Hotline Tip to Probable Cause: Filling the Gap Between Suspicion and Physical Abuse Findings for Mandated Reporters

2005 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 66-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Dreuth Zeman
Keyword(s):  
Child Abuse ◽  
Child Protective Services ◽  
Case Managers ◽  
Mandated Reporting ◽  
Protective Services ◽  
Care Managers ◽  
The Family ◽  
State Child ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Mandated Reporters

Almost all care managers are mandated reporters and as such they are responsible for reporting suspected cases of child abuse or neglect to state child protective services. Experienced case managers understand that making a call to an abuse hotline does not guarantee that the family or child will get the help that they believe will reduce the child’s risk of abuse. This article addresses legal and policy aspects of reporting child maltreatment and will include an examination of the policies on mandated reporting and professional and legal definitions of abuse. It will define the fundamental elements of parents’ rights and will demonstrate how those rights interface with governments’ responsibilities to protect children. It will also identify ways in which care managers can enhance child risk assessments and the results of reporting suspected child abuse through planning, facilitation, outcome, and professional development.

Child Abuse

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 86 (5) ◽  
pp. 805-806
Author(s):  
ALLAN R. DE JONG ◽  
MIMI ROSE
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Child Abuse ◽  
Sensitivity And Specificity ◽  
Gold Standard ◽  
Child Protective Services ◽  
Iron Pyrite ◽  
Protective Services ◽  
Physical Evidence

In Reply.— We thank Dr Smith for his interesting perspective regarding screening for child abuse. We had hoped our article would help physicians focus on the verbal evidence of abuse and show how insensitive the physical evidence is in predicting which child had been abused sexually. To apply the principles of sensitivity and specificity to the assessment of child abuse or sexual abuse, we must have a gold standard which characterizes these problems. Neither a child protective services decision nor a legal determination of "no proven abuse" can be used as a gold standard, unless we can accept a "gold standard" made of iron pyrite.

Causes and Consequences of the Substantiation Decision in Washington State Child Protective Services

2002 ◽  
Vol 24 (11) ◽  
pp. 817-851 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana J. English ◽  
David B. Marshall ◽  
Laura Coghlan ◽  
Sherry Brummel ◽  
Matthew Orme
Keyword(s):  
Child Protective Services ◽  
Washington State ◽  
Protective Services ◽  
State Child

We Are Family: Specifying the Unique Contribution of Abuse and Neglect of Siblings on the Prevalence, Severity, and Chronicity of Maltreatment in the Household

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (15) ◽  
pp. 2420-2438 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Spano
Keyword(s):  
Age Of Onset ◽  
Child Protective Services ◽  
Unique Contribution ◽  
Window Of Opportunity ◽  
Protective Services ◽  
Targeted Interventions ◽  
Youth Survey ◽  
The Family ◽  
Abuse And Neglect ◽  
Single Child

Prior research typically focuses on a single child (“index” victim) when measuring child abuse and neglect (CAN) using Child Protective Services (CPS) records. However, excluding siblings has the potential to underestimate estimates of the prevalence, severity, and chronicity of CAN in the household, which includes all children in the family. CPS maltreatment records were searched in 2005 for 366 “index” victims who were surveyed for 5 consecutive years (from 1998 to 2002) for the Mobile Youth Survey (MYS) as well as other siblings in the household. The estimate of prevalence of CAN in the household increased by 10% when sibling(s) in the household were included in the CPS search. In addition, prevalence of sexual abuse in the household increased by 38% when siblings were included in the broader search of CPS records. More importantly, including sibling victims of CAN uncovered incidents of maltreatment that occurred before the birth of the targeted MYS “index” victim. In short, the inclusion of abuse and neglect of siblings is a straightforward and intuitive way to improve estimates of abuse and neglect in the household. More importantly, the age of onset of CAN of sibling victims provides a wider window of opportunity to identify at-risk families for targeted interventions and may represent a critical stepping stone toward the primary prevention of CAN in the household.

scholarly journals Strengths and problems of families in contact with child protective services during the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne Witte ◽  
Heinz Kindler
Keyword(s):  
Child Protection ◽  
Child Protective Services ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Protective Services ◽  
Daily Work ◽  
The Family ◽  
Child And Youth Welfare ◽  
The Face ◽  
Adaptation Response ◽  
Perceived Effects

