TITLE: Erroneous Concerns
About Child Sexual Abuse.
AUTHOR: Oates, R. K.; Jones, D. P. H.; Denson, D.; Sirotnak, A.
et al.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Child
Abuse and Neglect
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Sydney
Univ., Westmead, NSW (Australia). Dept. of Pediatrics and Child Health.
SOURCE: 24(1): pp.
149-157; Elsevier Science Ltd., New
York, NY., January 2000
ABSTRACT: More
than 500 case records of child sexual abuse reports to the Denver Department of
Social Services over 12 months were reviewed to assess the incidence and nature
of concerns about sexual abuse, especially those that were erroneous.
Forty-three percent of the cases were substantiated, 21 percent were
inconclusive, 34 percent were not considered to be abuse cases, and 2 percent
were classified as erroneous. Of the 14 erroneous concerns emanating from
children, three cases were allegations made in collusion with a parent, three
cases were misinterpretations of an innocent event, and eight cases
were identified as false allegations of sexual abuse. The data indicate that
erroneous concerns of sexual abuse from children are uncommon. The four
categories of concern in this study, in contrast to the simple classification
of substantiated and unsubstantiated, provide a means of encouraging open
minded assessments of the typical concerns which a child protection agency
receives. 14 references and 2 tables. (Author abstract)
KEY TERMS: sexual
abuse; sexual abuse reporting; false allegations; child witnesses; child
abuse research; assessment; unfounded reports; incidence
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
TITLE: Does Childhood
Sexual Abuse Cause Borderline Personality Disorder?
AUTHOR: Bailey, J. M.; Shriver, A.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1999
JOURNAL TITLE: Journal
of Sex and Marital Therapy
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Northwestern
Univ., Evanston, IL. Dept. of Psychology.
SOURCE: 25(1): pp.
45-57; Taylor and Francis, Levittown,
PA., 1999; p. 219
ABSTRACT: This
article reports the findings of a survey of psychologists about the likelihood
that patients with various personality disorders would engage in behaviors
relevant to several alternative interpretations. Relative to patients with
other personality disorders and to the typical outpatient, patients with
borderline personality disorder were rated as especially likely to misinterpret or misremember social interactions, to
lie manipulatively and convincingly, and to have voluntarily entered
destructive sexual relationships, possibly even at young ages. The article
offers several alternative explanations for the link between childhood sexual
abuse and borderline personality disorder, including reports of sexual abuse
made because theindividual with borderline personality disorder misinterpreted the situation or intentionally
misreported it for some reason; that memories were suggested; and that studies
that include adolescents in the sample skew findings regarding sexual activity.
Methodological implications of the study are also discussed in the article. 46
references and 1 table. (Author abstract modified)
KEY TERMS: sexual
abuse; sequelae; adults abused as children; personality disorders; personality problems; models;
child abuse research; interpersonal
relationships
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://www.taylorandfrancis.com
TITLE: Analysis of Missed
Cases of Abusive Head Trauma.
AUTHOR: Jenny, C.; Hymel, K. P.; Ritzen, A.; Reinert, S.
T.; Hay, T. C.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1999
JOURNAL TITLE: Journal
of the American Medical Association
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Brown
Univ. School of Medicine, Providence, RI. Dept. of Pediatrics.
SOURCE: 281(7): pp.
621-626; Chicago, IL, American Medical
Association, February 17, 1999
ABSTRACT: Abusive
head trauma (AHT) is a dangerous form of child abuse that can be difficult to
diagnose in young children. This study determined how frequently AHT was
previously missed by physicians in a group of abused children with head injuries
and determined factors associated with the unrecognized diagnosis. The study
methodology consisted of a retrospective chart review of cases of head trauma
presenting between January 1990 and December 1995 at an academic children's
hospital. One hundred seventy-three children younger than 3 years with head
injuries caused by abuse comprised the study population. Twenty-five (14.5
percent) of the 173 children died as a result of their head injuries. A total
of 54 (31.2 percent) of 173 abused children with head injuries had been seen by
physicians after AHT and the diagnosis was not recognized. The mean time to
correct diagnosis among these children was 7 days with a range of 0 to 189
days. AHT was more likely to be unrecognized in very young white children from
intact families and in children without respiratory compromise or seizures. In
7 of the children with unrecognized AHT, misinterpretation of radiological studies contributed the delay in diagnosis.
