NCJ Number
197472
Date Published
2002
Length
336 pages
Annotation
This book's latest edition is a revision covering changes in policy and research related to child maltreatment, including current trends in the areas of legislation, court procedures, social welfare issues, and criminal justice that have occurred over the past 8 years.
Abstract
This book is intended to be a primer offering an extensive overview of material of the field of child maltreatment in the United States. The major topic areas are: child maltreatment, an introductory overview; historical perspectives on child maltreatment; the extent of child maltreatment in the United States; theories of child maltreatment; the discovery and treatment of child maltreatment; State reporting laws and Federal policy; the juvenile court; child protective services (CPS); and criminal justice processing of child abusers. The contents are multi-disciplinary and cover the main aspect of each major topic area, including definition issues, investigative coordination between social welfare and criminal justice agencies, mediation in juvenile courts, Federal public policies, criminal cases involving child exploitation in the Internet, incidence studies, victimology, and prevention literature. It is intended primarily for use by academicians in the development of university level courses on child maltreatment in the United States and, also, and for use by students and practitioners. The views of the author are found in the concluding remarks, covering subjects such as clarification of relevant agency roles, conceptions of child maltreatment and history, fairness in reporting laws, the role of criminal punishment, the role of the Federal Government, and the upgrading and maintenance of adequate CPS funding. Recommended for challenge and discussion in classes are the topics of professional domain, family preservation, rules of evidence, and the poverty issue. Appendices contain The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act of 1974, case citations, references, and an index.