ABSTRACT
Indeed, when taken at face value, problems of child safety can seem largely a matter of common sense. But if so, why isn’t it applied? The answer is that common sense at best over-simplifies the situation and is sometimes entirely wrong: and that if preventive measures are unsuccessful it is because the problem is complex and difficult to engage with. Professional workers often respond creatively but have to deal with a plethora of immediate demands that make it difficult to get beyond the current situation. The extra dimension provided by the research process is the time and space needed to reflect on issues, to get beyond immediacy, and to explore and evaluate new ways of dealing with the persistent problems of child safety.
