MENU TITLE: Overview of the Portable Guides . Series: OJJDP Published: June 1997 21 pages 43,781 bytes Portable Guides to Investigating Child Abuse: An Overview Janet McNaughton From the Administrator To grow into healthy, productive citizens, children need a safe and nurturing environment. Ideally, the family fills this basic need. When families break down, however, and children are abused or neglected, law enforcement and child protective services professionals must intercede. Crimes against children present many challenging problems to law enforcement officers. Children may be unable or afraid to talk. Witnesses may not cooperate. Collecting physical evidence can be a complicated process. To assist those who work on child victimization issues, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention developed this Portable Guide series, which provides specific information on various aspects of investigating crimes against children. Subjects covered include methods of interviewing victims, techniques for evidence collection, investigative strategies, and recognition of injuries caused by abuse. It is our hope that the Guides will be placed in investigators' briefcases, patrol car glove compartments, emergency room admission desks, and other areas where quick reference materials are useful. These handy sources of information will make it easier for professionals to help the children who need them and will benefit us all as America's children are protected from abuse and neglect. Shay Bilchik Administrator ------------------------------ In response to requests from law enforcement jurisdictions across the United States for guidelines on investigating child abuse and neglect, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has developed the Portable Guides to Investigating Child Abuse series. There are currently 11 guides in the series, each addressing a specific aspect of investigating a suspected case of child abuse or neglect: o Recognizing When a Child's Injury or Illness Is Caused by Abuse o Photodocumentation in the Investigation of Child Abuse o Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Child Sexual Abuse o Diagnostic Imaging of Child Abuse o Battered Child Syndrome: Investigating Physical Abuse and Homicide o Interviewing Child Witnesses and Victims of Sexual Abuse o Child Neglect and Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy o Burn Injuries in Child Abuse o Law Enforcement Response to Child Abuse o Criminal Investigation of Child Sexual Abuse o Understanding and Investigating Child Sexual Exploitation These guides are not intended to be comprehensive, nor are they meant to take the place of training seminars (although they can be a valuable adjunct to formal investigative training). Rather, the purpose of the series is to provide practical guidance in a user-friendly format for on-the-job reference. As the name of the series suggests, the guiding principle in its development has been to create publications that would be both substantive and handy to consult. Investigators with little experience in investigating child abuse and neglect will find reliable direction in the Portable Guides, and experienced investigators will find helpful reminders and succinct review. However, these guides are not intended solely for police officers and detectives. Social workers, physicians, nurses, emergency medical technicians, firefighters, psychologists, attorneys, judges -- anyone on the frontlines of reporting, investigating, and prosecuting crimes against children -- will find them useful as well. Written by recognized experts in each subject area, the Portable Guides present fundamental information in straightforward, uncomplicated language using bulleted lists, tables, charts, checklists, and sample forms. Measuring 5 by 9 inches, the Portable Guides are compact enough to be stored easily in the glove box of a police cruiser. At 16 to 24 pages in length, they are concise enough for quick reference. For those who desire additional information, each guide also includes a list of supplemental readings and contact information for organizations that offer training in investigation or resources related to the topic. The inside back cover of each guide carries a list of the principal reference and training organizations in the field of child abuse and neglect, with telephone and fax numbers. ------------------------------ A Multidisciplinary Resource A multidisciplinary team (MDT) approach that coordinates the activities of law enforcement, child welfare, medical, mental health, and legal agencies is widely recognized as the most effective approach to cases involving child maltreatment. The needs of a child who has been victimized are best served when police officers, detectives, social workers, physicians, therapists, and prosecutors understand what each is mandated to accomplish and how their procedures and protocols interrelate. Communication is the cornerstone of the MDT approach. The Portable Guides to Investigating Child Abuse series evolved from an effort to facilitate communication between law enforcement and the other professions represented on an MDT. OJJDP initially identified a need for better communication between the law enforcement and medical communities. Officers and detectives working on suspected cases of