Fifteen children (27.8 percent) were reinjured after the missed diagnosis.
Twenty-two (40.7 percent) experienced medical complications related to the
missed diagnosis. Four of 5 deaths in the group with unrecognized AHT might
have been prevented by earlier recognition of abuse. The study provides
recommendations to facilitate the diagnosis of AHT. The authors concluded that
although diagnosing head trauma can be difficult in the absence of a history,
it is important to consider inflicted head trauma in infants and young children
presenting with nonspecific clinical signs. 5 tables and 22 references. (Author
abstract modified)
KEY TERMS: physical
abuse; unrecognized trauma; head injuries; abused children;
diagnostic errors
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
TITLE: The Role of Cranial
MRI in Identifying Patients Suffering From Child Abuse and Presenting With
Unexplained Neurological Findings.
AUTHOR: Chabrol, B.; Decarie, J.; Fortin, G.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1999
JOURNAL TITLE: Child
Abuse and Neglect
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Timone,
Marseille (France). Neuropediatrics Unit.
SOURCE: 23(3): pp.
217-228; New York, NY, Elsevier
Science, Ltd., 1999
ABSTRACT: This
article examines the usefulness of cerebral MRI to detect possible child abuse
in children with unexplained neurologic findings. Between 1990 and 1997, 208
children were referred for suspected physical child abuse to the Child
Protection Clinic of Ste-Justin Hospital, a tertiary care pediatric hospital.
Among them, 39 children presented initially with neurological findings. For 27
of them, the CT scan results prompted the diagnosis of child abuse. However, in
12 children, even if a CT-Scan was performed, the diagnosis and/or the
mechanisms of the neurologic distress remained obscure. Investigation was completed
with MRI study in those 12 cases. The MRI findings were diagnostic for physical
abuse in 8 cases. A diagnosis of child abuse was made in 2 or more cases by a
combination of MRI and skeletal survey findings. In 1 case, MRI was suggestive
but the diagnosis of child abuse could not be confirmed. One case was misinterpreted as normal. MRI is the test of choice to
rule out child abuse when faced with a child presenting unexplained neurologic
signs lasting for few days. The fact that MRI can better differentiate
collections of different ages makes this imaging test particularly useful in
identifying cases of child abuse. These results, however, always have to be
integrated in a well conducted multidisciplinary clinical approach. 22
references, 1 table and 6 figures. (Author abstract modified)
KEY TERMS: head
injuries; physical abuse; neurological examinations
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
TITLE: CHILD WELFARE
REFORM SYSTEMS: Selected Articles.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1999
SOURCE: NCCAN Annotated
Bibliographies; 1999
KEY TERMS: court
reform; juvenile courts; court improvement projects; program evaluation; permanency planning; expedited permanency planning; multidisciplinary teams; mediation;
judges; connecticut; termination of parental rights; lawyers;
child protection; state
courts; substance abusing parents; family courts; drug treatment programs;
child welfare services; judicial
responsibility; adoption; asfa;
judicial role; legal
processes; hearings; california;
courts role; trial courts; spouse abuse; child witnesses of family violence; program models;
interagency collaboration;
systems reform; service
delivery; alternative dispute
resolution; oregon; prosecution; victims rights; interagency
cooperation; failure to protect; civil courts; courts; training; child abuse reporting; child witnesses; suggestibility; case
management; courts responsibility; court jurisdiction; program development; state surveys; childrens rights; program
planning; criminal justice system; investigations; program descriptions;
federal programs; grants; professional training; dependency;
court appointed special advocates;
family group conferencing;
community based services;
tennessee; evaluation
methods; judicial decisions; program coordination; service coordination; management information systems; best practices; historical perspective;
program improvement; federal
case law; policy formation; conferences; nevada; juvenile delinquency; accountability; pennsylvania; state
laws; child welfare reform; new york;
state statutory law; public
notification; statute of limitations
PUBLICATION TYPE: Annotated
Bibliography
INTRODUCTION: This
annotated bibliography is a product of the National Clearinghouse
on Child Abuse and Neglect Information. The references have been selected
from thousands of materials available in our database to provide you with
the most up-to-date information related to child victims, witnesses, and
perpetrators of violence.
This bibliography looks at prevention, intervention and treatment issues
in relation to the impacts of violence on children. It is presented in
three sections: children as victims of violence, children as witnesses of
violence, and children and adolescents as perpetrators of violence.
