NCJ Number
175500
Date Published
Unknown
Length
0 pages
Annotation
This is a filmed discussion of some ways to aid victims of child abuse and to prevent it.
Abstract
Participants in this discussion were Carol Stokinger, Chief, Family Violence and Child Abuse Bureau, New York County District Attorney's Office, and Jane Barker, Director, Child Advocacy Project. New York State law requires that any professional who suspects that a child has been abused report it to the New York State Central Registry for Child Abuse and Maltreatment. The reporting individual is protected from legal or other recriminations if the report was made in good faith and was based on strong evidence of abuse. New York is establishing Child Advocacy Centers, which will feature multidisciplinary approaches involving protective services representatives, criminal justice personnel and others who will be part of the investigation. Among the advantages of these centers is the fact that a child victim will be required to tell his or her story only once, to one or two people, instead of repeatedly to each member of the team. Anyone interested in further information, or who requires help, can call the Brooklyn Child Advocacy Center (718-858-9409) or the State Central Hotline for Child Abuse (1-800-342-3720). Marian White, Executive Director, Child Abuse Prevention Program, and Angela Coyle (phonetic spelling), Program Director, describes the program's in-school workshops to train counselors and educate children about abuse prevention and what they should do if abuse occurs. The program's phone number is 718-834-6655. The video includes a brief animated segment based on drawings done by child abuse victims.