child abuse require a basic understanding of medical procedures and diagnoses and the implications of these for the cases they investigate. Physicians and other medical personnel need to understand the requirements of an investigation and the best way to convey complex medical information to investigators. OJJDP convened a focus group of nationally recognized leaders in the field of child abuse investigation to discuss the best format for addressing this need. The participants, who included police officers, agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), prosecutors, and physicians, agreed unanimously that there was a significant need for such guidance within the law enforcement community. Their discussion also revealed that the need for information extended beyond the medical aspects of child abuse cases, and they identified the topics currently represented in the Portable Guide series. The authorship of these guides reflects the necessity of a multidisciplinary approach to investigating child abuse. In addition to representatives of various strata of the law enforcement community, from the local level to the FBI, the authors of the guides include several physicians (pediatricians, radiologists, surgeons), a psychologist, a professor of social work, a medical photographer, and an attorney. The following synopses illustrate the multidisciplinary scope of the series. ------------------------------ Synopses of the Portable Guides Recognizing When a Child's Injury or Illness Is Caused by Abuse Robert Hugh Farley, M.S., Detective, Cook County Sheriff's Police Department, Federal Child Exploitation Strike Force, Chicago, Illinois, and Robert M. Reece, M.D., Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, Tufts University School of Medicine, Medford, Massachusetts, and Director, Institute for Professional Education, Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (MSPCC), Boston, Massachusetts. In cases involving a bruised or otherwise injured child, or one with a suspicious illness, law enforcement and child protective services personnel are faced with the question "Could this be child abuse?" To answer this question accurately, they must be able to evaluate the credibility of explanations given by parents or caretakers, and to do that, they must be able to recognize discrepancies between an injury and its reported cause. This guide provides criteria to help investigators make these determinations. The topics covered include repetitive accidents, bruises, burns, poisoning, head injuries, eye injuries, and internal injuries. The discussion of bruises addresses how to judge the age of a bruise, what the configuration of a bruise indicates about its origin, and what the causes of natural or normal bruising are. The section on burns discusses characteristics of the history, location, and pattern of burn injuries that suggest whether the burn was accidental or not. An "Investigator's Checklist for Use in Suspected Cases of Physical Child Abuse" sums up important questions and issues for investigators to consider. This guide also includes a section devoted to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), including a comprehensive table of "Criteria for Distinguishing SIDS From Fatal Child Abuse and Other Medical Conditions." The following criteria are addressed: the circumstances surrounding the death of the child; the age of the child; the findings of the physical examination and laboratory studies at the time of death; the history of the pregnancy, delivery, and infancy; the findings of the death scene investigation; previous infant deaths in the family; autopsy findings; and the previous involvement of child protective services or law enforcement. The Resources section of this guide includes a list of publications on SIDS and contact information for seven organizations that provide information on SIDS. (NCJ 160938) ------------------------------ Photodocumentation in the Investigation of Child Abuse Lawrence R. Ricci, M.D., Director of the Child Abuse Program at the Spurwink Clinic, Portland, Maine, and Brian S. Smistek, Director of Medical Media, The Children's Hospital of Buffalo, Buffalo, New York. Photographs that clearly document a child's injuries can be critical to the prosecution of child abuse cases. Improper camera equipment and film, insufficient methods of photographing the victim's injuries, and misinformation about or mislabeling of photographs can limit the effectiveness of photographic evidence. This guide offers information on photographic equipment and methods that will aid investigators in obtaining the best possible photographic evidence in child abuse cases. The topics covered include the advantages and disadvantages of different types of cameras, methods of handling and storing film, ultraviolet photography, general procedures, and the best ways to photograph child victims. Specific methods are presented for photographing punctures, slashes, rope burns, pressure injuries, bite marks, bruises, burns, facial injuries, amputation, and signs of neglect. Guidelines are given for interacting with children who have suffered sexual abuse and for photographing their injuries. (NCJ 160939) ------------------------------ Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Child Sexual Abuse Margaret