Crimes against Children and Youths

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Chapter 11

• Crimes against Children and Youths

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Extent of the Problem

• Since 1986, the number of children who are
  reported to be abused, neglected and endangered
  every year has nearly doubled to almost 1 million
  each year.
• In 2000, 3 million referrals concerning five
  million children were made to CPS (Child
  Protective Services).

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Types of Crimes Against Children

• Kidnapping
• Abandonment
• Neglect
• Exploitation
• Physical Abuse
• Emotional Abuse
• Incest
• Sexual Assault

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Terminology

• Minor A child under the age of 16 or 18
• Sexual Seduction Sexual intercourse, anal
  intercourse, cunnilingus or fellatio committed by
  a non-minor with a consenting minor.
• Molestation Any act motivated by unnatural or
  abnormal sexual interest in minors that would
  reasonably be expected to disturb, irritate or
  offend the victim.

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Effects of Child Abuse

• Emotional and Behavior Disorders
• Teen Pregnancy
• Prostitution
• Substance Abuse
• Delinquency and Criminality

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Challenges in Investigating Crimes Against
Children

• The need to protect the child from further harm
• The possibility of parental involvement
• The difficulty of interviewing children
• Credibility Concerns
• The need to collaborate with other agencies

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Justifications for Placing a Child in Protective
Custody

• The childs age, or physical or mental condition
  makes the child incapable of self-protection.
• The homes physical environment poses an
  immediate threat to the child.
• The child needs immediate medical or psychiatric
  care.
• The parents cannot or will not provide for the
  childs basic needs.
• Maltreatment in the home could permanently damage
  the child physically or emotionally.
• The parents may abandon the child.

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Children LieMotivations for Lying

• Revenge
• Efforts to Avoid School
• Parental Disapproval
• Efforts to cover-up other Disapproved Behavior
• Attempt to explain a pregnancy or abortion

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Evidence of Child Abuse and Neglect Cases

• Home Conditions
• Clothing
• Bruises
• Medical Examination Report
• Photographs
• Ropes or Tapes
• Trace Evidence Hair and Semen

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Physical Indicators of Child Neglect and Abuse

• Frequent Hunger
• Poor Hygiene
• Inappropriate Dress
• Consistent Lack of Supervision
• Unattended Physical Problems or Medical Needs
• Abandonment

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Behavioral Indicators of Child Neglect and Abuse

• Begging
• Stealing Food
• Extending School Days
• Constant fatigue
• Poor Performance in School
• Truancy
• Alcohol and/or Drug Abuse
• Delinquency Stealing
• Stating there is no one at home to care for them

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Emotional Indicators of Child Neglect and Abuse

• Speech disorders
• Lags in Physical Development
• General Failure to Thrive

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Physical Abuse Indicators

• Unexplained Bruises or Welts
• Burns
• Fractures
• Lacerations
• Abrasions

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Behavioral Indicators of Physical Abuse

• Being wary of Adults
• Being apprehensive when other children cry
• Extreme aggressiveness or withdrawal
• Being frightened of parents
• Being afraid to go home

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Parental Indicators of Physical Abuse

• Contradictory explanations for a childs injury
• Attempts to conceal a childs injury
• Routine use of harsh, unreasonable discipline
  inappropriate to the childs age
• Poor impulse control

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Physical Indicators of Sexual Abuse

• Difficulty Urinating
• Irritation or bruising of the genital area
• Venereal disease
• Pregnancies

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Behavioral Indicators of Sexual Abuse

• Unwillingness to change clothes at school
• Withdrawal, fantasy or infantile behavior
• Bizarre sexual behavior
• Poor peer relationships
• Delinquent or runaway
• Reports of being sexually assaulted

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The Suspect in abuse or neglect of children under
five

• Father 32
• Mother 30
• Male acquaintance 23
• Other relatives 6
• Stranger 3

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Munchausen Syndrome

• Munchausen Syndrome involves self-induced or
  self-inflected injuries.
• Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy is a form of child
  abuse in which a parent (usually the mother)
  deliberately provides false medical histories,
  manufactures evidence and causes medical distress
  in a child.

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Other Non-criminal Explanations of Injuries

• Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI)
• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

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