Importance of Inter-Agency Child Abuse Teams to a Small Community by the Year 2000

• NCJ Number: 172564
• Author(s): D Lacher
• Date Published: 1996
• Length: 19 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: California Cmssn on Peace Officer Standards and Training
• Sale Source: NCJRS Photocopy Services; POST Media Distribution Ctr
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This paper uses a scenario to illustrate the importance of interagency teams in the investigation of cases of child abuse or neglect by California law enforcement agencies.

Abstract

Minimally, the team should consist of a child abuse detective and a youth services officer, as depicted in the scenario. The combined efforts of law enforcement and child protection professionals increase the quality of service to dysfunctional families that have more than one child at risk. Child protection professionals help to increase the efficiency of services and enhance the use of stakeholder resources. The team approach would decrease the need for patrol officers to spend countless hours placing children in protective custody, to investigate the crime, and to write the reports necessary to ensure a successful prosecution. The team approach would also eliminate the repetition of child interviews. Thirteen recommendations pertinent to the operation of interagency child abuse teams are offered. 16 notes