NCJ Number: 181886
Title: Child Abuse and Neglect: Part 1--Redefining the Issues
Author(s): Marianne James
Date Published: February 2000
Annotation: Following an overview of the historical context of awareness of
and societal response to child abuse in Australia, this paper
considers emerging issues in child abuse; the problem of
definition; incidence and prevalence; identification,
intervention, and prevention; and the legislative and legal
processes.
Abstract: The increasing awareness of child abuse as a problem parallels
children's increasing legal status and the emergence of the child
as an individual. Over the past 30 years, developments have
placed child abuse and neglect on the public agenda in ways not
previously seen. Australia, like other western countries, began
to acknowledge the existence and extent of the physical abuse of
children during the 1960's and 1970's. The 1990's has witnessed
the identification of additional forms of child abuse. These
include the sexual abuse of children in both institutional and
family situations by people who have occupied a position of
trust. A growing body of research suggests that child abuse and
domestic violence are linked within families. In its wider
application, the term "child abuse" has also been used to refer to
child pornography. There is an increasing area of uncertainty in
Australia as to what child abuse and neglect actually involves,
with the parameters constantly changing in what is essentially a
dynamic process. Given that the parameters of child abuse and
neglect are constantly changing, the various components of child
abuse and neglect should not be regarded as entities in
themselves, but rather situated within the continuum of family
violence and family dysfunction, with an emphasis on the
knowledge, skills, and parental responsibility in society. It is
necessary to target specific at-risk populations at different
stages of the life cycle to gain maximum benefit; however, the
response to child sexual abuse should be regarded as an issue in
its own right. Even though there are sometimes overlaps with
other forms of maltreatment, it has its own set of unique and
complex circumstances. 42 references
Main Term(s): Juvenile victims
Index Term(s): Child abuse; Child abuse prevention; Child abuse situation remedies; Child abuse treatment; Crime in foreign countries; Definitions; Offense statistics
Publication Number: ISBN 0-642-24150-3
Sponsoring Agency: Australian Institute of Criminology
Corporate Author: Australian Institute of Criminology
Sale Source: Australian Institute of Criminology
Publisher: https://www.aic.gov.au
Page Count: 6
Format: Book (Softbound)
Type: Issue Overview
Language: English
Country: Australia
Note: Trends and Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice, No. 146
To cite this abstract, use the following link: http://www.ncjrs.gov/App/publications/abstract.aspx?ID=181886
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