Objective: The study investigates the dynamics within families in contact with child protective services in reaction to the Covid-19 pandemic as perceived by social workers. Based on the Family Adjustment and Adaptation Response (FAAR) model, strengths and problems are outlined. Background: Following the first lockdown of public life in March 2020, concerns about children’s well-being have been raised. Practitioners and scientists alike worried that particularly children in families with multiple problems would suffer severe abuse and neglect. However, it remains unclear how these families have actually been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and the measures to reduce transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Method: Child protection caseworkers from 40 child and youth welfare authorities across Germany were interviewed twice via telephone. The first interview was conducted during summer 2020, and the second interview two months later. Caseworkers were questioned about their professional experience in their daily work since March 2020. Moreover, they provided information on the perceived effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on families in contact with child protective services. Results: The interviews were analyzed using content analyses. Six overall challenges for families were identified. Families reacted differently to these. The caseworkers reported problems in families like increased parental conflict, media use, and alcohol consumption during the first lockdown. Nevertheless in some families, the caseworkers also perceived there to be less stress and tension during the lockdown in March 2020 due to fewer school requirements. Furthermore, some families were able to establish routines, activate resources, and find solutions for problems on their own. At the time of the second interview, some families’ problems had increased, particularly regarding children’s difficulties at school due to insufficient homeschooling. Conclusion: The results show that the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on child protection families are positive and negative. Some are resourceful in the face of adversities, and others show an aggravation of problems. The results are discussed in light of findings on family dynamics during the Covid-19 pandemic in other countries.

Child Abuse and Neglect

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan J. Wells ◽  
Geoff Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Child Abuse ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Child Protective Services ◽  
Child Abuse And Neglect ◽  
State Agencies ◽  
Protective Services ◽  
Current Trends ◽  
Abuse And Neglect ◽  
International Data ◽  
Definition Of

The true extent of child abuse and neglect is unknown but reports to state agencies indicate over 3 million reports concerning maltreatment of over 6 million children are made each year. Confirmed reports involved over 679,000 children in 2013. Yet, only 32% of the children known to be harmed by maltreatment in the community are investigated by child protective services. The perplexing dilemma in surveillance and service delivery is how to identify those who need help without spuriously including those who do not. This entry focuses on the definition of maltreatment and provides an overview of the history, etiology, and consequences of child abuse and neglect as well as the current trends and dilemmas in the field. To afford some perspective for the reader, some international data and information are provided.

On Racial Disparities in Child Abuse Reports: Exploratory Mapping the 2018 NCANDS

2021 ◽  
pp. 107755952110019
Author(s):  
Amanda Luken ◽  
Reshmi Nair ◽  
Rebecca L. Fix
Keyword(s):  
Child Abuse ◽  
Child Maltreatment ◽  
Racial Disparities ◽  
Psychological Abuse ◽  
Child Protective Services ◽  
White Child ◽  
Child Physical Abuse ◽  
Pacific Islanders ◽  
Protective Services ◽  
Child Population

Research suggests children from non-White and Hispanic/Latinx communities are at higher risk for child maltreatment. This study identified in which states children from specific non-White communities were overrepresented in child protective services reports for child physical, sexual, and emotional/psychological abuse through exploratory mapping. Reports on child maltreatment originated from the 2018 National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System and state-level population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. Racial disparities were identified in states with unequal proportions of reported child maltreatment among a non-White child population compared to the proportion among the White child population. We found disparities for children from non-White communities in many states, especially for Black communities (Disparity Ratio [DR]: 15.10 for child physical abuse, DR: 12.77 for child sexual abuse in Washington DC, and DR: 5.25 for child emotional/psychological abuse in California). The ability to identify high disparities among Pacific Islanders highlights one of the study’s strengths, given we separately examined Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders and multiracial communities. Results from our exploratory mapping provide insight into how preventive resources might be differentially allocated to non-White communities with higher child protective services reporting compared with White communities, and manifest states with multiple non-White communities overrepresented across maltreatment types.

scholarly journals “Guboow”—child abuse or traditional medical treatment? a case report

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Lange-Herr ◽  
A. Rindlisbacher ◽  
F. Romano ◽  
C. Jackowski
Keyword(s):  
Medical Treatment ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
Child Protective Services ◽  
Pediatric Emergency ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Emergency Physicians ◽  
Protective Services ◽  
Child Protection Services ◽  
The Family ◽  
Clear Information

AbstractThe examination of children suspected of being abused poses a great challenge for forensic pathologists. The risk of misjudgment is high and can have serious consequences for the child and the family. In unclear cases, an assessment should always be carried out on an interdisciplinary basis with the involvement of the relevant disciplines such as pediatrics, dermatology, or radiology. We present the case of a 2.5-year-old boy who was presented by his parents at the Pediatric Emergency Department of a Swiss University Hospital due to fever and weight loss. During the physical examination, conspicuous findings on the abdomen were present, and the responsible emergency physicians informed the child protective services. A clinical forensic examination occurred on behalf of the child protection services. The abdomen of the child showed several symmetrical scars. The initial questioning of the parents did not provide clear information about the origin of the injuries. Further professional questioning of the family by the child protective services concluded that the injuries were the result of a traditional medical treatment in Somalia, which occurred several weeks before.

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