NCJ Number
58633
Date Published
1978
Length
6 pages
Annotation
IT WAS NOT UNTIL AFTER THE 1973 TUNBRIDGE WELLS STUDY GROUP REPORT AND BRITISH PROBATION AND AFTER-CARE SERVICE BECAME AWARE OF ITS SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN CHILD ABUSE CASES.
Abstract
THE PROBATION AND AFTER-CARE SERVICE HAS WORKED ACTIVELY TO ENSURE EFFECTIVE COORDINATION BETWEEN CHILD ABUSE SERVICES AND HAS SUPPORTED THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AREA REVIEW COMMITTEES AND CASE CONFERENCES CALLED FOR BY THE 1973 REPORT. HOWEVER, THE CREATION OF AREA REVIEW COMMITTEES AT BOTH THE AREA HEALTH AUTHORITY AND LOCAL AUTHORITY LEVELS HAS CREATED DIFFICULTIES FOR THE SERVICE SINCE SERVICE AREAS DO NOT NECESSARILY CORRESPOND TO EITHER BODY. EVEN THOUGH CASE CONFERENCES MAY EXERCISE OVERALL CONCERN FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF CHILD ABUSE SITUATIONS, INDIVIDUAL AGENCIES MUST ASSUME ULTIMATE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADMINISTERING OF SERVICES. THE GROWING INVOLVEMENT OF THE SERVICE IN CHILD ABUSE CASES CAN BE SEEN FROM THE FACT THAT IN 1973 IT SUPERVISED 350 FAMILIES AS A RESULT OF ACTUAL CHILD ABUSE OFFENSES. BY 1976, THE AGENCY HAD 2,267 FAMILIES REGISTERED FOR INTERNAL MANAGEMENT PURPOSES AND DESIGNATED AS BEING AT RISK FOR CHILD ABUSE. SERVICE INVOLVEMENT IN CHILD ABUSE CASES ARISES MAINLY OUT OF ADULT OFFENSES WHICH ARE UNCONNECTED WITH CHILD ABUSE (59 PERCENT), COMPARED TO ABOUT 17 PERCENT INVOLVEMENT IN STRICTLY CHILD ABUSE OFFENSES. THE MAJORITY OF FAMILIES BEING SEEN BY THE SERVICE IN BOTH 1973 AND 1976 WERE ALSO BEING SEEN BY OTHER AGENCIES. THE UNDERSCORES THE NEED FOR CLOSE COOPERATION AND COORDINATION BETWEEN THE VARIOUS AGENCIES INVOLVEMENT IN CHILD ABUSE. NO REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (KCP)