R. Hammerschlag, M.D., Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine, State University of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn, Brooklyn, New York. Although the presence of a sexually transmitted disease (STD) in a child raises suspicions of sexual abuse, infants can acquire some STD infections from their mothers while in the womb or during delivery. Such infections may last for up to 3 years. When investigating a case involving a child with an STD, law enforcement officials must try to determine whether the infection was caused by sexual contact and, for purposes of prosecution, whether the diagnostic method was appropriate. This guide contains information that will help in both of these endeavors, including a detailed table presenting the incubation period, clinical manifestations, modes of transmission, and proper methods of diagnosis for all principal STD's. (NCJ 160940) ------------------------------ Diagnostic Imaging of Child Abuse Randell Alexander, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Pediatrics, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, and Paul K. Kleinman, M.D., Professor of Radiology and Pediatrics, Director of Pediatric Radiology, and Director of the Imaging Center for Child Abuse and Neglect, University of Massachusetts Medical Center, North Worcester, Massachusetts. The findings of radiological imaging studies can be crucial in documenting the occurrence of physical child abuse. In some cases, an imaging study performed to diagnose another condition may provide the first indication that the child has been abused. This guide summarizes for investigators the advantages and disadvantages of x-ray studies, computed tomography (CT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, and other radiological methods used in diagnosing skeletal, intracranial, and thoracoabdominal injuries. The issues addressed include when imaging studies should be performed, what modalities are best for imaging certain kinds of injuries, and what kinds of findings may indicate child abuse. Medical terminology is explained in lay terms. This guide also discusses shaken baby syndrome at length. The authors explain how injury occurs in shaken baby syndrome, describe the symptoms found in an infant who has been violently shaken, and give recommendations for diagnostic imaging in suspected cases. This section concludes with a summary of guidelines for investigators. (NCJ 161235) ------------------------------ Battered Child Syndrome: Investigating Physical Abuse and Homicide Rob Parrish, J.D., Senior Child Abuse Counsel, Children's Justice Division, Office of the Attorney General, Salt Lake City, Utah. This guide alerts investigators to the importance of recognizing the signs of repeated beating and mistreatment that constitute battered child syndrome. Evidence of past abuse may help refute claims that the current injuries were accidental and may prove critical to successful prosecution. Guidelines are given for interviewing parents or caretakers and medical personnel and for investigating the crime scene. The author stresses the importance of obtaining both physical evidence and a photographic record of the crime scene and the child's injuries. This guide includes some discussion of differentiating between accidental and nonaccidental injuries. The author also focuses on child homicide and examines three conditions that must be considered when a child has died under suspicious circumstances in which there is no obvious sign of physical abuse: shaken baby syndrome, Munchausen syndrome by proxy, and sudden infant death syndrome. The Resources section of this guide includes references on child fatalities and child fatality laws, sudden infant death syndrome, death certification, and death statistics. (NCJ 161406) ------------------------------ Interviewing Child Witnesses and Victims of Sexual Abuse Karen J. Saywitz, Ph.D., Associate Professor, University of California-Los Angeles School of Medicine, and Director, Child and Adolescent Psychology Training and Services, Department of Psychiatry, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California, and Kathleen Coulborn Faller, Ph.D., Professor of Social Work and Faculty Director of Civitis Child and Family Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. This guide is divided into two sections. The first, "General Guidelines for Interviewing Children," by Karen Saywitz, identifies four key attributes for conducting an interview with a child that will yield useful, factual information: flexibility, empathy, objectivity, and sensitivity to the child's level of development. Guidance on how to talk to children is given through many examples of how to phrase statements and questions in a neutral, nonjudgmental manner that is appropriate to different ages and levels of understanding. Strategies for simplifying language and for assessing a child's understanding are summarized in charts, and the author suggests ways to help children overcome their anxieties and deal with questions they don't understand. The section concludes with a detailed discussion of five phases of conducting an interview: preparation, setting and context, rapport building and developmental observations, information exchange, and closure. The second section of this guide, "Interviewing