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Home > The Role of Law Enforcement in the Response to Child Abuse and Neglect > The Role of Law Enforcement in the Response to Child Abuse and Neglect : Preface
The Role of Law Enforcement in the Response to Child Abuse and Neglect
PrefaceThe Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act was signed into law in 1974. Since that time, the Federal Government has served as a catalyst to mobilize society's social service, mental health, medical, education, legal, and law enforcement resources to address the challenges in the prevention and treatment of child abuse and neglect. In 1977, in one of its early efforts, the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect (NCCAN) developed 21 manuals (the User Manual Series) designed to provide guidance to professionals involved in the child protection system and to enhance community collaboration and the quality of services provided to children and families. Some manuals described professional roles and responsibilities in the prevention, identification, and treatment of child maltreatment. Other manuals in the series addressed special topics, for example, adolescent abuse and neglect. Our understanding of the complex problems of child abuse and neglect has increased dramatically since the user manuals were developed. This increased knowledge has improved our ability to intervene effectively in the lives of troubled families. For example, it was not until the early 1980's that sexual abuse became a major focus in child maltreatment research and treatment. Likewise, we have a better grasp of what we can do to prevent child abuse and neglect from occurring. Furthermore, our knowledge of the unique roles key professionals can play in child protection has been defined more clearly, and a great deal has been learned about how to enhance coordination and collaboration of community agencies and professionals. Currently, we are facing new and more serious problems in families who maltreat their children. For example, there is a significant percentage of families known to Child Protective Services (CPS) who are experiencing substance abuse problems; the first "drug-exposed infant" appeared in the literature in 1985. Because our knowledge base has increased significantly and the state-of-the-art of practice has improved considerably, NCCAN has updated the User Manual Series by revising many of the existing manuals and creating new manuals that address current innovations, concerns, and issues in the prevention and treatment of child maltreatment. The user manuals offer a distillation of the current knowledge base in the field of child maltreatment, but cannot cover all aspects of the topic completely. These manuals should not serve as substitutes for a thorough familiarity with professional standards. This manual, The Role of Law Enforcement in the Response to Child Abuse and Neglect, provides the foundation for the involvement of law enforcement agencies in combating the crime of child abuse and neglect. The manual is intended to be used primarily by local, State, tribal, and military law enforcement agencies. It may also be used by other professionals involved in child abuse and neglect intervention such as CPS, education, mental health, legal, health care, and early childhood professionals to gain a better understanding of the role of law enforcement in child protection. Other manuals are available that examine the role of CPS caseworkers, educators, health providers, and legal professionals, as well as a basic manual that provides an overview of the problem of child abuse and neglect and the roles of the key professionals in the prevention, identification, and treatment of child maltreatment.
This material may be freely reproduced and distributed. However, when doing so, please credit Child Welfare Information Gateway. |
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