The System of Child Abuse

The System of Child Abuse

BSHS 408

September 12, 2016

Dr. Tanisha (Tee) Laidler

The System of Child Abuse

A human service professional is required to report all suspected cases of child abuse or neglect.  It is critical that the human service professional understands the what could result when the following occurs;  family or individuals will not agree to receive help, the child is in further danger due to reporting incident, and an explanation of implications resulting from reporting abuse and primary community resources that could be used to helping these individuals.

Families or individuals will not agree to receive help

Families or persons will not agree to receive help for many reasons; one reason would be the protection of the abuser.  The victim who is being abused may refuse to receive help because he or she knows the person who is the abuser; this may be difficult and might not want to cause his or her family more problems.  For example, a teenage female may refuse to report her abusive father because he is also abusing her mother.  This may be difficult for the adolescent female to talk to anyone because if she is removed from the situation, she later then must worry about her mother's life because her mother and the daughter had always been protecting each other. The battered mother then makes efforts to keeping the teenage female safe from the abuser.  As a human service provider when the assumption of abuse or neglect is being involved with a child he or she has the responsibility of protecting the child even if the child's parents or guardian refuses on receiving help.  When the child is in immediate danger the human service professional has the responsibility to immediately contact the appropriate agency and someone will intervene quickly (Hirschy & Wilkinson, 2010)

The child is in further danger due to reporting an incident

Reporting an incident has its determination of whether the child is in immediate danger or if it qualifies as a possible case of abuse or neglect.  According to Hirschy & Wilkinson, 2010 law enforcement is involved when sexual abuse or sever physical abuse are reported but not all child abuse cases are not criminal cases.  Therefore, it is handled under noncriminal courts such as a family court.  When a child is in further danger due to reporting an incident such as a severe, sexual abuse or death results, the case is then sent to the criminal courts; this is when the law enforcement and prosecution departments become responsible for gathering the information or evidence and for disposition of the case.