Radically seeking social justice for children and survivors of abuse

Abstract

This article explores the contribution of Liz Davies to the radical social work tradition in the UK. We describe two key aspects of Davies’s activism: her early mental health activism, supporting foundational organisations like the Mental Patients Union; and her child protection activism, promoting children’s rights and obtaining justice for victims and survivors of child abuse. We explore three critical debates specifically arising from her most sustained child protection work: debates about prevention and/or protection; the accusation of child abuse activism as moral panic; and the idea of the ‘heroic’ social work activist.