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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: Glossary of Terms
The Role of Law Enforcement in the Response to Child Abuse and Neglect
User Manual Series (1992)
Glossary of TermsAge-Appropriate Language - a phrase used to describe language used by the child during an investigative interview in relation to the child's developmental status. In other words, the law enforcement officer encourages the child to speak using his/her own language; the officer assesses the credibility of the child based on this interaction. Child Protective Services (CPS) - the designated social service agency (in most States) to receive reports, investigate, and provide rehabilitation services to children and families with problems of child maltreatment. Frequently, this agency is located within larger public social services agencies, such as Department of Social Services or Human Services. Child's Sense of Time - a phrase used to explain the fact that children frequently are unable to remember exact dates and times but may be able to remember in relation to incidents that are meaningful for them, such as "after school was out" or "around Halloween." Day Care Licensing Boards - administrative bodies responsible for licensing day care homes and centers. When allegations of abuse or neglect at a day care center are made, the licensing department must determine if the license should be revoked based on an instance of child maltreatment. Family Preservation/Reunification - established in law and policy and the philosophical belief of social services agencies that children and families should be maintained together if the safety of the children can be ensured. Juvenile and Family Courts - established in most States to resolve conflict and to otherwise intervene in the lives of families in a manner that promotes the best interest of children. These courts specialize in areas such as child maltreatment, domestic violence, juvenile delinquency, divorce, child custody, and child support. Macro-Case - a term used to describe complex cases of abuse and exploitation of children in out-of-home care settings involving multiple offenders, multiple children, and/or multiple jurisdictions. Monitored Pretext Telephone or Personal Conversations - a term given to the use of monitored and electronically recorded conversations between a child abuse suspect and an alleged victim. Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy - a form of child abuse, Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy is characterized by the deliberate initiation or reporting of physical symptoms in a child. These symptoms do not follow the usual course of illness and may occur when the caretaker or parent believes that care of a sick child will solve personal conflicts and provide social rewards. Multidisciplinary Team - established between agencies and professionals within the child protection system to mutually discuss cases of child abuse and neglect and to aid decisions at various stages of the child protection system case process. These teams may also be designated by different names, including child protection teams, interdisciplinary teams, or case consultation teams. Out-of-Home Care - child care, foster care, or residential care provided by persons, organizations, and institutions to children who are placed outside the family, usually under the jurisdiction of juvenile/family court. Protocol - an interagency agreement between CPS and law enforcement that delineates joint roles and responsibilities and establishes criteria and procedures for working together on cases of child abuse and neglect. Response Time - a determination made by CPS and law enforcement after receiving a child abuse report regarding the immediacy of the response needed by CPS or law enforcement. Risk Assessment - an assessment and measurement of the likelihood that a child will be maltreated in the future, usually through the use of checklists, matrices, scales, and/or other methods of measurement. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) - the sudden death of an infant under 1 year of age that remains unexplained after the performance of a complete postmortem investigation, including an autopsy, an examination of the scene of death, and review of the case history. Substantiated - a finding made by CPS after investigating a child abuse or neglect report indicating that credible evidence exists to support that child maltreatment did occur. The criteria used to substantiate a report are different in each State. Other terms used in some States are "indicated," "validated," or "founded." Unsubstantiated - a finding made by CPS after investigating a child abuse or neglect report indicating that credible evidence does not exist to support that child maltreatment occurred. In some States, the term "unfounded" is used. Validation - a determination made by law enforcement after examining the evidence regarding whether child abuse or neglect has occurred. Based on this determination, the officer must judge what further action is necessary.
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