NCJ Number
132160
Journal
Children and Youth Services Volume: 13 Dated: (1991) Pages: 101-111
Date Published
1991
Length
11 pages
Annotation
A sample of 58 sexually abused children who had received child protective services was followed up approximately 3 years after initial identification.
Abstract
According to the survey, about half the children were still receiving child welfare services. Nearly half the children were out of their homes at follow-up, while those who had been placed spent an average of more than three years in their placements. Family composition changes, not including removal of the abused child and usually consisting of divorce or separation, had occurred in more than half the families. In one-quarter of the cases, there were substantiated re-referrals for child maltreatment. The author concludes that the model on which child protection systems are predicated may not be appropriate for sexual abuse victims, who may require sustained family treatment and/or placement outside the extended family. 2 tables and 25 references (Author abstract modified)