Children Who May Have Been Sexually Abused," by Kathleen Faller, focuses on techniques for interviewing children in cases where sexual abuse has been alleged. Beginning with the challenges facing the interviewer in such cases, the discussion covers evaluating the level of likelihood that abuse has occurred, preparing for the interview, questioning, using anatomical dolls and other media, weighing the evidence, assessing the level of certainty, and deciding how to proceed. The author stresses the importance of using questions that are more open ended and avoiding leading or coercive questions. She presents a continuum of examples of investigative questions, beginning with the kinds of open-ended questions that elicit the most credible responses and concluding with the kinds of close-ended questions that should never be used with child victims. The use of polygraph tests and the significance of null findings are also addressed. (NCJ 161623) ------------------------------ Child Neglect and Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy Donna Rosenberg, M.D., Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, Colorado, and Forensic Pediatrician, Colorado Child Fatality Review Team. In cases of child neglect, the success of the investigation, the collection of evidence, and the court proceedings may hinge on the investigator's understanding of what constitutes neglect. This guide explores the complex issue of child neglect, beginning with the standard against which neglect is measured: the duty of the child's parents or designated caretakers to provide a reasonable and prudent level of care for the child. The primary ways in which parents may fail in this duty to a degree that constitutes neglect are then examined. These topics include the failure to provide food, fluids, medical care, nurturance, or supervision, or to intervene when the child is endangered. Under each of these areas, the circumstances that qualify as neglect are defined and the ways to detect neglect are described. These include the types of evidence to look for, the kinds of records to check, the points to look for in medical or autopsy records, and the people who should be consulted. Guidance is given on factors to consider when deciding to seek civil or criminal court involvement. The importance of distinguishing neglect caused by poverty from neglect not caused by poverty is also discussed. This guide also addresses Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSBP), a form of child abuse in which a parent intentionally fabricates an unidentifiable illness in the child, sometimes with serious or even fatal consequences. The author presents criteria for diagnosing MSBP and summarizes in a table the most common symptoms exhibited by children who are victims of MSBP and the mechanisms perpetrators use to cause these symptoms. Investigation by a multidisciplinary team is recommended, and the personnel needed for the team and the goals of the investigation are outlined. (NCJ 161841) ------------------------------ Burn Injuries in Child Abuse Phylip J. Peltier, Criminal Investigator, San Diego District Attorney's Office, San Diego, California; Gary Purdue, M.D., Professor, Department of Surgery, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, and Co-Medical Director, Burn Intensive Care Unit, Parkland Memorial Hospital, Dallas, Texas; and Jack R. Shepherd, Inspector and Executive Assistant, Investigative Services Bureau, Michigan State Police, East Lansing, Michigan. This guide focuses on methods for determining whether a child's burn injury was deliberately inflicted or resulted from an accident. Three types of burn injuries are considered: those caused by spills or splashes, those caused by immersion in a tub or other container of hot liquid, and those caused by contact with flames or hot solid objects. Burn patterns indicative of each type of injury are described and the ways each type of burn is typically inflicted are discussed. Skin conditions that may give the appearance of a burn injury are also described. The authors present recommendations regarding medical examination, reenactment of the incident to determine the veracity of the caretaker's report, documentation, and working with other agencies. The guide includes a table outlining the characteristics of first- through fourth-degree burns; an evidence worksheet, with instructions, for use at the scene of an immersion burn; and an Investigator's Checklist. (NCJ 162424) ------------------------------ Law Enforcement Response to Child Abuse Bill Hammond, Law Enforcement Consultant/Trainer, Rockville, Maryland; Kenneth Lanning, M.S., Supervisory Special Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigation Missing and Exploited Children's Task Force, Quantico, Virginia; Wayne Promisel, Detective, Child Services Section, Fairfax County Police Department, Fairfax, Virginia; Jack R. Shepherd, Inspector and Executive Assistant, Investigative Services Bureau, Michigan State Police, East Lansing, Michigan; and Bill Walsh, Lieutenant, Dallas Police Department Youth and Family Crimes Division, Dallas, Texas. The responsibility for handling cases of child abuse does not rest with law enforcement alone. Social workers, physicians, therapists, and attorneys also play an integral part in these cases. Effective