NCJ Number
91029
Date Published
1983
Length
511 pages
Annotation
This is the final report in a trilogy which deals with various forms of child abuse in Illinois.
Abstract
The study examined the responsibilities, activities, and records of all agencies that deal with the child abuse problem to determine how a coordinated effort could be developed to detect and reduce the incidence of child abuse in the State. The report describes the Department of Children and Family Services, agencies that contract with the department for the provision of services, legal issues related to the problems of child abuse and neglect, and multidisciplinary child protection teams. In addition, it presents case studies illustrating child abuse and neglect not ending in death, child abuse and neglect resulting in the child's death, and intrafamilial child sexual abuse (incest). The study concludes that the existing legislative framework is basically sound and proposes only eight statutory revisions. Furthermore, the Department of Children and Family Services is deemed the most appropriate agency to receive and investigate reports of suspected child abuse and neglect, preferable to law enforcement agencies. The most significant flaw in the current system is the department's lack of coordination. The study recommends the establishment of multidisciplinary child protection teams throughout Illinois to correct the duplication and fragmentation of services. Tabular data, photographs, and about 200 references are provided. Appendixes contain guidelines for community-based multidisciplinary teams and tips for interviewing skills. A list of acronyms is also given.