Although many references cover more than one subject area, each citation
is listed only once in this bibliography, primarily under its major
subject heading.
All documents in this bibliography are contained in the Clearinghouse
library and are referenced following the format of the American
Psychological Association (APA). Authors, titles, publication dates and
publishers are provided within this format for each reference. We are
not, however, able to provide photocopies of all materials due to
copyright restrictions. Copies of publications that are not copyrighted,
such as Government publications, grant reports, or unpublished papers,
are available from the Clearinghouse for a reproduction fee of $0.10 per
page. Journal articles and chapters in books are copyrighted and may be
found at research or university libraries.
Information Specialists can answer questions about copyright status and
ordering information, as well as guide you in selecting materials from
this bibliography or suggest other materials that may be useful to you.
In addition, Specialists are available to conduct customized searches
of Clearinghouse databases for a base fee of $5.00 plus $.20 per record.
For more information, please contact
National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information
330 C St., SW
Washington, DC 20447
Tel.: (800)394-3366 or 703-385-7565
Fax: 703-385-3206
E-mail: nccanch@calib.com
INTERNET URL: http://www.calib.com/nccanch
TITLE: Sexual Abuse Allegations
in Divorce and Custody Cases: Frustrations of Inquiry.
AUTHOR: Goldstein, S.
L.; Tyler, R. P.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1998
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Child
Abuse Forensic Institute, Napa, CA.
SOURCE: Presented at: The
14th National Symposium on Child Sexual Abuse, Huntsville, AL, March 17,
1998; pp. 442-447
ABSTRACT: This
paper provides guidelines for the investigation of allegations of sexual abuse
during divorce and child custody proceedings. Social workers and police
investigators are advised to consider who the child told about the abuse, what
prompted the disclosure, who has spoken to the child and how they responded to
the disclosure, what evidence is available, and if there are any alternative
explanations. The investigation should determine whether the allegation is
sincere or malicious, and if sincere, whether the abuse actually occurred or
whether the child's statements were misinterpreted.
The first steps in an investigation are to prevent witnesses from conferring
with each other and to prevent the offender from destroying evidence. Attempts
should be made to obtain an admission or confession by the offender before he
is aware of police involvement. The child should also be examined by a trained
medical professional as soon as possible.
KEY TERMS: sexual
abuse; child custody; divorce;
investigations; disclosure; false allegations
PUBLICATION TYPE: Proceedings
Paper
TITLE: From Memories of
Abuse to the Abuse of Memories.
AUTHOR: Laurence, J.; Day, D.;
Gaston, L.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1998
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Concordia
Univ., Montreal (Canada). Dept. of Psychology.
SOURCE: In: Lynn, S. J. and
McConkey, K. M. (Editors). Truth in Memory. New York, NY, Guilford
Publications, Inc., 1998; pp. 323-346
ABSTRACT: This
chapter examines the malleable nature of memory, asserting that human memory,
by nature, is not reliable and should not be the major focus of therapy.
Research studies are cited to support the hypothesis that memories are
constantly reinterpreted and affected by experience and expectation. Details
and sequence are easily distorted and new memories are frequently created for
events that never occurred. Contrary to what Freud believed, memories are not
recorded permanently in the brain. The majority of contemporary therapists hold
this mistaken view as well, and are likely to diagnose repression or
dissociation when a patient cannot remember a traumatic event that the
therapist is sure caused the present symptoms. Too much emphasis is placed on
self-awareness and understanding of events. The chapter explains the therapists
role in interpreting and misinterpreting memories and social attitudes that
perpetuate the occurrence of pseudomemories. Numerous references.
KEY TERMS: memory; repression;
suggestibility; adults abused as
children; therapists role; social attitudes
PUBLICATION TYPE: Chapter
in Book
INTERNET URL: http://www.guilford.com
TITLE: Recovered Memories
in the Courtroom.
AUTHOR: Underwager,
R.; Wakefield, H.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1998
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Institute
for Psychological Therapies, Northfield, MN.
