the cumulative impact of multiple adversi...

Background Child welfare professionals regularly make crucial decisions that have a significant impact on children and their families. The present study utilizes the Judgments and Decision Processes in Context model (JUDPIC) to examine the relationships between three independent factors: case characteristic (mother's wish with regard to removal), p...

Although domestic violence is seen as a serious public health issue for women worldwide, international evidence suggests that women aged over 50 who are victims are suffering in silence because the problem is often ignored by health professionals. More U.K. research is needed to identify the extent of the problem, and services to meet the needs of...

• Summary: This article outlines a framework for approaching ethical dilemmas arising from the development, evaluation and implementation of child welfare policies. As such, it is relevant to policy-makers, social researchers and social workers. The central tenets of the framework are developed by drawing on ideas from moral philosophy and critical...

Despite huge investment over the past 10 years, improving outcomes for looked-after children remains elusive. A challenge for practitioners, researchers and policy-makers alike has been the absence of a shared conceptual framework for considering and responding to the needs of looked-after children. A second challenge relates to the measurement of...

• Summary: Current UK Government policy is concerned with the possible connections between childhood adversity, social exclusion and negative outcomes in adulthood. Understanding the impact of adverse childhood experiences on outcomes in adulthood is therefore key to informing effective policy and practice. In this article, the research on the impa...

There is significant public and professional interest in the non-accidental death of children where abuse and neglect are suspected of being contributory factors. Systems for reviewing these deaths have been developed in each of the four jurisdictions within the UK. The main aims are to ensure that individuals and professionals are held to account...

The issue of domestic violence has gained greater recognition within public policy in the United Kingdom over the past decade. There is a recognition that up to one million children may have been exposed to violence between the adults with whom they live. This has consequences for the child in both the short and long term in terms of social and emo...

This paper is concerned with the ethical conflicts that arise for social work professionals working with men who use violence to control women and children with whom they have or have had intimate relationships. It suggests that professionals who are knowledgeable about theoretical frameworks concerning men’s ‘readiness to change’ including ‘resist...

Whilst child welfare systems in the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States may share a number of common goals, they are not designed to identify families with multiple problems. Where system output measures have been utilised as proxy measures to detect such families they indicate the presence of families in the population served by child...