NCJ Number
60414
Journal
Child Welfare Volume: 57 Issue: 7 Dated: (JULY/AUGUST 1978) Pages: 405-413
Date Published
1978
Length
9 pages
Annotation
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF COMPUTERIZED CENTRAL REGISTRY SYSTEMS FOR ASSISTANCE IN CHILD PROTECTION SERVICES ARE DISCUSSED, HIGHLIGHTING THE POTENTIAL FOR ABUSE OF INDIVIDUAL CIVIL RIGHTS.
Abstract
DURING THE LAST DECADE, ALMOST ALL STATES HAVE ESTABLISHED CENTRAL REGISTRY SYSTEMS TO ASSIST CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES IN THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF NEGLECT AND ABUSE, IN CASE MANAGEMENT, AND IN RESEARCH. IN THIS ARTICLE, RESULTS ARE PRESENTED OF A NATIONAL SURVEY OF THE USES OF CENTRAL REGISTRIES AS RELATED TO STATUTORY OBJECTIVES, PERCEIVED ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES, AND THE NATURE AND SCOPE OF RESEARCH AND EVALUATION ACTIVITIES. BEYOND THE CENTRALIZED CASE INFORMATION FUNCTION, ADDITIONAL ADVANTAGES INCLUDE IDENTIFYING CASES OF RECIDIVISM, ASSISTING IN DIAGNOSTIC ASSESSMENT OF PARENTAL ABUSE PATTERNS, ENHANCING DATA ACCURACY, AND ESTABLISHING DATA FOR STATISTICAL ANALYSES. DESPITE THESE ADVANTAGES, UNWARRANTED ACCESS TO CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION REMAINS A MAJOR FLAW IN THESE SYSTEMS. SURVEY RESULTS INDICATE THAT REGISTRIES ARE MAINTAINED IN 35 OF THE 48 REPORTING STATES. WHEN ASKED TO CONSIDER THE REGISTRIES' USEFULNESS, SURVEY RESPONDENTS INDICATE THAT IDENTIFICATION OF RECIDIVISM (HABITUAL ABUSERS) RANKS FIRST IN IMPORTANCE, FOLLOWED BY PROGRAM PLANNING. OVER FOUR-FIFTHS OF THE RESPONDENTS INDICATE THAT DATA ARE ROUTINELY STORED ON THE RACE, AGE, AND SEX OF THE CHILD; IDENTITY OF THE ALLEGED ABUSER; NATURE OF THE INJURIES; AND SOURCE OF THE INITIAL REPORT. ONLY 13 STATES MAINTAIN CENTRALLY COMPUTERIZED SYSTEMS. APPROXIMATELY 51 PERCENT ALLOW PHYSICIANS ACCESS TO THE SYSTEMS; PHYSICIAN ACCESS TO INFORMATION WAS A MAJOR STATUTORY INTENT. THIRTEEN STATES PROVIDE CRIMINAL PENALTIES FOR WRONGFUL RELEASE OF INFORMATION. MISUSES OF INFORMATION IDENTIFIED THROUGH THE SURVEY INCLUDE EVALUATION OF POTENTIAL FOSTER PARENTS AND THE FAILURE OF SOME STATES TO EXPUNGE INFORMATION FROM THE REGISTRY WHEN THE INFORMATION IS PROVEN TO BE ERRONEOUS. FINALLY, LESS THAN HALF OF THE RESPONDING STATES INDICATE THAT STATISTICAL ANALYSES HAVE RESULTED FROM THE INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO THEM THROUGH THE REGISTRY SYSTEM. FUTURE STUDIES SHOULD FOCUS ON THE INFRINGEMENT OF THE RIGHTS OF OTHERS THROUGH DATA MISUSE AND RELEASE OF INFORMATION TO UNAUTHORIZED INDIVIDUALS. NOTES AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (LWM)