functioning of these professionals as a multidisciplinary team (MDT) requires that they understand each other's roles, responsibilities, and terminology, so that they can cooperate and coordinate their efforts. This guide presents an overview of the role of law enforcement in responding to child abuse cases. It addresses the importance of developing protocols for working with the other MDT professionals and provides information that will help ensure the consistency of response essential to the success of an investigation. Particular attention is given to working with the medical profession and to the issues involved in placing a child in emergency protective custody. Guidelines are provided for responding after receipt of the referral, acquiring information for the preliminary report, preserving the crime scene, and proceeding during the follow-up investigation and court phase. An Investigator's Sample Child Sexual Assault Protocol covers interviewing the victim, obtaining a medical examination, handling evidence, and implementing subpoena procedures. (NCJ 162425) ------------------------------ Criminal Investigation of Child Sexual Abuse Richard L. Cage, M.A., Detective Sergeant, Montgomery County Police Department, Wheaton, Maryland, and Donna M. Pence, M.A., Special Agent, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Nashville, Tennessee. Investigations of child sexual abuse allegations are complicated by a number of barriers. The child may be reluctant to discuss the abuse; there may be little or no physical or medical evidence; and the toll on the investigator's emotions can be overwhelming. This guide begins with a discussion of these and other barriers and then presents techniques for conducting an investigation that will successfully support or disprove an accusation of child sexual abuse beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. A multidisciplinary team approach that brings community agencies, the courts, and healthcare providers into the investigation along with law enforcement and child protective services is recommended. Guidance is given on interviewing the child, the nonoffending parent or caregiver, siblings and other possible victims, relatives and friends of the victim, and the suspect. Lists of specific questions regarding the child, the suspect, and the child's relationship with the suspect are included in the discussion of the interview of the nonoffending parent. The discussion of the interview of the suspect presents recommendations regarding the timing of the interview and addresses the importance of maintaining an objective, nonjudgmental stance. The second part of this guide focuses on gathering physical evidence. Search warrants, procedures for conducting searches of the crime scene, and the issue of the medical examination are reviewed. Tables are used to summarize the types of evidence to look for and to present examples of how the child's statements during the interview can provide leads to physical evidence. (NCJ 162426) ------------------------------ Understanding and Investigating Child Sexual Exploitation Kenneth Lanning, M.S., Supervisory Special Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigation Missing and Exploited Children's Task Force, Quantico, Virginia, and Robert Hugh Farley, M.S., Detective, Cook County Sheriff's Police Department, Federal Child Exploitation Strike Force, Chicago, Illinois. The dynamics of the sexual exploitation of children in child sex rings or child pornography differ from those of intrafamilial cases of child sexual abuse. Successful investigation of cases involving child sexual exploitation demands an understanding of preferential sex offenders: serial offenders who prey on children. This guide presents a detailed overview of the highly predictable behavior patterns of these offenders, the ploys they use to manipulate children, and the dynamics of child sex rings and then applies this information to techniques for investigating this type of case. The authors advocate coordinating the investigation through a multidisciplinary team approach and present guidelines for developing an MDT protocol. They discuss issues that must be taken into account when interviewing victims of child sex rings and provide an Investigator's Checklist of specific questions regarding the abuse, the offender, other victims, the use of pornography, photographing or videotaping of the victim, other forms of physical evidence, other instances of abuse, and results for the victim. Procedures are given for investigating and interviewing offenders based on their typical long-term, persistent patterns of behavior. Search warrants and recovery of evidence are discussed, and the guide includes both a sample consent-to-search form and a list of suggested items to recover from suspected offenders. The guide concludes with a brief discussion of how preferential sex offenders make use of online computer services to validate their interests and behavior, organize material, access and distribute child pornography, and find potential new victims. (NCJ 162427) ------------------------------ How To Obtain Copies of the Guides Copies of the Portable Guides to Investigating Child Abuse can be obtained from OJJDP's Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse, a component of