SOURCE: In: Lynn, S. J. and
McConkey, K. M. (Editors). Truth in Memory. New York, NY, Guilford
Publications, Inc., 1998; pp. 394-434
ABSTRACT: This
chapter applies the Daubert test for admissibility of evidence into court
proceedings to the presentation of expert testimony regarding recovered
memories. In the ruling for Daubert versus Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, the
United States Supreme Court required judges to determine admissibility of
evidence based on its acceptance as scientific knowledge and relevance to the
case. Criteria for consideration as scientific knowledge include testability of
the evidence, peer review and publication, known rate of error, and consensus
within the scientific community. Several supreme courts and trial courts have
found little scientific support for repressed memories and dismissed cases
involving recovery. However, the criteria are not objective and may be misinterpreted by biased judges who elect to consider
the totality of the circumstances of the evidence. The chapter reviews the
nature of memory and summarizes findings from the research about suggestibility
and the creation of pseudomemories. The scientific evidence of repression,
dissociation and posttraumatic stress disorder, dissociative identity disorder,
and body memories are discussed. The chapter also describes civil litigation,
statutes of limitations, and strategies for assessing claims of repressed memories.
Numerous references.
KEY TERMS: memory; repression;
courts; legal processes; expert testimony; false memory syndrome;
lawsuits; rules of evidence
PUBLICATION TYPE: Chapter
in Book
INTERNET URL: http://www.guilford.com
TITLE: What Children Can't
Tell Us and Why: Child Sexual Abuse, Hearsay, and the Rule of Completeness.
AUTHOR: Schudson, C. B.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1998
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Wisconsin
State Court of Appeals, Milwaukee.
SOURCE: In: Ventrell, M.
and Anderson, J. (Editors). Serving the Needs of the Child Client: Keeping Pace
with the Practice of Law for Children. National Association of Counsel for
Children, Denver, CO, October 1998; pp.
193-200
ABSTRACT: This
article proposes that Federal Rule 106, the rule of completeness be applied to
child sexual abuse cases to permit the admission of hearsay testimony to place
a child's statements in the context of the disclosure process. The discussion
asserts that judicial decisions to deny hearsay testimony are based on a misinterpretation of Ohio v. Roberts. In practicality,
hearsay testimony is often vital to ensure the completeness of the evidence
presented in the case- for both the prosecution and the defense. The U.S.
Supreme Court affirmed the use of hearsay testimony in the case of White v.
Illinois, as presented by a babysitter, a mother, a police officer, and medical
professionals. In the unanimous decision, the Court determined that the hearsay
was necessary to discover the truth of the allegations and that is should be
admitted without regard to the availability of the child victim. The court
acknowledged the progressive nature of disclosure and the influence of
interviewers in the child's account of the incident. Federal Rule 106, the rule
of completeness, instructs courts to consider other statements which may
clarify testimony or correct any misinterpretations of the child's statements. This logic was first used in the
Wisconsin case of State v. Sharp.
KEY TERMS: sexual
abuse; hearsay rule; child witnesses; disclosure; state case
law; federal case law; judicial decisions; rules of evidence
PUBLICATION TYPE: Proceedings
Paper
INTERNET URL: http://NACCchildlaw.org
TITLE: Sexual Abuse
Allegations in Custody Visitation Cases: Difficult Decisions in Divisive
Divorces.
AUTHOR: Goldstein, S.
L.; Tyler, R. P.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1998
JOURNAL TITLE: APSAC
Advisor
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Child
Abuse Forensic Institute, Napa, CA.
SOURCE: 11(3): pp.
15-18; Chicago, IL, American
Professional Society on the Abuse of Children, Fall 1998
ABSTRACT: This
article examines the difficulty in investigating sexual abuse allegations in
divorce custody cases. These cases are difficult to investigate because of the
lack of evidence, possible biases and the bitterness between the parties. The
problems are compounded by shrinking budgets and staff in many investigative
agencies. Questions are listed that should be paid close attention to when
credibility issues arise, including: to whom did the child first disclose?; why
is the child telling now?; what evidence is available to confirm what the child
is saying? Three types of sexual abuse allegations are identified: (1) those in
which there is a sincere, legitimate and valid report made which is true
because the abuse actually occurred; (2) those in which there is a sincere,
legitimate, and valid report made which is a misinterpretation or those in which a direct and correct report of some behavior or
statements made by the child, but there was no abuse; and (3) those where there
is a deliberately malicious false allegation made. Four investigative concerns
are summarized, and recommendations for interviewing are made.7 7 references.
KEY TERMS: investigations; false allegations; interviews; child
custody; abuse allegations
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://www.apsac.org
TITLE: Children Living at
Home: The Initial Child Proetction Enquiry. Ten Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them:
What Research Tells Us.
