Assessing Child Protection Risk

Abstract

SUMMARY The article outlines a set of child protection criteria used by social workers for the evaluation of risk in sexual abuse cases. The criteria were distilled from research findings based on a sample of 51 child sexual abuse cases drawn from Child Protection Registers in Scotland in 1987/89. Criteria divide between two types: primary (child care) criteria which concentrate on assessing circumstances prevailing within the family home; and secondary (disclosure) criteria which serve to either substantiate or refute disclosure. Primary criteria include attitude of non-abusing parent to alleged perpetrator; access between referred child and alleged perpetrator; type of abuse; age of child or young person; attitude of alleged perpetrator to allegations; and parental attitude to social work investigation. Secondary criteria include belief or disbelief of child; psychological symptoms in child; physical signs of abuse; children's attitudes towards remaining at home; and criminal or psychiatric history including alcohol or drug abuse. In practice the criteria tend to be used like a set of building blocks: tall towers represent higher risk; low towers lesser risk. Given the enormous stakes involved in child protection decisions, front-line practitioners were under considerable pressure to 'play it safe'. Referrals of alleged sexual abuse of children to the personal social services trigger legal as well as moral responsibilities to investigate, however elusive proof of wrong doing might be. Social workers are compelled by statute to ascertain whether standards of parenting are good enough to militate against the likelihood of sexual harm befalling children; or indeed other child care hazards. Even when there is insuffi cient evidence to warrant charging alleged perpetrators, social work responsibility for children's welfare remains until reasonable confidence in child care standards is established. Without knowing precisely what