NCJ Number
200115
Date Published
March 2003
Length
33 pages
Annotation
This guide presents recommendations from the International Association of Chiefs of Police 2001 Summit on how to protect children by reducing the incident of, and responding effectively to, child abuse and neglect.
Abstract
During the 2-day summit, which drew over 120 participants, 57 recommendations were made that comprise a comprehensive approach to child protection. The recommendations provide concrete suggestions for child welfare workers, law enforcement officers, and other community leaders. The consensus of the summit was that multi-disciplinary teams need to be assembled in communities throughout the Nation, which will respond to the problem of child abuse and neglect with integrated, cross-discipline programs and community-based strategies. The guidelines that emerged offer guidance in two main areas: (1) how to build professional partnerships to respond to child abuse and neglect, and (2) how to build community partnerships to prevent child abuse and neglect. Nine steps were identified as crucial for building and sustaining effective partnerships with professional agencies. These steps include agreeing on a mission statement, goals, and objectives, and designing a multi-disciplinary response model. The guide offers clear guidance on how to accomplish each of the nine steps. Next, guidance is offered on how to build and sustain community partnerships that will help to prevent the occurrence of child abuse and neglect. Five suggestions are presented that include promoting accurate reports of suspected child abuse and neglect and promoting legislative advocacy. Finally, the guide presents a list of selected resources that will assist the reader in learning more about child abuse and neglect. The main goal of the guide is to promote a pro-active, holistic, and community-wide response to the social problem of child abuse and neglect.