Abuse Referrals Research Articles

Child protection: An unreflective practice

This paper highlights the need for social work education to focus on the ideological, cultural and organisational influences that shape practitioner perspectives and determine case careers, particularly in the area of child protection. Using the findings from a case study on the processing of child abuse referrals made to a social work team in Ireland's largest health board region, this paper illustrates the dissonance between the 'official' child protection discourse and the complexities and dilemmas of everyday practice. It also highlights practitioners' apparent lack of awareness of the dynamics that determine the way in which decisions and assessments are reached. The need to encourage and facilitate social workers' use of theory as a means of addressing these complex areas is endorsed, and implications for educational programmes are discussed.

Ohio's Bill 167 fails to increase prenatal referrals for substance abuse.

Ohio's Bill 167 fails to increase prenatal referrals for substance abuse.

Transitions from AFDC to child welfare in California

Probability matching software was employed to link AFDC histories for children with birth records, child abuse reporting data, and foster care data. A total of 63,768 children entering AFDC between 1990 and 1995 in 10 California counties were followed to determine subsequent child welfare involvement. Within 5 years of AFDC entry, 27% of children had child abuse referrals, 22% had child abuse investigations, 8% had child welfare cases opened, and 3% were placed in foster care. Although relatively few children transition from welfare to foster care, AFDC child entrants who later experience child welfare events and their mothers are more likely than others to have certain characteristics such as single parent family structure, larger family size, low birthweight, and late or no prenatal care. Total time on aid and the number of spells on aid are positively associated with child welfare events. It will be important to monitor these findings as welfare reform progresses. Administrative data analysis can suggest ways to effectively target services when fiscal limitations prohibit universal support.

Parental mental health as a child protection issue: data from the NSPCC national child protection helpline

Analysis of a sample of 2084 child abuse referrals to the NSPCC Child Protection Helpline showed that in 10% a parent or carer was reported as having a mental health problem. Mothers were the parent affected in the majority of these cases. The mental health sample differed from the other referrals in an increased concern about emotional abuse and less about sexual abuse; greater levels of violence and discord between parents; and more agency involvement. Issues of potential labelling and therapeutic needs are discussed. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Race as a moderator of the prediction of receipt of aftercare and psychiatric hospitalization.

Race proved to be an important moderator variable in the prediction of the receipt of aftercare and psychiatric hospitalization. Only one variable, currently receiving outpatient treatment, predicted receipt of aftercare for both African-Americans and Caucasians. Other predictors for African-Americans were not receiving a substance abuse referral, receiving a mental health referral, and having an appointment. For Caucasians, other predictors were being female, having previous psychiatric admissions, no substance use disorder diagnosis, and not being admitted at index. More previous admissions and recent outpatient treatment predicted hospitalization for both racial groups. Additional predictors for African-Americans were being male, not being accompanied to the psychiatric emergency room (PER) by family, and receiving less intense aftercare. The only other predictor for Caucasians was being accompanied to the PER by the police.

Substance abuse and trauma

The association between substance abuse and trauma is increasingly recognized. Substance use and abuse appears to be a precipitant of trauma in various populations. Closer scrutiny often reveals the presence of a substance abuse disorder, not just substance use in these patients. Substance abuse counseling and referral is emerging as an integral part of trauma management. Once these patients are hospitalized with a traumatic injury, substance withdrawal may occur and complicate recovery. Knowledge of the various substances used and their withdrawal manifestations are important in preventing additional morbidity in these patients. Diagnosis and treatment of various withdrawal syndromes are discussed.

Incidence and clinical correlates of human papillomavirus disease in a pediatric population referred for evaluation of sexual abuse

Study Objective: To investigate the incidence of genital warts in a pediatric population at risk of sexual abuse.Design: Retrospective chart review of all files of the Child and Adolescent Sexual Abuse Referral Center at San Francisco General Hospital for identification of children with clinically evident genital warts.Results: The incidence of genital warts in this population was 0.3% (17 of 5506). The average age of children with evidence of genital warts was 3.4 years (range 13 months to 14 years 9 months), and of the 17 patients with warts, 6 had clinical evidence of sexual abuse.Conclusions: Genital warts are an uncommon finding in children referred for evaluation of sexual abuse. The majority of lesions occurred in children less than 4 years of age with no other evidence for sexual abuse. Perinatal transmission or other nonsexual routes of transmission may be important in this population.

Joint police and social work investigations in child abuse: a practice example from Central Scotland

SUMMARY. In this issue of Children & Society, there are two articles on the joint Social Work Department and Central Scotland Police initiative, begun in 1989, for joint investigations of child abuse referrals. The second paper is an evaluation of the scheme.This first paper gives a brief description of the operation of joint investigations involving police and social workers with a discussion on strengths and weaknesses of the joint approach. The author goes on to focus on some of the difficulties which emerge in child protection systems which are characterised by adherence to procedural guidelines and which are further characterised by the strong influence of centralised management. Such a view may have applicability to other parts of Scotland and the U.K. and may be recognisable, too, to professionals further a field. This article is based on a presentation to the 8th International Congress on Child Abuse and Neglect, Hamburg, 1990.