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Who Is Maltreated and How Mandated Reporting Might Help

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Mandatory Reporting Laws and the Identification of Severe Child Abuse and Neglect

Part of the book series: Child Maltreatment ((MALT,volume 4))

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Abstract

This chapter treats the epidemiology of child maltreatment as a scientific and public health issue and reviews and compares various methods used to enumerate and chart the incidence and prevalence of child physical abuse, corporal punishment, sexual abuse, and parental behavior such as the shaking of infants. The author discusses the LONGSCAN longitudinal study of children maltreated early in life or considered to be at risk for maltreatment and identifies discrepancies between actual rates of maltreatment and those identified by official figures. The chapter identifies how intervention in child maltreatment has become more nuanced and recognizes that there have been major gains in evidence indicating effective mental health intervention. The chapter also observes the indicators of substantial declines in some kinds of maltreatment. Mandatory reporting is regarded as a valuable part of a broader child protection system. As a method of case identification, it is an important strategy of secondary and tertiary intervention to facilitate child protection, rehabilitation, and well-being.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Glaser D. Child abuse and neglect and the brain - a review. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 2000 41:97–116.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, The University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA

    Desmond K. Runyan M.D., Dr.P.H.

Authors
  1. Desmond K. Runyan M.D., Dr.P.H.
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Correspondence to Desmond K. Runyan M.D., Dr.P.H. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Australian Centre for Health Law Research, Faculty of Law, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

    Ben Mathews

  2. Program in Pediatric Law, Policy and Ethics, Kempe Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect, Aurora, Colorado, USA

    Donald C. Bross

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Runyan, D.K. (2015). Who Is Maltreated and How Mandated Reporting Might Help. In: Mathews, B., Bross, D. (eds) Mandatory Reporting Laws and the Identification of Severe Child Abuse and Neglect. Child Maltreatment, vol 4. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9685-9_2

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