AUTHOR: Cleaver, H.; Wattam, C.;
Cawson, P.; Gordon, R.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1998
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: University
of Leicester (Great Britain). School of Social Work.
SOURCE: London (England),
National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, 1998; 25 pp.
ABSTRACT: This
practice guide describes current child abuse research findings relevant to the
initial visit to a family in a child protection inquiry. Ten pitfalls for child
protection caseworkers are reviewed: (1) pressures from high status referrers
or the press, with fears that a child may die, lead to over-precipitate action;
(2) Professionals think that when they have explained something as clearly as
they can, the other person will have understood it; (3) assumptions and
pre-judgements about families lead to observations being ignored or misinterpreted; (4) parents' behavior, whether
cooperative or uncooperative, is often misinterpreted;
(5) not enough weight is given to information from family, friends, and
neighbors; (6) not enough attention is paid to what children say, how they look
and how they behave; (7) attention is focused on the most visible or pressing
problems and other warning signs are not appreciated; (8) when the initial
inquiry shows that the child is not at risk of significant harm, families are
seldom referred to other services which they need to prevent longer term
problems; (9) when faced with an aggressive or frightening family,
professionals are reluctant to discuss fears for their own safety and ask for
help; and (10) information taken at the first inquiry is not adequately
recorded, facts are not checked and reasons for decisions are not noted. A
brief summary of each issue is provided, along with key questions for a
caseworker to ask him/herself in each area. 61 references.
KEY TERMS: child
protection; investigations; protocols;
great britain
PUBLICATION TYPE: Booklet
TITLE: Costochondral
Junction Fractures and Intra-Abdominal Trauma in Non-Accidental Injury (Child
Abuse).
AUTHOR: Ng, C. S.; Hall, C. M.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1998
JOURNAL TITLE: Pediatric
Radiology
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Great
Ormond Street Hospital, London (England). Dept. of Radiology.
SOURCE: 28(9): pp.
671-676; New York, NY, Springer-Verlag,
Inc., September 1998
ABSTRACT: Rib
fractures are a common skeletal manifestation of nonaccidental injury in
infants and young children and are highly specific for abuse. There are
relatively few descriptions of fractures involving the costochondral junctions
in nonaccidental injury. This article, aimed at pediatric radiologists,
presents 3 cases of children, 2 boys and 1 girl, 7, 18, and 36 months of age,
with anterior rib fractures which involved the sixth to ninth costochondral
junctions. The fractures were bilateral in 2 children and symmetrical in the
other. They had appearances analogous to bucket handle metaphyseal fractures of
long bones. They were difficult to visualize and healed with minimal callus
formation. These fractures were associated with major abdominal visceral
injuries, which in themselves carry a significant morbidity and mortality. The
importance of recognizing such fractures is highlighted. The authors express
caution in not misinterpreting these subtle costochondral fractures as
normal variants. 1 table, 3 figures, and 33 references. (Author abstract
modified)
KEY TERMS: rib
fractures; abdominal injuries; unexplained injuries; nonaccidental physical injury; trauma
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://www.nrc.ca/cisti/cisti/html
TITLE: Foster Parents and
AIDS: Considering the Best Interests of a Foster Child in In re Interest of John
T.
AUTHOR: Plager, J. L.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1998
JOURNAL TITLE: Nebraska
Law Review
SOURCE: 77(3): pp.
617-646; Nebraska Univ., Lincoln. Coll.
of Law, 1998
ABSTRACT: This
article analyzes the Nebraska case, In re Interest of John T., in which the
Department of Social Services (DSS) tried to remove a child from the custody of
a foster parent with AIDS. The foster mother and her husband did not disclose
her health status to foster care staff during the screening process and a
child, John T., was placed with them. After an anonymous report about the
foster mother's health, DSS requested and obtained court approval for a
placement change for the boy. However, a court of appeals determined that the
transfer would not be in the best interests of the boy since he had formed
attachments with the family and was not at risk for contracting the disease.
The Nebraska Supreme Court refused to hear the DSS appeal and later approved a
writ of mandamus for the boy to be returned to his foster parents. The boy was
adopted by the foster father one month after the death of the foster mother.
The foster father is currently suing the state for discrimination against his
wife. The article reviews relevant laws and outlines several errors of the
court, including the consideration of the rights of foster parents equivalent
to those of biological parents, and the misinterpretation of the best interests of the child standard. The article asserts
that the court decisions were politically motivated by a fear of charges of
discrimination.
