NCJ Number
98826
Editor(s)
C M Mouzakitis,
R Varghese
Date Published
1985
Length
396 pages
Annotation
This overview of social work treatment of child abuse and neglect examines perspectives, etiology, medical and legal aspects, ethical issues, treatment goals and methods, and policy issues in child protection, welfare, and social services.
Abstract
Part 1 examines the nature, extent, and philosophical and sociological explanations of child maltreatment in the United States and in other countries. Part 2 examines factors contributing to physical abuse, neglect, emotional maltreatment, and sexual abuse, and presents an overview of the research literature on the etiology of child maltreatment and its impact on child physical, cognitive, and psychosocial development. In Part 3, medical, legal, and ethical issues arising in the course of identification and treatment of child abuse and neglect are considered. Included are descriptions of the physician's role and medical risk factors for abuse, the evolution of child protection services and the impact of legislative reforms on both service delivery and juvenile court case processing, and State and professional roles as they relate to the balance between individual and societal interests. The treatment process and the requisite skills and services in cases of child maltreatment are delineated in Part 4. Treatment issues examined include intake screening and investigative assessment, interviewing, ongoing assessment during treatment, interdisciplinary team approaches to intervention, and the use of supervision in protective services. Specific treatment issues and strategies in child physical abuse, neglect, emotional maltreatment, and sexual abuse also are reviewed. Finally, Part 5 examines national and local response to child abuse, and the current organizational status of child welfare services and implications for future service delivery networking. A table of contents, section summaries, and extensive references are provided. For some individual papers, see NCJ 98827-32.