Home > Responding to Child Abuse & Neglect > Intake, Investigation, & Assessment > Investigation > Related Resources: Investigation

Related Resources: Investigation

Additional resources on the investigation of child abuse and neglect.

Constitutional Restrictions, Case Law, and State Legislative Provisions, on Investigative Actions by Child Protective Services Workers
ABA Center on Children and the Law (2003)
View Abstract
Recaps CAPTA (June 2003) requirements regarding child protective services responsibilities for notifying individuals named in a child abuse investigation, conducting investigations that protect the legal rights of the child and family, and the use of warrants during investigations.

Criminal Investigations of Child Abuse: The Research Behind "Best Practices"
Jones, Cross, & Walsh
Trauma, Violence, and Abuse: A Review Journal, 6(3), 2005
View Abstract
Reviews the research relevant to seven practices considered by many to be among the most progressive approaches to criminal child abuse investigations.

Dangerous People
ACTION for Child Protection (2003)
Offers practice principles for identifying during a safety assessment those who are likely to cause children injury and pain with intent.

Field Guide: Children's Protective Services Investigations (PDF - 410 KB)
Michigan Department of Human Services (2007)
Guide for caseworkers responding to allegations of child maltreatment, covering topics such as interviewing techniques, physical exams, safety and risk assessments, and removal or placement decisions.

Immediate Protective Plans
ACTION for Child Protection (2003)
Identifies strategies for creating an immediate protective plan, established when present danger exists, typically at the initial contact with a family.

The Transfer of Responsibility for Child Protective Investigations to Law Enforcement in Florida: A Supplemental Study
Kinnevy, Huang, Dichter, & Gelles (2005)
Evaluation and findings of an experiment to separate investigative and service provisions in the child welfare system. (PDF - 1620 KB)

When Words Hurt: Investigating and Proving a Case of Psychological Maltreatment
Vieth
Reasonable Efforts (American Prosecutors Research Institute), 2(1), 2004
Provides techniques for investigators in cases of psychological maltreatment.

Updated on March 1, 2010