Dr Taghreed M. Abu Sarhan
Dr Taghreed M. Abu Sarhan joined UAEU in the Fall of 2015 . She says: I came from Jordan by way of the USA, where I completed my PhD at Bowling Green State University. I have a specialty in human rights Law and most especially an emphasis on women’s rights and Gender Studies. Prior to my joining faculty at UAEU, my practice experience includes United Nations work in the Al Zaatari refugee camp—one of the largest refugee camps in the world serving many displaced Syrians. However, my greatest point of pride in my 21 years of service in the Jordanian National Police where I took on a leadership role in establishing forensic social work services in which women survivors of violence received women-friendly services, including sensitive interviews of women victims by women police officers. This was a major step forward as the country readied itself for comprehensive responses to violence against women and children. Today, Jordan is a model of police response to family violence in the Arab world. I hopes I will be an important voice in the UAE as policy related to family violence continues to be implemented.
Sources of Resilience in Abused Children During the Legal Child Protection Process in both Jordan and United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Child abuse is one of the worst forms of violence against children especially when it comes from within the family. The difficult part of the abuse is the process of investigating the abuse, going through the harsh stages of forensic medical examination, court proceedings and may be taken out of the family home to safe shelters. However, despite this significant adversity and stress they experience, some children demonstrate resilience, show high functioning and successful adjustment despite their tough experience. This paper examines factors that contribute to abused children adaptive functioning during the legal child protection process. It will mainly focus on resilience in abused children during the legal proceedings at the police investigation settings where forensic medical examinations and social work interventions are also provided. This paper explores the factors that promote resilience in abused children. It also stresses the role of service providers in developing resilience in abused children during the whole process of investigating the abuse. Child development, support from other members in the family, school achievements, loyalty to family, religious belief and good interval will be examined as factors that might contribute to displaying resilient in abused children.
The Family Protection Department in Jordan, and Social Support Centers in the police departments of each emirate of the UAE, will be studied as two cases of legal child protection bodies that investigate child abuse from within the family. The two legal bodies will also be presented as two potential settings to promote resilience in abused children all through the legal investigation process of child abuse. Quality of services provided and casework providers will be examined as pillars of child resilience in the process of child abuse investigation.
Keywords: child abuse, resilience, child Protection, UAE, Jordan, Family Protection Department, Social Development Centers.
References
Cicchetti D. (2013). Annual Research Review: Resilient functioning in maltreated children--past, present, and future perspectives. Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines, 54(4), 402–422. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2012.02608.x
Dubowitz, H., Thompson, R., Proctor, L., Metzger, R., Black, M. M., English, D., Poole, G., & Magder, L. (2016). Adversity, Maltreatment, and Resilience in Young Children. Academic pediatrics, 16(3), 233–239. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acap.2015.12.005
Holmes, M. R., Yoon, S., Berg, K. A., Cage, J. L., & Perzynski, A. T. (2018). Promoting the development of resilient academic functioning in maltreated children. Child abuse & neglect, 75, 92–103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2017.07.018
