NCJ Number
162792
Date Published
1992
Length
111 pages
Annotation
This 1992 conference focused on the extent of child abuse and neglect and research and practice initiatives of the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect.
Abstract
Conference participants recognized that as many as 1.7 million reports of child abuse are made yearly and that the point of entry for many abused children is the hospital. In addition, they considered the need for cooperation and information sharing by child protection services and hospitals. Accordingly, four conference panels were convened to explore hospital-based programs. The first panel discussed the initial identification of abuse by hospital personnel and the training needed by hospital staff to ensure proper identification and treatment of abused and neglected children. This panel also addressed the role of the child abuse team attorney in reporting child abuse, the release of information, and children's relationships with guardians. The second panel reviewed issues surrounding the care provided to children as inpatients, with several community-based programs highlighted. The third panel examined the role of multidisciplinary teams, while the fourth panel outlined hospital-community partnerships in service provision, research, and prevention. Conference participants discussed suggestions for the future evolution of hospital-community responses to child abuse and neglect and called for a new paradigm to foster commitment to serving abused and neglected children. Initiatives of the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect are identified that encompass research and practice initiatives and the dissemination of research findings. Both policymaker and practitioner roles in child abuse prevention are discussed. Additional information on the conference agenda and participants is appended. References, tables, and figures