Child Abuse and Neglect: The Foundation for Practice (SW1020)

Course Format

This course is online. All course material is available online and is accessible immediately after purchase from your account homepage. Certificate of Completion is available immediately upon passing the exam.

Course Overview

What Are the Philosophical Tenets of Child Protection?

Discuss the 10 philosophical tenets of child protections:

• Prevention programs are necessary to strengthen families and reduce the likelihood of child abuse/neglect
• The responsibility for addressing child maltreatment is shared among community professionals and citizens
• A safe and permanent home is the best place for a child to grow
• When parents (or caregivers) are unable or unwilling to fulfill their responsibilities to provide adequate care and to keep their children safe, cps has the mandate to intervene
• Most parents want to be good parents and have the strength and capacity, when adequately supported, to care for their children and keep them safe
• To help families protect their children and meet their basic needs, the community’s response must demonstrate respect for very person involved
• Services must be individualized
• Child protection and service delivery approaches should be family centered
• Interventions need to be sensitive to the cultures, beliefs, and customs of all families
• To best protect a child’s overall well-being, agencies must assure that children move to permanency as quickly as possible

What Is Child Maltreatment?

1. Define Child Maltreatment

2. Define “Sexual Abuse”

3. Discuss the four commonly recognized forms of child abuse:

a. physical
b. sexual
c. neglect
d. psychological

What is the Scope of the Problem?

1. Summarize the number and characteristics of child maltreatment victims and perpetrators reported to CPS (as obtained from the 2000 NCANDS findings)

2. Discuss estimates of the actual incidence of abuse and neglect

3. List the two primary sources of national statistics on child abuse and neglect

What Factors Contribute to Child Abuse and Neglect?

1. Explain the four risk factor domains associated with child maltreatment:

a. parent or caregiver factors
b. family factors
c. child factors
d. environmental factors

What Are the consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect?

1. Identify and explain the three primary limitations/challenges of current research on child maltreatment

2. Describe the three overlapping effects that are commonly associated with individuals who have experienced abuse and neglect

a. Health and physical effects
b. Intellectual and cognitive development
c. Emotional, psychological, and behavioral consequences

What Can Be Done to Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect?

1. Explain the three basic levels at which child abuse and neglect prevention activities generally occur:

• primary or universal prevention
• secondary or selective prevention
• tertiary or indicated prevention

2. Describe the four (4) major prevention program models

• Public awareness activities
• Parent education programs
• Skills-based curricula for children
• Home visitation programs

3. Discuss the role of various entities in child maltreatment prevention efforts

Which Laws and Policies Guide Public Intervention in Child Maltreatment?

1. Discuss the key federal legislation that addresses the protection of maltreated children.

2. Explain
(a) the basis for state intervention in child abuse and neglect and
(b) the state laws that play a significant role in the reporting/intervening in cases of child abuse/neglect.

What Does the Child Protection Process Look Like?

Explain the child protection process:

• Identification
• Reporting
• Intake
• Initial Assessment and Investigation
• Family Assessment
• Planning
• Service Provision
• Evaluation of Family Progress
• Case Closure

Who Should Be Involved in Child Protection at the Community Level?

1. Explain the roles, responsibilities and expertise of those involved in child protection at the community level:

• Child Protective Services
• Law Enforcement
• Educators and Early Child Care Providers
• Health Care Providers
• Mental Health Professionals
• Legal and Judicial System Professionals
• Substitute Care Providers
• Faith Community
• Community Organizations and Support Services Providers
• Concerned Citizens

How Can Organizations Work Together to Protect Children?

1. Identify the principles which guide collaboration
2. Explain the essential components of effective leadership – an essential component of successful collaboration
3. Name and describe two (2) collaborative models that demonstrate the effectiveness of collaboration

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Outline:

Chapter One: Purpose and Overview

Chapter Two: What Are the Philosophical Tenets of Child Protection?

1. Key Principles of Child Protection
2. Philosophical Tenets

Chapter Three: What Is Child Maltreatment?

1. Definitions in Federal Law
2. Sources of Definitions in State Law
3. General Definitions by Type of Maltreatment

Chapter Four: What Is the Scope of the Problem?

1. Reported Child Maltreatment Victims
2. Child Maltreatment Perpetrators
3. Nonreported Child Abuse and Neglect

Chapter Five: What Factors Contribute to Child Abuse and Neglect?

1. Parent or Caregiver Factors
2. Family Factors
3. Child Factors
4. Environmental Factors
5. Protective Factors

Chapter Six: What Are the Consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect?

1. Health and Physical Effects
2. Cognitive Development and Academic Achievement
3. Emotional, Psychosocial, and Behavioral Development
4. Resilience

Chapter Seven: What Can Be Done to Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect?

1. Prevention as a Strategy
2. Types of Prevention Activities
3. Major Prevention Program Models
4. What Laws and Policies Guide Public Intervention in Child Maltreatment?
5. The Federal Role in Addressing Child Abuse and Neglect
6. Basis for State Intervention

Chapter Eight: What Laws and Policies Guide Public Intervention in Child Maltreatment?

1. The Federal Role in Addressing Child Abuse and Neglect
2. Basis for State Intervention

Chapter Nine: What Does the Child Protection Process Look Like?

1. Identification
2. Reporting
3. Intake
4. Initial Assessment or Investigation
5. Family Assessment
6. Planning
7. Service Provision
8. Evaluation of Family Progress
9. Case Closure

Chapter Ten: Who Should Be Involved in Child Protection at the Community Level?

1. Child Protective Services
2. Law Enforcement
3. Educators and Early Child care Providers
4. Health Care Providers
5. Mental Health Professionals
6. Legal and Judicial System Professionals
7. Substitute Care Providers
8. Faith Community
9. Community Organizations and Support Services Providers
10. Concerned Citizens

Chapter Eleven: How Can Organizations Work Together to Protect Children?

1. Principles to Guide Collaboration
2. Effective Leadership-An Essential Component of Successful
3. Collaboration
4. Collaborative Models
5. Conclusion

References

Appendices

1. Glossary of Terms
2. State Toll-free Telephone Numbers for Reporting Child Abuse

Course Objectives

1. Discuss the 10 philosophical tenets of child protection


2. Define child abuse and discuss the four commonly recognized forms.


3. Explain the four risk factor domains associated with child maltreatment


4. Describe the four (4) major prevention program models


5. Explain the child protection process