CHILD PROTECTION BEHIND CLOSED DOORS by Jo Cooling

CHILD PROTECTION BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

Jo Cooling

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GENRE: NonFiction

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BLURB:

In the beginning, a tragic event started me on my journey to a destination and my love for helping children of all ages and their families.

However, what I was not prepared for was that the people who assisted me and paved the way for my advancement in my chosen career in Child Protection were the same people who tried to bring me down.

This book will give you insight into what it is like to work in Child Protection. It will show you the difficulties and sometimes dangers workers face on a daily basis. Furthermore, the novel will also highlight the satisfaction you get when you can assist a child and their family through a traumatic event.

My career at Child Protection spanned nearly a decade, and during that time, I was bullied by management. I observed management bully other workers; I was also aware of workers consuming drugs, both outside work hours and during work hours.

This novel is a behind-the-scenes look at what really happens at Child Protection when the public is not watching or listening.

Child Protection is not an easy career path, but it can be a good job if you like long hours, have a thick skin, keep your head down, keep your mouth shut, and abide by everything that management wants you to do, even when you know it is wrong or unfair.

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January 6 Stop Kenyan Poet

Child Protection / Workplace / Children and Bullying

Bullying: The repeated, Intentional harming of another person, which can be physical, verbal, or psychological. It involves an imbalance of power, where the bully uses their power – whether it’s physical strength, access to embarrassing information, or popularity – to control or harm others.

For over 12 months, I tolerated ongoing bullying from my Team Leader, who was supposed to be a support network. My team members had been suffering for longer than that. I cam back after having a day off work to be informed that the Team Leader had bullied my student, and she left work in tears.

We approached the Unit Manager without concerns, but no action was taken. We then approached the Manager of Child Protection, who informed us, “We have been waiting for someone to make a complaint about this team leader. We have had workers come in on their first day and never return because of the bullying by this Team Leader”.

A few months, down the track, I was put off work and told that they did not believe I was capable of performing my duties as a Child Protection Worker. Meanwhile, the bully received counselling and was moved to a different position.

The questions I ask are: If management already knew that this Team Leader was bullying workers for years, why did they not take action sooner? Why did management have to wait until a complain was made if they already knew the bullying was going on? Why did management protect the bully and try to further traumatize the victim?

Breaking up Bullying

The Disconnect Between Policy and Practices:

My experience reveals a significant gap between the intent of anti-bullying polices and their actual implementation. Polices alone are not enough; there must be a commitment to enforcing these guidelines effectively and holding offenders accountable.

The impact on Victims and Workplace Culture:

The failure to adequately address bullying has serious consequences:

For Victims It leads to emotional distress, decreased productivity, and in severe cases, can cause lasting psychological damage leading to suicide.

For Workplace Culture: It undermines Trust, morale, and the overall effectiveness of the organisation, especially in high-stress environments like Child Protection.

Statistics Australian Children: Aus. Inst. of Health & Welfare / Stop Bullying

·         7 in 10 children aged 12-13 experienced at least one bullying incident within a year.

·         1 in 5-year 4 students experience bullying on a weekly basis.

·         46% of children aged 12-13 who experienced bullying also used bullying-like behaviours against other children.

·         Bullied children are more likely to have lower academic achievements, and are more likely to miss, skip or drop out of school.

·         A small number of bullied children might retaliate through extremely violent measures.

Statistics Australian Adults: Safe Work Australia

·         1 in 3 women who claim for a mental disorder stated it involved harassment or bullying.

·         1 in 5 men who claim for a mental disorder stated it involved harassment or bullying.

·         37% of workers reported being sworn or yelled at in the workplace.

·         11% or workers experienced unfair treatment due to gender.

·         22% of workers reported being physically assaulted or threatened by patients or clients.

·         39% of mental disorder claims were caused by harassment, bullying, or exposure to violence.

·         Almost 2,000 people received compensation for workplace bullying in the last financial year.

·         The number of serious workplace injuries related to bullying and harassment has nearly doubled in Australia over the past decade.

Statistics American Adults: Very Well Mind

·         30% of workers have directly experienced bullying while at work.

·         43.2% of remote workers reported being bullied on the job.

Discussion:

The statistics show that workplace bullying and bullying amongst our most vulnerable is a significant issue that affects many individuals, at every level leading to serious mental health consequences and at its worst suicide.

Addressing workplace bullying and bullying in child protection requires a comprehensive approach that combines education, strong policies, victim support, accountability, and a positive workplace culture. By implementing these strategies, we can create a safer and more supportive environment for all employees, ensuring that the focus remains on protecting the children and families we serve.

So How do we tackle the topic of bullying?

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Because this book contains content that is 18+ with various trigger warnings, we do not feel excerpts will be applicable. It discusses Jo’s time as a child protection worker and features substance abuse, sexual assault and various other triggering topics.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

The life of Jo Cooling is like living in a theme park: one minute, it's like riding a roller coaster, baking cupcakes, cookies, and slices. With a kitchen covered with chocolate, flour, and cooking utensils. Also trying to develop new tastes and ideas for her growing baking business.

Sometimes, she feels like she travels through life in a Dodge 'em car. All the while, she works to complete two novels while caring for two Cavoodles, who believe their mother was placed on this earth purely to play with them 24 hours a day.

But no matter how out of control her life can be at times, eventually, she ends up sailing around on the Walt Disney teacup ride on top of the world. However, when she relaxes, the Cavoodles see this as an opportunity to snuggle on Mum's lap.

Jo's work career has been just as colourful as her current life. She has worked in horse and car racing, sold lingerie, designed websites, been a Personal Assistant, and worked as a Law Clerk.

Jo looks at life like a box of chocolates: each day unwraps a new layer, revealing unexpected flavours and textures.

CONNECT WITH Jo Cooling

WEBSITE: jocooling.com

INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/jocoolingauthor

PURCHASE LINKS Child Protection Behind Closed Doors

AMAZON.COM: https://amazon.com/dp/1779418698

AMAZON.AU: https://amazon.com.au/dp/1779418698

INDIGO CHAPTERS: https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/

BOOKTOPIA: https://www.booktopia.com.au/

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

The author will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.