NCJ Number
236231
Journal
Child Abuse & Neglect Volume: 35 Issue: 8 Dated: August 2011 Pages: 574-581
Date Published
August 2011
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This article describes the experiences of public health professionals and health care providers in a large child protection intervention and investigation in Texas.
Abstract
Examination of the experiences described by public health professionals and health providers in this article found several factors that affected the success of the investigation. Law enforcement and child protection resources were not sufficient enough to conduct standard child abuse investigations due to the refusal by residents to cooperate with the investigation and the large number of children involved in the case. This article examines the experiences of public health professionals and health care providers in a large child protection intervention and investigation in Texas. In April 2008, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services conducted a large child protection intervention at a remote religious compound based on evidence of widespread child abuse at the compound. Details of the investigation, legal outcomes of the case, and experiences of officials and providers are described in this article. The primary intent of the article was to characterize the burdens placed on community resources, health care providers, and the legal system as a result of large-scale child protection interventions. Analysis of the experiences described in this article indicates that the success of the child protection intervention was reduced due to limitations resulting from insufficient resources and lack of cooperation on the part of the compound's residents. Implications for health care providers participating in large-scale child protection interventions are discussed. Figure, references, and appendix