the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS). There is no charge for a single set of the 11 guides or for orders of 5 or fewer copies of any one title in the series. A nominal fee for postage and handling will be charged for orders of multiple complete sets or for six or more copies of a single title. Contact the Clearinghouse by telephone at 800-638- 8736; by mail at P.O. Box 6000, Rockville, MD 20850; or e-mail at askncjrs@ncjrs.org. Using the National Criminal Justice (NCJ) reference number found at the end of each synopsis above will facilitate your order. Many of the titles in the Portable Guide series, along with other related materials, are also available via OJJDP's Web site (http://www.ncjrs.org/ojjhome.htm). ------------------------------ Janet McNaughton, a Senior Writer/Editor with the Juvenile Justice Resource Center (JJRC) and Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse (JJC), has served as the lead editor for the Portable Guides to Investigating Child Abuse series. Several of the individual guides were edited by Monique Smith, also a Senior Writer/Editor with JJRC and JJC. Sue Callaway, a Senior Juvenile Justice Analyst with JJRC, has overseen the development of the series. ------------------------------ Additional titles in the Portable Guides to Investigating Child Abuse series may be developed in the future. If there are topics you would like to see addressed in future guides, please submit your ideas to Ron Laney, Director, Missing and Exploited Children's Program, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 633 Indiana Avenue NW., Room 550-F, Washington, DC 20531. Telephone: 202-616-7323; fax: 202-307-2819. ------------------------------ Resources for Information, Training, and Technical Assistance American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children 407 South Dearborn, Suite 1300 Chicago, IL 60605 312-554-0166 312-554-0919 (fax) http://www.apsac.org The American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC) is the Nation's only interdisciplinary society for professionals working in the field of child abuse and neglect. It supports research, education, and advocacy that enhance efforts to respond to abused children, those who abuse them, and the conditions associated with their abuse. APSAC's major goal is to promote effective interdisciplinary coordination and practice among the social workers, physicians, psychologists, researchers, attorneys, law enforcement officers, nurses, judges, educators, and allied professionals who respond to child maltreatment. APSAC is dedicated to: o Improving coordination among professionals in the field of child abuse prevention, identification, assessment, intervention, treatment, and research. o Developing national interdisciplinary practice guidelines for professionals who work with abused children, their families, offenders, and adult survivors of abuse. o Encouraging research in all fields of child maltreatment and disseminating research findings in usable form to all professionals in the field. o Furthering interdisciplinary professional education. o Providing guidance, support, and encouragement for professionals in this difficult field. APSAC's annual colloquium offers advanced interdisciplinary professional education with seminars addressing all aspects of child maltreatment: prevention, assessment, intervention, and treatment with victims, perpetrators, and families affected by physical, sexual, and psychological abuse and neglect. These seminars are designed specifically for advanced professionals in mental health, law, medicine, law enforcement, child protective services, and allied fields. ------------------------------ Child Abduction and Serial Killer Unit Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Academy Quantico, VA 22135 800-634-4097 540-720-4700 540-720-4790 (fax) The Child Abduction and Serial Killer Unit (CASKU) is a specialized rapid-response unit that works closely with FBI field offices and State and local law enforcement authorities. CASKU provides investigative support through violent crime analysis, forensic resource coordination, interview and interrogation strategies, behavioral science profiling of unknown offenders, trial preparation and prosecutorial strategies, and expert testimony. CASKU also provides onsite assistance to law enforcement agencies upon request and can facilitate access to other FBI services such as Rapid-Start (major case management support system), Evidence Response Teams, and laboratory services. ------------------------------ Missing and Exploited Children's Training Programs Fox Valley Technical College Criminal Justice Department P.O. Box 2277 1825 North Bluemound Drive Appleton, WI 54913-2277 800-648-4966 414-735-4757 (fax) http://www.foxvalley.tec.wi.us/ojjdp The Missing and Exploited Children's Training Programs, sponsored by OJJDP and Fox Valley Technical College, serve law enforcement, social workers, prosecutors, judges, probation officers, elected officials, State Advisory Groups, and nonprofit service providers. Courses are offered on the following topics: o Child Abuse and Exploitation Investigative Techniques. This course addresses recognition of signs of abuse, collection and preservation of evidence, preparation of cases for prosecution, techniques for interviewing