NCJ Number
186930
Date Published
2001
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This chapter provides an overview of the nature and prevalence of child abuse in Norway, as well as the response to it.
Abstract
A demographic profile of Norway, including the infant mortality rate, is followed by a historical overview of the nature and prevalence of child abuse in that country. A section on treatment for child abuse considers the first child abuse team to work specifically with child abuse and neglect cases, the organization of services for abused and neglected children, and challenges that are confronting professionals in this field. In the latter case, various studies that have evaluated the effectiveness of professionals who work with neglectful and abusive families have found that professionals develop survival strategies, which are mechanisms that make it possible for them to function and do their jobs. Consequently, they choose to ignore or minimize the aspects of parents' personalities that harm their children. Parents are viewed by the professionals as having more child-rearing resources than they actually do, such that the treatment plans devised may not be consistent with the parents' potential or the children's needs. The severity of abuse and neglect, their toll on children, and long-term consequences are therefore minimized. Other sections of the chapter focus on current child protection services, investigative procedures, the prevalence of child sexual abuse, and prevention measures. Overall, child protection agencies and professionals who work with cases of child abuse and neglect have failed to integrate and use the field's state-of-the-art knowledge in practice. 36 references