Children 1st

Children 1st is a Scottish charity which aims to give every child in Scotland a safe and secure childhood. Also known as the Royal Scottish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children (RSSPCC), Children 1st supports families under stress, protects children from harm and neglect, promotes children’s rights and helps children recover from abuse.^[1]

History

The RSSPCC has its origins in the anti cruelty movement that grew up in America in the 19th century. Following a landmark law suit, in which the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals took a case under animal cruelty legislation against two New Yorkers for abusing an eight year old child, Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children sprung up on both sides of the Atlantic.^[2]

In 1884 it was beginning to be understood that there was a considerable amount of abuse to children being perpetrated on children in the UK. To counter this the first Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children was established in London. Following on from this creation in England branches began to be set up throughout Scotland and in 1889, the Glasgow and Edinburgh branches joined to form the Scottish National Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children.^[3]

In the same year, the first Act of Parliament for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children was passed.

The NSPCC, also began to come into existence around this time and now operates in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Although the two charities are completely separate organisations, they work together to improve the lives of children and families throughout the UK.

Name change

In 1921 the Scottish National Society received Royal Charter and became the Royal Scottish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children (RSSPCC).

In its early incarnation the society was set up to rescue children living rough and begging on the streets, in later years the Society became better known for investigating child abuse and neglect.

In 1968 new legislation gave responsibility for investigating child abuse to local authority social work departments. As a result, the role of RSSPCC changed. However, it was some years before the charity changed its name to reflect this change in role, adopting the campaigning name Children 1st in 1995.^[3]

Children and family services

Today, Children 1st provides 41 services in 23 local authority areas as well as six national services including ParentLine Scotland which is the free, national telephone helpline for parents and carers. Since April 2007, Children 1st has operated ChildLine Scotland on behalf of the NSPCC.^[4]

Children 1st has pioneered the use of the Family Group Conference in Scotland,^[5] and also provides a befriending service “Bfriends”^[6], several local family support services, a number of abuse and trauma recovery services across Scotland, and Child Protection in Sport.^[7]

Campaigns

Children 1st also campaigns and lobbies on behalf of children and young people in Scotland. The campaigning priorities of Children 1st build on the work of its services. The organisation is part of campaigning coalitions, including Children Are Unbeatable!, which campaigns for an end to physical punishment, and Justice for Children, which campaigns for better conditions for children giving evidence in court.^[8]

Kilts for Kids

Kilts for Kids Day is an annual national fundraising event, held on the Friday nearest St Andrew’s Day (30 November), to raise money for Children 1st. The first Kilts for Kids Day took place on Friday 28 November 2008, and the event was launched in Glasgow on 19 September 2008 with the support of media personality Kaye Adams, and comedians Karen Dunbar and Sanjeev Singh Kohli. On Kilts for Kids Day, everyone is encouraged to do something that they would not usually do, such as wearing kilts or tartan, or organising a "kiltaoke" – singing Scottish songs in kilts.^[9][10][11]

Criticisms

Children 1st has been criticized for disproportionately focussing on issues related to child sex crimes, as these gain more media attention, rather than focussing on more mundane issues such as child poverty that effect many more children. It has also been accused of sensationalism and manipulative behaviour in terms of its relationship with the press. As just one example in 2011 it launched a high-profile press campaign, that included a senior policy manager appearing on BBC Radio 5 calling for the dismissal of Scottish footballer Craig Thomson, who had been convicted and fined for having a sexual conversation on the internet with a minor. Dismissal as a professional footballer in these circumstances would have been outside usual legal precedence in the UK. This campaign has been contrasted by critics with the relatively little campaigning it had done in response to cuts to services for children as part of nationwide 'austerity measures'.^[12][13] To this extent it has been accused of representing a narrow and authoritarian conservative perspective within the child protection debate in the UK. Children 1st consistently responds by saying that these criticisms are simplistic and that it campaigns in a wide variety of ways on a range of issues.^[14]

References

1. ^ www.children1st.org.uk
2. ^ The History of NYSPCC^{[dead link]}
3. ^ ^{a b} "GCU Archives > RSSPCC (Children 1st) Archive". Gcal.ac.uk. http://www.gcal.ac.uk/archives/rsspcc/index.html. Retrieved 22 September 2011. 
4. ^ Children 1st to run ChildLine services in Scotland^{[dead link]}
5. ^ The importance of kinship care : The Journal Magazine : The Journal of the Law Society of Scotland
6. ^ Wooden Spoon : Scotland Starts 2007 with Six Great Events!^{[dead link]}
7. ^ "Child Protection in Sport Service". Sportscotland.org.uk. http://www.sportscotland.org.uk/ChannelNavigation/What+we+do/TopicNavigation/subsites/Ethics/TopicNavigation/Child+Protection/Child+Protection+in+Sport+Service.htm. Retrieved 22 September 2011. 
8. ^ [1]^{[dead link]}
9. ^ "Scot to be a good thing". Daily Record. 20 September 2008. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/comment/columnists/lifestyle-columnists/kaye-adams/2008/09/20/scot-to-be-a-good-thing-86908-20745142/. Retrieved 15 October 2008. 
10. ^ "Child charity in appeal for tartan events". Edinburgh Evening News. 18 September 2008. http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/edinburgh/Child-charity-in-appeal-for.4504407.jp. Retrieved 15 October 2008. 
11. ^ "Kilts for Kids web site". Kiltsforkids.org.uk. http://www.kiltsforkids.org.uk. Retrieved 22 September 2011. 
12. ^ "BBC News - Hearts urged to sack online sex offender Craig Thomson". Bbc.co.uk. 26 June 2011. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-13918842. Retrieved 22 September 2011. 
13. ^ Press Association. "Hearts should sack Craig Thomson, says Children 1st charity chief | Football | guardian.co.uk". Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/jun/26/hearts-craig-thomson. Retrieved 22 September 2011. 
14. ^ "CHILDREN 1ST". CHILDREN 1ST. http://www.children1st.org.uk/. Retrieved 22 September 2011. 

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External links

• Children 1st website
• Bfriends website
• Child Protection in Sport website
• ChildLine Scotland website