NCJ Number
183113
Journal
Child Abuse & Neglect - Special Issue Volume: 24 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2000 Pages: 71-84
Date Published
2000
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This study reviews the role played by multidisciplinary team consultation on crimes against children.
Abstract
Cases of child abuse filed in court as crimes against children represent a small percentage of the total numbers of children maltreated. However, studying crimes of maltreatment against children is important for individual victims and their families, and for theory and policy in order to ensure that these cases are managed as well as possible. Forensic consultation teams can perform several functions related to child abuse crimes. They can provide multidisciplinary expertise in evaluating maltreatment cases, offer a method for allocating resources between cases managed by the criminal justice and child protection systems, and they can provide important research and teaching opportunities. The study reviews the role played by multidisciplinary team consultations based on the perception of client professionals whose agencies pay for an outside consulting forensic team. Use of the team did not result in resolution of all the cases referred, but did consistently provide closure for referring professionals. Had it not been for the consultation team, one third of the cases would not have proceeded to an appropriate criminal or civil resolution. Tables, references