KEY TERMS: foster
parents; best interests of the
child; AIDS; childrens rights; courts
role; judicial decisions; parental rights; nebraska
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://www.wshein.com
TITLE: The Symbolic Crises
of Adoption: Popular Media's Agenda Setting.
AUTHOR: Waggenspack, B. M.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1998
JOURNAL TITLE: Adoption
Quarterly
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Virginia
Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ., Blacksburg.
SOURCE: 1(4): pp.
57-82; Binghamton, NY, Haworth Press,
Inc., 1998
ABSTRACT: Although
adoption is a fairly common means of family building, the public lacks the
orientation to express positive adoption symbols, to put a positive face on
adoption. Adoptive families find their realities and those of others at odds,
and the results are reflected in insensitive remarks, questioning motives, and
damaged self-esteem. Symbolic crises are the result of changing adoption
patterns and motives, language transformations that create tension, and media misinterpretations. This paper articulates the dimensions of
the symbolic crises faced by adoptive families and adoption advocates created
by media agenda-setting. Through statistical analysis of media coverage, the
author finds that, although there is a growing recognition of positive adoption
stories, on balance there was at least a 2:1 ratio of negative to positive
family adoption stories in drama and news between 1993 and 1998. The author
analyzes these stories and other cultural phenomena--such as the Cabbage Patch
Kid doll craze of the early 1980s--to explore how misinterpretation of adoption by the media brings on the
symbolic crisis. References. (Author abstract modified)
KEY TERMS: adoption
myths; mass media; social influences; emotional adjustment
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://www.haworthpressinc.com
TITLE: The Culture Factor
in CPS: Essential or Elusive?
AUTHOR: Brissett-Chapman,
S.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1997
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Baptist
Home for Children and Families, Bethesda, MD.
SOURCE: In: Morton, T. D.
and Holder, W. (Editors). Decision Making in Children's Protective Services:
Advancing the State of the Art. Child Welfare Institute, Atlanta, GA. National
Resource Center on Child Maltreatment, November 1997; pp. 75-92
ABSTRACT: This
chapter describes the importance of integrating cultural factors into child
protection decisions. Even through culture has an importance influence on
parent-child dynamics and family relationships, it is often excluded from the
development of standard assessment instruments. Recent research has identified
the dimensions of culture which affect attitudes and behavior, such as
interdependence versus independence; active achievement versus passive
acceptance; authoritarianism versus equalitarianism; and expressive versus
restrained. However, the experiences of families, combined with the subjective
biases of child protection workers have formed barriers to interaction and
accurate assessment of risk. For example, the standard list of behavioral
indicators of child maltreatment contains attitudes and values which may be misinterpreted due to cultural differences. In response,
researchers and policy makers are endorsing the concept of cultural competency
to help workers achieve rapport with the community and customize assessments
and services. 31 references and 1 table.
KEY TERMS: child
protective services; decision
making; child welfare workers; risk assessment; cultural factors;
cultural competency
PUBLICATION TYPE: Chapter
in Book
TITLE: Commentary on
Talking About Feelings (Aldridge and Wood, 1997).
AUTHOR: Harris, P. L.; Jones, D. P. H.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1997
JOURNAL TITLE: Child
Abuse and Neglect
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Oxford
Univ., (United Kingdom). Dept. of Experimental Psychology.
SOURCE: 21(12): pp.
1217-1220; Elsevier Science Ltd., New
York, NY., December 1997
ABSTRACT: This
critique examines the conclusions made by Aldridge and Wood (1997) about the
ability of children to describe their feelings and emotions about traumatic or
painful situations. Aldridge and Wood based their assertion that children are
unable to discuss their feelings on a review of the literature and analyses
from an interview study. However, the critique suggests that their arguments
are flawed and that their literature review was incomplete. Aldridge and Wood
failed to consider recent research that demonstrated the linguistic
capabilities of children and their use of words to describe feelings. In
addition, the interview study conducted by the researchers may have
inadvertently affected the answers given by the children to questions about
various scenarios. Future research should be designed with the knowledge that
children may appraise situations differently than adults do, may misinterpret the interviewer's question, and may tend
to focus on only one element of an emotional situation although if asked, could
answer about more aspects. 10 references.
KEY TERMS: competency; child witnesses; emotions; language
development; interviews; psychological interviews; child abuse research; research methodology
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
TITLE: Assessment with
Native American Families.
AUTHOR: James, A.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1996