Online Course for CE credits: Ethnic minority children (e.g., African Americans, Native American Indians/Alaskan Natives, and Pacific Islander children) have higher rates of reported child abuse and neglect compared to their non-Hispanic white counterparts. It has been argued that health practitioners, social workers, and mental health counselors should take into account race, ethnicity, and sociocultural factors when working with child abuse and neglect cases. This course will review the historical backdrop of the child welfare system and definitions of child abuse and neglect, including variations in definitions in various cultures internationally. An overview of the role of culture in child-rearing practices, child disciplining, and perceptions and definitions of child abuse will also be provided. Assessments and interventions based on culturally relevant theories will be reviewed. Finally, the importance of practitioners’ self-care in child abuse cases is emphasized. This course is designed for nurses, social workers, therapists, mental health counselors, and other allied health professionals who may intervene in suspected cases of child abuse. Link to Course Web Page which has a link to the pdf version.
Category Archives: CA&N Resources
State Laws Mandating That Every Person Report Child Abuse or Neglect
The Wisconsin Special Committee on Reporting of Child Abuse and Child Neglect asked for information about the child abuse reporting statutes in two states, New Jersey and Wyoming, that do not designate members of certain professions as mandatory reporters of child abuse, but instead direct every person who knows of or suspects child abuse to report. This Memo provides that information. It also provides information about the statutes in states that both designate members of certain professions as mandatory reporters and also require any person who knows of or suspects abuse to report. Link to pdf Report
Prison, Foster Care, and the Systemic Punishment of Black Mothers
This Article analyzes how the U.S. prison and foster care systems work together to punish black mothers in the service of preserving race, gender, and class inequality in a neoliberal age. The intersection of these systems is only one example of many forms of over policing that overlap and converge in the lives of poor women of color. Examines the statistical overlap between the prison and foster care populations, the simultaneous explosion of both systems in recent decades, the injuries that each system inflicts on black communities, and the way in which their intersection in the lives of black mothers helps to naturalize social inequality. Elucidates how state mechanisms of surveillance and punishment function jointly to penalize the most marginalized women in our society while blaming them for their own disadvantaged positions. Link to pdf Article
Are Subsidized Guardianships Making a Positive Difference for Kids?
Under the federal Fostering Connections Act, Texas recently began providing financial assistance to relatives when they became legal guardians of children who have been abused or neglected, cannot return home, or be adopted. This paper explores whether these payments have increased overall permanent placements with relatives or have only led relatives to shift from adoption to legal guardianship, thereby increasing permanency through legal guardianships, but potentially decreasing adoptions. Early evidence suggests that while there have been increases in both overall permanency and relative guardianship, the proportion of children being adopted by a relative has declined. Link to pdf Evaluation
Drug Court Programs Factsheet
A new factsheet from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Justice Programs describes drug courts, in which court-directed programs aim to reduce drug use relapse. The factsheet highlights an array of multidisciplinary services, including risk and needs assessment, judicial monitoring and supervision, and treatment and rehabilitation services. Drug courts are tailored to address the specific needs of different populations. For example, family drug courts apply the drug court model to child welfare cases in which substance abuse is identified as a contributing factor to child abuse or neglect. These programs emphasize treatment to aid in the reunification and stabilization of families. The factsheet goes on to describe available DOJ programs that provide financial grants and other assistance to help States build drug court capacity and increase participation among the targeted populations. Link to pdf Factsheet
Signs of Sexual Abuse Tip Sheet for Media
A new pamphlet developed by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC), What Is Child Sexual Abuse?, highlights various forms of sexual victimization and their distinctive signs and symptoms. Targeted to media professionals, the pamphlet summarizes common behavioral red flags displayed by sexually abused children. The brochure illustrates characteristic behaviors exhibited by child sexual abuse perpetrators and cites common factors influencing children’s ability to disclose sexual abuse. Finally, data on the prevalence of this problem is presented and briefly discussed. Link to pdf Tip Sheet