NCJ Number
141796
Journal
Journal for Juvenile Justice and Detention Services Volume: 7 Issue: 2 Dated: (Fall 1992) Pages: 28-41
Date Published
1992
Length
14 pages
Annotation
The central theme of this paper is that the child-abuse movement and the child-protection orientation it has imposed on the field of child welfare services have worked to make institutional child abuse a problem that does not exist (an "un-problem").
Abstract
One of the means by which institutional child abuse is suppressed is through the service rationale, which touts the doctrine of parens patriae, the concept of "in a child's best interests," the assertion of "best professional judgment," and the disclaimer of a "lack of resources." These four slogans can be put to use in a variety of combinations to explain away charges of inept or wrongful practice. A second factor that contributes to making institutional child abuse an "un-problem" is the public's inability to grasp the dimensions and importance of institutional child abuse. Another factor is the dominance of adolescents in institutional care while the focus of the child abuse movement is on the protection of young children. A strategy for the prevention of institutional child abuse should include the development of a clear definition of institutional child abuse from a child-development perspective. This common understanding of institutional child abuse should lead to the prevention of institutional child abuse as a by-product of a shared emphasis on child development. 54 references