NCJ Number
121642
Journal
Child Welfare Volume: 68 Issue: 6 Dated: (November/December 1989) Pages: 615-621
Date Published
1989
Length
7 pages
Annotation
Three cases involving failures of judges, child welfare professionals, and physicians to recognize child abuse have implications for preventing abuse, disability, and death among at-risk children.
Abstract
In the first case, physicians failed to recognize fractured ribs as an inflicted injury, concluding that the infant had osteogenesis imperfecta even though there was no evidence of this. In the second case, the child protective service worker did not recognize risk factors for abuse at the time of the initial injury. In the third case, a serious inflicted injury was not recognized as such by a private child welfare agency, and a family court judge returned the infant home to suffer further abuse. To prevent such errors by physicians, all relevant medical specialties should incorporate clinical experience within their residency training and their board certification to increase the expertise of graduates in child abuse and neglect. Child protective service workers should have additional course work in child development, and judges should have inservice education and instruction in the causes and outcomes of abuse and neglect. 5 notes.