NCJ Number
113961
Date Published
1988
Length
9 pages
Annotation
Although child abuse within the family is being treated much more seriously than in the past in the United Kingdom, other forms of child victimization have both a low public profile and a low priority among statutory and voluntary agencies.
Abstract
The 'core' agencies responsible for intervention and decisionmaking regarding child abuse in the United Kingdom are social services, the police, and the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC). Social services focus on the viability of the family involved in the abuse, and the NSPCC has the statutory authority to remove children from homes where they have been or may be abused. Police are represented at child case conferences and also may initiate case conferences. Once reported to one of the 'core' agencies, a case is investigated by a multidisciplinary team. This includes an interview with the child by a social worker, followed by a medical examination in a hospital pediatric department. All the evidence obtained is considered at a case conference, where crucial policy decisions are made. Some well-publicized cases of child abuse not adequately addressed under the current system have spurred government and professional agencies to produce new guidelines on diagnosing and managing sexual abuse cases. A form of child victimization not being adequately addressed is where a child witnesses violent acts committed between adult family members, between parents and siblings, or between family members and strangers.