NCJ Number
118820
Journal
Child Abuse and Neglect Volume: 13 Issue: 2 Dated: (1989) Pages: 263-269
Date Published
1989
Length
7 pages
Annotation
Governmental consultation and advice on child abuse and neglect in the Netherlands started in 1972 as a two year experiment with four offices for "confidential doctors" in four major cities in the country.
Abstract
Over the ensuing decade the number of offices increased to ten, covering the whole country. The State department of welfare, public health, and environment collected data from the confidential doctors and their coworkers every year. This study compared the data of the first year, 1974, with those of 1983, in order to detect changing patterns over a 10-year period. The major changes noticed were a three-fold increase in cases, an increase in detection of child fatalities, but a decrease in severity of abuse. It was felt that mandatory reporting, if enforced by the government, may improve the situation. Tables and 10 references. (Author abstract modified)