When Safeguarding Systems Cause More Harm

🧠 AI Processing Reality...

“We’re here to protect you.” That phrase should feel safe — not like a threat.

But what happens when the **safeguarding** process becomes a **source of trauma**? When **child protection** removes children unnecessarily. When **welfare checks** escalate into police confrontations. When **mental health interventions** cause public shame.

🛑 Protection ≠ Powerlessness

Too often, safeguarding assumes the person is incapable. It doesn’t always **ask** — it **acts**. And in acting, it often removes dignity, autonomy, and context.

💡 Made2Master Insight:

Safeguarding should be **co-designed**, not enforced. **Protection without participation becomes punishment.** A good system listens. A broken one interrupts, assumes, and overrides.