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Failures in Child Protection: A Case Study

NCJ Number
166017
Journal
Child Abuse Review Volume: 6 Issue: 1 Dated: (March 1997) Pages: 46-54
Author(s)
J Stanley; C Goddard
Date Published
1997
Length
9 pages
Annotation
A case example of an abusive family demonstrates how powerful a child abuser may become; a complex hostage-type relationship developed between family members, extended to include the child protection worker, and increased the risk of further child abuse.
Abstract
The family consisted of the children's mother; an adult male; and daughters ages 15, 10, and 9. Both parents had been convicted of drug law offenses; the man had 30 court appearances for offenses including assault with a weapon. The parents established an atmosphere of fear, anxiety, and terror in the household and a reputation outside the family of fear and terror. The parents also promoted the children's fear of outside authorities. The parents controlled the children through constant chores, food deprivation, and punishment. They moved often; the children were usually not allowed to associate with friends. Child protection staff were continually threatened and intimidated. The parents were uncooperative, obstructive, and demanding toward agency staff. The parents' actions created a sense of isolation in the protection workers, who sometimes received little support from the legal system. The workers sometimes complied with the parents' demands. The workers were able to do little to protect the children from ongoing abuse despite their legal mandate. The oldest child's removal from the home did not occur until she reached early adolescence. Findings suggest the need for further understanding of the relationship between the social worker and the client. Figure and 17 references