NCJ Number
93377
Date Published
1983
Length
0 pages
Annotation
This slide and audio cassette presentation presents the nature and scope of various types of child abuse, discusses how to recognize signs of various types of child abuse, and offers advice on what citizens can do to help deal with the problem.
Abstract
The types of child abuse and neglect considered are kidnapping, physical abuse, emotional and physical neglect, child pornography, and sexual molestation, including incest. The nature of each type of abuse or neglect is explained, and statistics are supplied to indicate the extent of each type of child abuse. Case histories are briefly presented as examples of various types of abuse and how they were handled. Specific ways to identify that a child has experienced some type of abuse are recounted, with attention to physical, emotional, and behavioral indications. A profile is also provided of abusing parents. Among the encouraging responses of government and private agencies to child abuse, reporting laws are mentioned as a way of requiring various professional groups to report to the authorities any suspicion of child abuse. Another response mentioned is the establishment of Child Find, an organization devoted to finding missing children. The procedure for using Child Find is described. Other responses considered are the use of the FBI's National Crime Information Center, fingerprint programs for children in public schools to assist in their identification should they be missing, children's wearing of identification tags, and programs to help actual or potentially abusive parents to develop positive parenting skills. Suggestions for citizen involvement and help in dealing with the problem of child abuse include the reporting of suspicious behavior, getting license numbers of persons behaving suspiciously, and instructing one's own children in how to protectively respond to threatening persons and situations. The kinds of instructions that will be helpful to children are described. Advice is also provided on how to deal with a circumstance that involves a friend or relative in the sexual abuse of one's child.