The historical criminology of ‘safeguarding’

Children in the secure estate, 1960-2016

Paper presented at the BSC Historical Criminology network’s conference in 2019
conference paper
Authors
Affiliations

Ben Jarman

University of Cambridge

Louise Jackson

University of Edinburgh

Published

2019-04-09

Doi

10.17863/CAM.39128

Abstract

This paper examines the methodological tensions and synergies between historical criminological research and contemporary policy imperatives, through the lens of a commissioned study on child protection in the secure estate (1960-2016). Drawing on research conducted for Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), we analyse how the absence of institutional memory in government departments has shaped approaches to safeguarding policy. The paper critiques present-centred policy research methodologies that risk overlooking historical conceptualisations of abuse and protection. Through the case study of Medomsley Youth Detention Centre, we demonstrate how archival materials must be read ‘against the grain’ to understand how institutional practices could conceal abuse behind bureaucratic narratives of efficiency and order. We argue that effective safeguarding requires moving beyond policy compliance to recognise it as an iterative, contested process. This analysis holds important implications for how historical criminological approaches can inform contemporary child protection policy while remaining alert to the complexities of institutional memory and archival interpretation.

Keywords

child abuse, youth custody, youth justice, historical criminology, safeguarding

Availablity

Paper text and slides available via https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/291976.

Reuse

Citation

BibTeX citation:
@unpublished{jarmanHistoricalCriminologySafeguarding2019,
  author = {Jarman, Ben and Jackson, Louise A.},
  title = {The Historical Criminology of “Safeguarding”: Children in the
    Secure Estate, 1960-2016},
  date = {2019-04-09},
  address = {Plymouth University},
  url = {https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/291976},
  doi = {10.17863/CAM.39128},
  langid = {en-GB},
  abstract = {This paper examines the methodological tensions and
    synergies between historical criminological research and
    contemporary policy imperatives, through the lens of a commissioned
    study on child protection in the secure estate (1960-2016). Drawing
    on research conducted for Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service
    (HMPPS), we analyse how the absence of institutional memory in
    government departments has shaped approaches to safeguarding policy.
    The paper critiques present-centred policy research methodologies
    that risk overlooking historical conceptualisations of abuse and
    protection. Through the case study of Medomsley Youth Detention
    Centre, we demonstrate how archival materials must be read “against
    the grain” to understand how institutional practices could conceal
    abuse behind bureaucratic narratives of efficiency and order. We
    argue that effective safeguarding requires moving beyond policy
    compliance to recognise it as an iterative, contested process. This
    analysis holds important implications for how historical
    criminological approaches can inform contemporary child protection
    policy while remaining alert to the complexities of institutional
    memory and archival interpretation.}
}
For attribution, please cite this work as:
Jarman, B., & Jackson, L. A. (2019, April). The historical criminology of “safeguarding”: children in the secure estate, 1960-2016 , Conference paper, Plymouth University. doi:10.17863/CAM.39128