victims and offenders, liability issues, child prostitution, and the perspective of child protective services. o Child Abuse and Exploitation Team Investigative Process. This course provides hands-on training for investigative teams that focuses on the development of interagency processes and protocols for enhanced enforcement, prevention, and intervention in child abuse cases. Teams are assisted in the development of their own interagency implementation plan for improved investigation of child abuse. o Child Sexual Exploitation Investigations. This course presents information on the behavior of the child predator, missing children, child prostitution, use of computers in child exploitation, obtaining and executing search warrants, interviewing the victim, interrogating the suspect, prosecution, Federal agencies' roles and resources, Federal statutes, case enhancement/victim services, and managing the child exploitation problem. o Missing and Exploited Children. This course for experienced investigators covers interagency development/process, advanced interviewing techniques, and advanced investigative techniques. o Responding to Missing and Abducted Children. This course deals with the investigation of nonfamily abductions, family abductions, and runaway/thrownaway children; victim impact; reunification/recovery; media; case management; and case enhancement resources. ------------------------------ National Center for Missing and Exploited Children 2101 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 550 Arlington, VA 22201-3052 800-THE-LOST (800-843-5678) (hotline and child pornography tipline) 703-235-3900 (business number) 703-235-4067 (fax) 800-826-7653 (TTD) http://www.missingkids.org E-mail: 77431.177@compuserve.com The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) is a private, nonprofit organization that operates under a congressional mandate through a cooperative agreement with OJJDP. NCMEC's mission is to assist in the location and recovery of missing children and to prevent the abduction, molestation, sexual exploitation, and victimization of children. One of NCMEC's primary activities is its 24-hour multilingual hotline and child pornography tipline. NCMEC also provides a wide range of free services to law enforcement, including technical case assistance; leads/sightings and information dissemination; photograph and poster preparation and rapid distribution; age-enhancement, facial reconstruction, and imaging/identification services; informational analysis; data base searches; educational material and publications; and training. The Jimmy Ryce Law Enforcement Training Center at NCMEC is a national training program that promotes awareness of FBI and other Federal resources that assist law enforcement agencies investigating missing children cases. The following courses are offered: Chief Executive Officer Seminars, which focus on broad coordination and policy concerns, comprehensive response protocols, liability issues, Federal resources, and the new National Crime Information Center (NCIC) flagging system; Responding to Missing and Exploited Children Cases, which provides detailed information on lead and case management, child homicide solvability factors, the impact on victims, and Federal resources; and the NCIC Control Terminal Officer (CTO) Course, which trains State CTO's with regard to the NCIC flagging system and available Federal technical assistance. NCMEC also coordinates child protection efforts with the private sector and provides information on effective State legislation to ensure the protection of children. ------------------------------ National Center for the Prosecution of Child Abuse American Prosecutors Research Institute 99 Canal Center Plaza, Suite 510 Alexandria, VA 22314 703-739-0321 703-549-6259 (fax) The National Center for the Prosecution of Child Abuse provides a central resource for improving responses to the physical, sexual, and fatal abuse of children and to criminal child neglect. Its services include expert training and technical assistance by experienced attorneys through indepth training conferences, site visits, State-specific professional development programs, and telephone consultations; the Nation's only clearinghouse on criminal child abuse case law, statutory initiatives, court reforms, and trial strategies; and publications such as the two-volume manual Investigation and Prosecution of Child Abuse, the monthly newsletter Update, monographs, annual statutory summaries, and special reports. ------------------------------ National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information P.O. Box 1182 Washington, DC 20013-1182 800-FYI-3366 703-385-7565 (Washington, DC, metropolitan area) 703-385-3206 (fax) http://www.calib.com/nccanch E-mail: statutes@calib.com The National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information is a service of the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect (NCCAN), an agency within the Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Clearinghouse provides access to the most extensive collection of information on child maltreatment in the world. Professionals and members of the general public can obtain up-to-date information on all aspects of child abuse and neglect from the Clearinghouse, which will provide