Plans for enhanced access to family courts by media threaten children’s wellbeing, says Children’s Commissioner

[Alison J Stevens]

Plans for enhanced access to family courts by media threaten children’s wellbeing, says Children’s Commissioner

New research published revealing children's views

Children and young people's concerns about the Government's proposal to allow the media to report more widely on family court proceedings are
revealed in new research undertaken by the University of Oxford and
published last week by the Children's Commissioner for England, Dr
Maggie Atkinson.

The overwhelming view of children who took part in the Commissioner's research was that reporters should not be
allowed into the family courts because the hearings address matters
that are intensely private, embarrassing and humiliating. According to
the research, children and young people are extremely worried about
being identified in the media and fear being bullied as a result. They
do not trust the press to get the facts right and feel strongly that
articles would be sensationalised. The children said that their deeply
personal details were the business of neither newspapers, nor the
general public.

The research, which was conducted by Dr Julia Brophy at the University of Oxford on behalf of the Children's
Commissioner for England, also reveals that many children and young
people would not speak freely to professionals, including doctors and
social workers, charged with undertaking assessments, if a reporter was
in court to hear the evidence.

A small number of children and young people saw some merit in improving public awareness about the
work of family courts, in particular demonstrating that the children
involved were not in any way to blame for the traumatic events in their
lives. However, children stressed that this should not be achieved at
the expense of the children and parents concerned. They also stressed
that parents and children must be consulted first before any reporter
is allowed into the court.

The Children's Commissioner is now calling for an Independent review of the Rules on media access to
hearings in the context of children having a right to be heard in
matters affecting their lives and in conditions that are conducive to
their welfare and safety. This review should, she says, include
consultation with children and young people who are subject to family
court proceedings and there must be clear options and procedures where
children feel they are unable or unwilling to discuss issues as a
result of media attending their case.

To download a copy of the report, follow this link.

New research published revealing children's views

Children and young people's concerns about the Government's proposal to allow the media to report more widely on family court proceedings are
revealed in new research undertaken by the University of Oxford and
published last week by the Children's Commissioner for England, Dr
Maggie Atkinson.

The overwhelming view of children who took part in the Commissioner's research was that reporters should not be
allowed into the family courts because the hearings address matters
that are intensely private, embarrassing and humiliating. According to
the research, children and young people are extremely worried about
being identified in the media and fear being bullied as a result. They
do not trust the press to get the facts right and feel strongly that
articles would be sensationalised. The children said that their deeply
personal details were the business of neither newspapers, nor the
general public.

The research, which was conducted by Dr Julia Brophy at the University of Oxford on behalf of the Children's
Commissioner for England, also reveals that many children and young
people would not speak freely to professionals, including doctors and
social workers, charged with undertaking assessments, if a reporter was
in court to hear the evidence.

A small number of children and young people saw some merit in improving public awareness about the
work of family courts, in particular demonstrating that the children
involved were not in any way to blame for the traumatic events in their
lives. However, children stressed that this should not be achieved at
the expense of the children and parents concerned. They also stressed
that parents and children must be consulted first before any reporter
is allowed into the court.

The Children's Commissioner is now calling for an Independent review of the Rules on media access to
hearings in the context of children having a right to be heard in
matters affecting their lives and in conditions that are conducive to
their welfare and safety. This review should, she says, include
consultation with children and young people who are subject to family
court proceedings and there must be clear options and procedures where
children feel they are unable or unwilling to discuss issues as a
result of media attending their case.

To download a copy of the report, follow this link.FAMILY COURTS