Intervention in Child Abuse (From Clinical Handbook of Child Psychiatry and the Law, P 145-161, 1992, D H Schetky and E P Benedek, eds.)

• NCJ Number: 150905
• Author(s): E H Newberger
• Date Published: 1992
• Length: 17 pages
• Sale Source: Williams and Wilkins Co
• Publication Type: Issue Overview
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Following several clinical examples of child abuse, the author examines legal issues in child abuse reporting, child custody initiatives, and clinical and criminal justice issues in child abuse interventions.

Abstract

The case examples involve a 3-week-old infant boy who was beaten and bruised by his father, a 10-month-old black girl with symptoms of severe malnutrition, and a 4-year-old who said she had been sexually victimized by her father. From the legal perspective in child abuse cases, all States have laws requiring professionals responsible for the care of children to report situations in which they suspect or believe that a child has been abused. These laws contain civil and criminal penalties for failing to report child abuse. If a child is believed to be in danger in his or her home, a family or the juvenile court can be asked to transfer the child's legal and physical custody to the State. Many child victims of physical and especially sexual abuse are identified in the context of legal conflicts over custody. Since the late 1970's, there has been an increasing trend toward treating offenses within the family in the criminal justice system, particularly since research and practice indicate that clinical work on child abuse may be best oriented to the child and the family in their life setting. Clinical issues in child abuse intervention focus on the changing nature of American families, the feminization of poverty, and societal confusion about violence and sex. Helpful child abuse interventions are discussed in the context of ecological approaches to service delivery, the family support movement, and the child welfare tradition (child protection services and social control). Specific child abuse interventions are identified, including social casework, psychotherapy, health services, family- focused interventions, and criminal justice system interventions. Pitfalls associated with certain child abuse interventions and services are noted. 14 references