NCJ Number
77713
Date Published
1981
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This paper reviews some of the long-term effects of child abuse and neglect, criticizes the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act and the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, and offers an alternative national policy.
Abstract
Effects of child abuse and neglect, such as slowed intellectual growth and brain damage, often lead to social deviance. Although rigorous research data on the correlation between child abuse and delinquency do not yet exist, sufficient indications of this connection are present to warrant the refocusing of national priorities and allocations of resources. Instead of focusing on the emotional and physical health of children as a policy issue, the two acts establish the policies of serving abused children through the medical-social systems and processing and punishing delinquents through the criminal justice system. An analysis of these policies shows that a number of intended and unintended effects can be expected. Two distinct policies will continue to rupture the network of human service delivery systems and will cause problems in the interaction of rules and procedures; the client will be served neither effectively nor efficiently. One alternative would be to establish and institutionalize a national policy on personal social services. Thus far, the social service systems of education, income security, health, employment manpower, and housing have been accepted and institutionalized, while subsystems including child welfare, community services, and others span several components. The development of a sixth social service system out of the subsystems -- a personal social services system -- would provide the potential for a meaningful integration of services and encourage the development of significant national policies. A 15-item reference list is included.