‘Contextual safeguarding across borders’: learning about the ‘contextual safeguarding’ framework and youth ‘extra-familial’ harm in Germany

Wroe, Lauren Elizabeth; Huegler, Nathalie; Peace, Delphine

Abstract

We share learning from a collaborative project involving researchers at Durham university in England and an International Non-Government Organisation (INGO) supporting refugee girls in Germany. The project explored how the ‘Contextual Safeguarding’ framework, developed in the United Kingdom (UK) to protect young people from harm in peer and community contexts (rather than families), could contribute to similar work in another European country. Contextual Safeguarding supports policy makers and practitioners to address ‘extra-familial’ harm such as peer violence, trafficking and exploitation. The framework was tested with the INGO who used it to adapt their programme. The research team tracked the use of the Contextual Safeguarding framework using qualitative research methods: ethnographic observation, policy analyses, semi-structured interviews with practitioners, and a focus group with young people. The Contextual Safeguarding framework supported the INGO to incorporate the ‘extra-familial’ nature of harm and safety into their programme. Learning was generated in three areas: (1) opportunities and challenges in applying Contextual Safeguarding in practice settings supporting refugee youth; (2) cross-national applicability of Contextual Safeguarding, stimulating critical reflection on its conceptual and practice development, and (3) piloting and research across borders, surfacing differences in structures and practices as well as shared conditions for embedding Contextual Safeguarding.

Citation

Wroe, L. E., Huegler, N., & Peace, D. (online). ‘Contextual safeguarding across borders’: learning about the ‘contextual safeguarding’ framework and youth ‘extra-familial’ harm in Germany. European Journal of Social Work, https://doi.org/10.1080/13691457.2025.2505233

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 5, 2025
• Online Publication Date: May 22, 2025
• Deposit Date: Jun 12, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 12, 2025
• Journal: European Journal of Social Work
• Print ISSN: 1369-1457
• Electronic ISSN: 1468-2664
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13691457.2025.2505233
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/4095705