Child Protection

1
Child Protection

• Kathryn Conroy,
• Columbia University School of Social Work
• (Developed for Child protection training at the
• Mongolia State University of Education)

2
Development of Child Protection

• Battered Child Syndrome, C. Henry Kemp, MD,
  1960s
• Child victims of non-accidental trauma
• Broader definitions today physical and sexual
  abuse, physical, emotional, medical, neglect
• General term Child Maltreatment

3
History of public intervention

• Generally begins with private citizens
• Moves to government regulations and funding
• Mongolias position on child maltreatment?
• Formal
• Informal

4
Physical Signs of Abuse

• Bruises in different stages of healing
• Marks belt, cord, teeth
• Grab marks on shoulders
• Burns cigarettes, cuff burn marks, patterns
• Fractures multiple or spiral
• Head injuries scalp, eye, nose, teeth, jaw

5
The Physically Abused Child

• Child may
• be startled when other children cry
• aggressive or withdrawn
• fear going home, fear parents or other adults
• exhibit mood swings, have habit disorders
• have low self esteem, obsessions
• have to keep covered, not remove coat or clothing
• attempt suicide.

6
Child Neglect

• Neglect may take many forms
• Physical
• Medical
• Emotional/psychological
• Educational
• Putting child at risk

7
Results of Physical Child Neglect

• Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
• Developmental lags
• Constant hunger
• Speech lag
• Poor hygiene
• Not dressed for the weather
• Inadequate medial care, not in school
• Inadequate supervision

8
Results of Emotional Neglect of Child

• Failure to thrive
• Child is aggressive or self destructive resulting
  in injuries
• Child is impaired intellectually or
  psychologically
• Child acts out not related to other stressors

9
The Neglected Child

• Child may be
• Always tired
• Always hungry
• Thumb sucking (older child), rocking or biting
• Frequently absent from school or day care
• Always sick
• Acts like a parent
• Child uses alcohol

10
Initial Assessment

• Safety of the child/children
• Help has to feel like Help!
• Etiology of abusive/neglectful behaviors
• Psychopathology
• Environmental Stress
• Social Learning

11
Abusive Adult Assessment

• Assess for possible history of, or behaviors
• Abused or neglected as a child
• Abuse of alcohol or drugs (60 of Mongolian CA/N
  cases involved alcohol abuse)
• Lack of emotional or social support
• Relationship problems
• Poor physical or mental health
• Situational crisis
• Unrealistic expectations
• Poverty or homelessness
• Poor role models for caring
• Social support for abuse

12
Abused/Neglected Child Assessment

• Physical indicators
• Bruises, burns, marks
• Apparent care hygiene, clothing, resources
• Emotional/Behavioral indicators
• Fear
• Ability to communicate
• Interactions with other

13
Family Assessment

• General family functioning
• Communication
• Competence
• Isolation
• Roles and responsibilities

14
Interventions

• All interventions begin with
• Immediate assessment of danger
• Remove child or
• Remove abuser and/or
• Add protection to family
• First responsibility is to ensure the safety of
  the child/children

15
Interventions continued

• All immediate participants interviewed
  individually
• Parents interviewed separately note their
  relationship
• Children each interviewed separately depending on
  age
• Make sure to interview all children in family

16
Psychopathology

• Problem resides within the abuser
• Mental health assessment
• Safety of the child assessment
• Immediate mental health intervention
• Long term treatment plan

17
Environmental Stress

• Identification of the stress
• Assessment of possibility to relieve stress
• Stress reduction techniques
• Why stress leads to child maltreatment
• Other possible maladaptive behaviors

18
Social Learning

• Family history
• Lessons learned in childhood
• Investment in the lessons
• Ability to learn new lessons
• Resources for new lessons

19
Family Case Conferencing

• Family opportunity to solve own problems
• Inclusion of possible support network
• Location of conference
• Direct communication
• Valuing positive family/cultural traditions
• Agreement on service provision
• Accountability

20
Mongolian Child Welfare Legislation

• 1996 Law on Protection of Child Rights
• 1998 Social Welfare Law
• 1998 Health Law
• 1999 Labor Code
• 1999 Family Law
• 2002 Criminal Procedure Law
• 2004 Law Against Domestic Violence

21
Mongolian Child Welfare Issues

• Economic instability unemployment, poverty
• Increasing number of single headed families
• Acceptance of corporal punishment
• Increasing number of children in institutions
• Lack of day care, pre- school and school
• Street children
• Sexual exploitation and trafficking

22
Sources

• NYCPCC Professionals Handbook, Identifying and
  reporting, Child Abuse and Neglect, New York
  Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
  Children, 2003
• Field Guide to Child Welfare, Vol. 1, Foundations
  of Child Protective Services, Rycus Hughes,
  CWLA Press, Washington, D.C. 1998
• Netherlands Institute of Human Rights, Faculty of
  Law, CRC Concluding Observations Mongolia, 2005
• Handbook for Working with Children and Youth,
  Michael Ungar, ed., Sage Pub., CA, 2005