“Take them away” - children and families in ‘Broken Britain’

Following the case of the two Edlington brothers who have admitted viciously attacking and torturing boys of nine and 11, the issue of child protection is once again in the spotlight. In a recent interview Martin Narey, Chief executive of children’s charity Barnardo’s urged ‘brave action’ from social workers, suggesting that society should be prepared to intervene in families where children are ‘at risk’ far earlier than is currently the case, and indeed insist on enforced adoption if necessary. Whilst critics argue for restraint, others suggest that the failure of ‘the system’ to catch cases such as the Edlington Brothers and Baby P suggest that a more radical approach is needed. As politicians and pundits suggest myriad new procedures to prevent future tragedies, is society in danger of becoming over-obsessed with child safety, when in truth such terrible events are rare? When is the right time, if any, for the state to intervene in family life? And what might be the dangers of sanctioning the kind of measures that are currently being proposed?