DISPOSITION OF REPORTED CHILD ABUSE

• NCJ Number: 50992
• Author(s): M F MADEN
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 179 pages
• Sale Source: UMI Dissertation Services; Century Twenty One Publishing
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY - DOCTORAL DISSERTATION

Annotation

THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE WHETHER THERE IS A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WHAT HAPPENS TO CHILD ABUSE VICTIMS, THEIR FAMILIES, AND PERPETRATORS AND THE TYPE OF COMMUNITY AGENCIES INVESTIGATING CHILD ABUSE CASES.

Abstract

DATA WERE COLLECTED FROM CHILD ABUSE REPORTS ORIGINATING IN MULTNOMAH COUNTY, OREG., BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 1975 AND JANUARY 1977, AND INCLUDE INFORMATION ABOUT PERTINENT DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE STUDY POPULATION, COMMUNITY SOURCES THAT REPORTED SUSPECTED ABUSE, AGENCIES THAT RECEIVED AND INVESTIGATED REPORTS, AND CASE DISPOSITION. PRINCIPAL SOURCES OF DATA FOR THE STUDY WERE CHILD ABUSE REPORTS TO THE STATE CENTRAL REGISTRY, POLICE AND SHERIFF REPORTS, JUVENILE COURT DOCUMENTS AND REPORTS, AND DOCUMENTS AND REPORTS OF THE CHILDREN'S SERVICES DIVISION OF THE COUNTY. CONCEPTUAL VARIABLES IN THE STUDY WERE DISPOSITION, REPORTED CHILD ABUSE, AGENCY INVOLVEMENT, CLIENT POPULATION FEATURES, AND STRUCTURAL FEATURES OF THE CHILD ABUSE SYSTEM. CHARACTERISTICS OF VICTIMS, THEIR FAMILIES, AND PERPETRATORS WERE INVESTIGATED. THE DISPOSITION OF REPORTED CHILD ABUSE WAS RELATED TO THE AGENCY INVESTIGATING THE CASE. SPECIFICALLY, CASES INVESTIGATED BY A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY AS OPPOSED TO THE CHILDREN'S SERVICES DIVISION WERE MORE LIKELY TO RESULT IN THE REMOVAL OF VICTIMS FROM THEIR HOMES. SOCIAL SERVICE REFERRALS FOR FAMILIES AND COMMUNITY ACTION DIRECTED TO PERPETRATORS WERE MORE LIKELY WHEN CASES WERE INVESTIGATED BY THE CHILDREN'S SERVICES DIVISION INSTEAD OF A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. WHEN CASES WERE INVESTIGATED JOINTLY BY LAW ENFORCEMENT AND SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES, ABUSE VICTIMS WERE MOST LIKELY TO BE SEPARATED FROM THEIR FAMILIES, FAMILIES WERE MOST LIKELY TO BE REFERRED FOR SOCIAL SERVICES, AND COMMUNITY ACTION WAS MOST LIKELY TO BE DIRECTED TO PERPETRATORS. DISPOSITION WAS DIRECTLY ASSOCIATED WITH CERTAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF THE STUDY POPULATION, AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DISPOSITION AND INVESTIGATING AGENCY WAS MODIFIED BY SEVERAL FACTORS. THE STUDY FINDINGS LEAD TO THE CONCLUSION THAT A CHOICE OF AGENCIES TO INVESTIGATE CHILD ABUSE REPORTS RESULTS IN DIFFERENTIAL AND PERHAPS UNEQUAL TREATMENT OF CHILD ABUSE VICTIMS, THEIR FAMILIES, AND PERPETRATORS. SUPPORTING DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR'S ABSTRACT MODIFIED--DEP)