CENTRAL REGISTRY FOR CHILD ABUSE CASES - RETHINKING BASIC ASSUMPTIONS

• NCJ Number: 61993
• Journal: Child Welfare Volume: 56 Issue: 1 Dated: (JANUARY 1977) Pages: 761-767
• Author(s): L WHITING
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 7 pages
• Corporate Author: Welfare League of America (CWLA)
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

BASIC ASSUMPTIONS ARE EVALUATED ABOUT THE NEED FOR A CENTRAL REGISTRY OF ABUSED AND NEGLECTED CHILDREN, ESPECIALLY IN RELATION TO COMPUTERIZED REGISTRIES AND CONFIDENTIALITY PROBLEMS.

Abstract

THE NATIONAL CENTER ON CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT SEEKS TO HELP STATES UPDATE THEIR LAWS AND TO ESTABLISH STANDARDS TO GUIDE STATES THAT RECEIVE FEDERAL GRANTS FOR CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT PROJECTS. IN MANY STATES, THERE IS A STRONG MOVEMENT TO ESTABLISH COMPUTERIZED CENTRAL REGISTRIES OF ABUSED AND NEGLECTED CHILDREN. THESE REGISTRIES ARE GENERALLY PLANNED TO PERFORM FOUR FUNCTIONS: (1) RECEIVE REPORTS OF SUSPECTED ABUSE AND NEGLECT ON A STATEWIDE, TOLL-FREE, 24-HOUR REPORTING LINE; (2) PROVIDE FOR THE MONITORING AND SURVEILLANCE OF HOW CASES ARE HANDLED BY LOCAL DEPARTMENTS AND COMMUNITIES; (3) KEEP A FILE OF NAMES THAT IDENTIFY ABUSED AND NEGLECTED CHILDREN AND SUSPECTED PERPETRATORS; AND (4) PROVIDE A STATISTICAL PROFILE OF THE INCIDENCE OF CHILD ABUSE AND SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF REPORTED CHILDREN WHO ARE ABUSED AND NEGLECTED. CENTRAL REGISTRIES ARE NOT CONSIDERED USEFUL IN TRACKING. IF ABUSIVE FAMILIES MOVE, A STATEWIDE REGISTRY BECOMES INEFFECTIVE. IN ANY CASE, CENTRAL REGISTRIES CANNOT TRACK FAMILIES; THEY CAN ONLY RECEIVE REPORTS OF SUSPECTED ABUSE AFTER ABUSE OCCURS. IT MAY NOT ALWAYS BE NECESSARY OR FEASIBLE TO HAVE A COMPLEX SYSTEM FOR RESPONDING TO REPORTS OF ABUSE AND NEGLECT OR TO MONITOR SERVICE GAPS. HOWEVER, A STATISTICAL PROFILE OF ABUSED AND NEGLECTED CHILDREN IS USEFUL IN DEVELOPING PROGRAMS TO HELP CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES. THE BEST ARGUMENT FOR COMPUTERIZED DATA CAN BE MADE FOR STATISTICAL DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE INFORMATION, WITH EMPHASIS ON DATA ANONYMITY. ONCE IDENTIFYING INFORMATION IS COMPUTERIZED, CAREFUL STEPS MUST BE TAKEN TO ARRANGE FOR EXPUNGEMENT. THERE IS A NEED FOR ACCURATE AND PROMPT DATA ABOUT ABUSED AND NEGLECTED CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES, BUT THERE IS NO CONVINCING EVIDENCE THAT IDENTIFYING NAMES HAVE TO BE INCLUDED IN CENTRAL REGISTRIES. (DEP)