annotated bibliographies on specific topics or a copy of the data base on CD-ROM on request. NCCAN publishes the User Manual Series, manuals designed to provide guidance to professionals in the child protection system and to enhance community collaboration and the quality of services provided to children and families. Two manuals in this series of particular interest to law enforcement officials are A Coordinated Response to Child Abuse and Neglect: A Basic Manual (1992) and The Role of Law Enforcement in the Response to Child Abuse and Neglect (1992). A related publication is Joint Investigations of Child Abuse: Report of a Symposium (1993). These publications are available from the Clearinghouse. The Clearinghouse also coordinates the Child Abuse and Neglect State Statute Series. A joint project of NCCAN and the National Center for the Prosecution of Child Abuse, this five-volume series summarizes State statutes on child abuse and neglect in nontechnical language: Volume I, Reporting Laws; Volume II, Central Registries; Volume III, Investigations; Volume IV, Child Witnesses; Volume V, Crimes. The series is updated annually and can be purchased in whole or in part from the Clearinghouse. ------------------------------ National Network of Children's Advocacy Centers 1319 F Street NW., Suite 1001 Washington, DC 20004 800-239-9950 202-639-0597 202-639-0511 (fax) http://www.nncac.org/index.htm Children's Advocacy Centers (CAC's) are community-based programs that bring together representatives from law enforcement, child protective services, prosecution, mental health, and the medical community in multidisciplinary teams to address the investigation, treatment, and prosecution of child abuse cases. The National Network of Children's Advocacy Centers (NNCAC) is a not-for-profit membership organization of CAC's, child advocacy programs, and individuals. NNCAC sets national standards for CAC's and provides leadership and advocacy for these programs on a national level, including national training events and training and technical assistance grants. Primary funding for NNCAC comes from OJJDP, which has also established four Regional Children's Advocacy Centers (RCAC's) to assist communities in improving their response to child abuse: o Midwest Regional Children's Advocacy Center, La Rabida Children's Hospital and Research Center, Chicago, Illinois, 312-363-6700 (ext. 421). o Southern Regional Children's Advocacy Center, National Children's Advocacy Center, Huntsville, Alabama, 800-239-9939. o Northeast Regional Children's Advocacy Center, Philadelphia Children's Advocacy Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 800-662-4124. o Western Regional Children's Advocacy Center, Pueblo Child Advocacy Center, Pueblo, Colorado, 800-582-2203. The RCAC's provide information, consultation, and training and technical assistance to help establish child-focused programs that facilitate and support coordination among agencies responding to child abuse. ------------------------------ Related Publications From Office of Justice Programs Agencies A number of publications from the Office of Justice Programs agencies -- the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, and the Office for Victims of Crime -- address topics related to child abuse and neglect. The following titles represent a sample of these publications. All are available through the Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse (JJC), a component of the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS), by telephone at 800-638- 8736; by mail at P.O. Box 6000, Rockville, MD 20850; or by e-mail at askncjrs@ncjrs.org. Unless otherwise noted, there is no cost for these publications. In addition, many of them are available on line at the NCJRS Justice Information Center, http://www.ncjrs.org. The NCJRS library and data base also have thousands of other titles related to this subject. Ask JJC for more information. Child Abuse: Prelude to Delinquency? ($10.50), NCJ 104275 Child Rape Victims, 1992, NCJ 147001 Child Sexual Exploitation: Improving Investigations and Protecting Victims -- A Blueprint for Action, NCJ 153527 The Child Victim as a Witness, NCJ 149172 Child Victimization and Risk for Alcohol and Drug Arrests, FS-000108 Child Victimizers: Violent Offenders and Their Victims, NCJ 153258 Children's Justice Act Discretionary Grant Program for Native Americans, FS-000177 Coordinating Criminal and Juvenile Court Proceedings in Child Maltreatment Cases, FS-000157 The Emotional Effects of Testifying on Sexually Abused Children, NCJ 146414 Federal Resources on Missing and Exploited Children: A Directory for Law Enforcement and Other Public and Private Agencies, NCJ 161475 Helping To Prevent Child Abuse -- and Future Criminal Consequences: Hawai`i Healthy Start, NCJ 156216 The Missing and Exploited Children's Program, FS- 9761 New Approach to Interviewing Children: A Test of Its Effectiveness, NCJ 135011 Police and Child Abuse: New Policies for Expanded Responsibilities ($15.00), NCJ 129947 Prosecuting Child Physical Abuse Cases: A Case Study in San Diego, NCJ 152978 Prosecuting Child Physical Abuse Cases: Lessons Learned From the San Diego Experience, FS-000078 Victims of Childhood Sexual Abuse: Later Criminal Consequences, NCJ 151525 VOCA: Helping Victims of Child Abuse, FS-9526