The Centre, based on a commitment to the 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, was the initiative of one of the UK’s leading child study specialists, the late Professor Stewart Asquith, and the Centre’s Acting Director until March 2009. Professor Rebecca Wallace, the current Director, assumed the position in April 2009.
The Centre’s activities include research, consultancy, teaching, training and the provision of an evidence-based approach to the development of policy and practice at a local, national and international level. The Centre is transdisciplinary and deals with issues of human trafficking, migration, refugee children, health, education, juvenile justice and human rights and business (corporate social responsibility). Centre staff members have a background in anthropology, psychology, philosophy, education, health and law, with a particular emphasis on international human rights law.
The Centre is host to the Oak Foundation’s Research Fellow who is developing a hub for research, learning and knowledge transfer activities on the recovery and reintegration of child victims from the effects of sexual exploitation and/or trafficking. Home: The Child Recovery and Reintegration Network: The online hub for research, learning and knowledge transfer activities in the field of recovery and reintegration is available at: www.childrecovery.info
Recent Research:
- Scotland: A safe place for child traffickers? A Scoping Study into the Extent and Nature of Child Trafficking in Scotland Funded by Scotland’s Commissioner for Children and Young People (SCCYP) (June 2010 - March 2011)
- Raising the awareness for the effective implementation of Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child commissioned by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). http://www.voiceofthechild.net
- A Comparative Study of Restorative Practice with Young Offenders in Scotland and the Bahamas. In conjunction with the College of the Bahamas, Law School (April 2010 - December 2011)
- Birth Registration Law and Practice: Gender Discrimination Funded by Plan International (June 2011 – October 2011)
The Centre has a Knowledge transfer Partnership (KTP) with Mindstretchers Ltd, an educational resource company, developing a toolkit for teachers, and other education professionals, to support children experiencing high anxiety.
Courses and Continuing Professional Development:
- Postgraduate Certificate Socio-Legal Issues of Childhood
- Postgraduate Certificate in Restorative Practice
Both programmes are delivered on line and blend the theoretical background with practical implementation in a variety of contemporary settings.
Contact details:
UHI Centre for Rural Childhood, Perth College UHI, Goodlyburn Building
Crieff Road, Perth
PH1 2NX, Scotland
United Kingdom
T: 01738 877506
Contact: Professor Rebecca M. M. Wallace
E-mail: rebecca.wallace [at] perth.uhi.ac.uk
http://www.perth.ac.uk/specialistcentres/ruralchild/Pages/default.aspx