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Critiques of a Public Health Model in Child Maltreatment

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Re-Visioning Public Health Approaches for Protecting Children

Part of the book series: Child Maltreatment ((MALT,volume 9))

Abstract

This chapter critically examines the utility of a public health approach in addressing, and preventing complex constellations of maltreatment, particularly when this occurs within impoverished neighbourhoods and communities. It discusses issues surrounding the tensions between the increasing push for more accurate risk assessment against concerns relating to greater social surveillance. Both approaches relate to the value of advanced data-integration systems. It begins by examining problems in the investigation-oriented child protection system that fail to engage families, provide needed services, and proactive early intervention and prevention. A public health model seeks to address prevention issues and takes seriously the social determinants of inequality and poor outcomes for low-income families. The question of whether its whole-of-population epidemiological focus translates well to child protection is one this chapter seeks to examine.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Humanities and Social Science, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia

    Mel Gray & Leanne Schubert

Authors
  1. Mel Gray
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  2. Leanne Schubert
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Correspondence to Mel Gray .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Health, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia

    Bob Lonne

  2. Senior Research Fellow, Monash University, Victoria, VIC, Australia

    Deb Scott

  3. Institute of Child Protection Studies, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Daryl Higgins

  4. Marion Elizabeth Blue Professor of Child and Family, University of Michigan School of Social Work, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Todd I. Herrenkohl

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Gray, M., Schubert, L. (2019). Critiques of a Public Health Model in Child Maltreatment. In: Lonne, B., Scott, D., Higgins, D., Herrenkohl, T.I. (eds) Re-Visioning Public Health Approaches for Protecting Children. Child Maltreatment, vol 9. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05858-6_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05858-6_14

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-05857-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-05858-6

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