child maltreatment exam 1

USCU

Be able to explain why it is better to be a child today than it would have been to be a child in: Ancient times, the Middle Ages, or during the Industrial Revolution

Ancient times: Sexual abuse was condoned in some cultures

Middle ages: Preformatism (children were seen as little adults)

Industrial Revolution: Children were exposed to hazardous job

Know the basic facts of the Mary Ellen Case. What was being done to her? Who helped her? What resulted from the case?

Mary Ellen was abused by her foster parents

Etta Wheeler helped Mary Ellen

SPCC (society prevention of cruelty to children) was founded as a result from this case

Why were the legal decisions made in re Gault and Prince vs. Massachusetts important for children?

This ruling confirmed that states do have the right to interfere in family relationships to protect children

Why is Kempe important in child abuse detection?

His paper “The Battered Child Syndrome” from 1962 led to the establishment of laws and systems for reporting abuse

Be able to list and explain at least 4 parental risk factors

mental illness: depression and schizophrenia has a strong link to abuse

lack of preparation: many maltreating parents are not fully prepared to fulfill a parental role

intergenerational transmission: being abused as a child can cause you to abuse your child

single parents:

Be able to list and explain at least 2 child risk factors

children with disabilities

violent behavior: children who partake in violent behavior may also receive abuse from their parents

Be able to list and explain at least 2 extra-familial risk factors.

lack of support and poverty

Be able to list one risk factor associated with military families and one protective factor.

risk factor: Military families deal with isolation due to frequent moving

protective factor: military families have access to health care and to family support systems that may not be available to civilian families

Be able to list and describe a risk factor associated with living in the United States

substance abuse is a common problem in the US

What does it mean to be a mandated reporter?

you are legally required to report any suspected cases of child maltreatment

Have mandated reporting laws increased the number of reports made to CPS?

yes

Are lawyers always mandated reporters for child maltreatment?

lawyers are rarely listed as mandated reporters due to attorney–client privilege

What is a permissive reporter?

a person who is allowed, but not required, to report suspected child maltreatment

When should a mandated reporter make a report of child maltreatment? (i.e., how certain should they be?)

when they have reasonable cause that a child has been or may be maltreated

Who can you report suspected child maltreatment to?

you may call your local CPS, your state child abuse hotline, or the police

Why is anonymous reporting not ideal?

because if CPS needs to follow up with questions regarding your report, they are unable to contact you

What is the general range of penalties for failure to report suspected maltreatment?

it is a misdemeanor, fines ($300-$10,000) or jail time (30 days-5 years)

Why might a therapist opt not to report suspected abuse?

a report may effect the therapeutic relationship

Are most mandated reporters educated about their duty to report?

no

Does doctor/patient confidentiality mean a doctor does not have to report on a client?

Professionals are obligated to break confidentiality if their client threatens violence toward themselves or others and if the professional suspects child abuse

Be able to provide one argument why mandated reporting might not be a good thing.

One concern about mandated reporting has been the possibility of racially biased reporting