Running Head: CHILD MALTREATMENT: A SOCIAL PROBLEM

Child Maltreatment: A Social Problem

Tori Rolston
SW 3710
Professor Hopp
Wayne State University

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Child Maltreatment as a Social Problem

Child maltreatment refers to the abuse and neglect of children and can broadly be defined
as any act or failure to act which may result in death; serious physical, emotional, or sexual
harm; or which presents a serious risk or harm to the child (Doak, 2009). The Child Abuse
Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) identifies four main types of child maltreatment:
physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological abuse, and neglect (Doak, 2009).
According to the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect (1990), there were an
estimated 3.2 million children nationally who received an investigation or response by Child
Protective Services as result of an alleged case of child maltreatment in the year 2012. This
number refers solely to the amount of cases investigated due to a report of maltreatment; it does
not involve the unknown number of cases that potentially go unreported every year. This also
does not include fatalities that resulted from child maltreatment. The National Center on Child
Abuse and Neglect (1990) also reports a national estimate of 686,000 victims, or fatalities, of
child maltreatment in the year 2012. As this data shows, child maltreatment is an issue that
significantly affects many children annually and needs to be taken seriously.
Current Services and Policies Regarding Child Maltreatment
The understanding of the need for policies and services regarding child maltreatment has
increased, thus leaving us with a variety of services today. There are organizations and agencies
that attempt to raise awareness and end child maltreatment, investigate maltreatment cases and
take the necessary steps to ensure the children involved are safe, such as local non-profits and
Child Protective Services, which is responsible for investigating and resolving child
maltreatment cases. We also have laws which require certain professionals who come in frequent
contact with children to report child maltreatment (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2012). In
most cases, individuals are required to report any case in which they suspect or have reason to
believe that maltreatment may be occurring so that further investigation may be taken (Child

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Welfare Information Gateway, 2012). In fact, in 48 out of the 50 states in our country certain
individuals are required by law to report any suspected abuse. These individuals are known as
mandated reporters and include, but are not limited to: social workers, teachers and school
personnel, physicians and other health care workers, counselors and therapists, day care
providers, medical examiners, and law enforcement (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2012).
These mandated reporters are typically required to report any cases where they suspect, or have
reason to believe, that a child may be facing abuse or neglect as well as any instances where they
may have noticed abuse or neglect taking place (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2012). This
law is a great help in beginning the elimination of child maltreatment as it requires attention to
be drawn to numerous cases where maltreatment may be occurring. It is important; however, to
also have policies and services available to help address the problem once investigation has taken
place and the presence of maltreatment has been confirmed. This includes programs and policies
as well as funding to keep it all in place.
Some examples of these include: the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act
(CAPTA), the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act, Promoting Safe and Stable Families,
the Child Welfare Waiver Program, and the Strengthening Neglect and Abuse Courts Act (First
Star, 2009). These services perform tasks such as funding states and non-profit organizations,
requiring more frequent reviewing of welfare cases, investigating/testing new ways to provide
and fund welfare services, providing funding, and also making attempts to keep families together
or attempting to provide more permanent placement for children when keeping the family
together is not an option (First Star, 2009).
Who Receives the Child Maltreatment Services?
As can reasonably be assumed by the topic of this paper, these services put in place as a
response to child maltreatment are received mainly by children, especially those who have been,
or are being maltreated. These services are in place to help alleviate maltreatment against

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children, while also providing help and support for those who may be facing maltreatment.
While the target population of these services is typically children, some of the services also
target the parents and families as a whole. For example, the Promoting Safe and Stable Families
Act is focused on preventing child abuse, but also provides help for parents whose children may
be at risk of being removed from the home due to maltreatment or undesirable conditions (First
Star, 2009). As we can see from this, while the main recipients of these services are typically
children, there are also some services which seek to help parents and in turn the family as a
structure.
History of Child Maltreatment
According to Segal (2013), the first case of government involvement in childrens
welfare arose in 1874 with the case of Little Mary Ellen. Until this time the government
aspired to allow parents to raise their children in their own ways. In 1874 however, this changed
when an individual called a local church reporting that a young girl had been abused by her
parents (Ferguson, 2004). At this time there were not any child protection agencies; therefore,
this case was reported to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) of New
York (Segal, 2013). This case was the building block for the creation of new child protective
services, leading to the creation of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children in 1875.
After the emergence of this case, individuals began to realize how serious of a problem child
maltreatment really was. The United States launched a national campaign in 1918 called The
Childrens Year of 1918-1919. This campaign focused on the development of further child
welfare programs as a way to help fight child maltreatment (Freeman, 2013).
After the emergence of Marys case, the involvement of child protective agencies
increased; however, these agencies were still making large efforts to keep children in the home.
As Ferguson (2004) discusses, between 1891 and 1903 any children who were removed from the
home were returned at least once after the child had recovered from any injuries inflicted by the

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abuse. During this time children were not permanently removed from the home of their parents
unless the parent had faced at least two prison sentences for child maltreatment. In reality, only 1
percent of children were being permanently removed from homes until 1914 (Ferguson, 2004).
The public has become increasingly more supportive of public intervention in child care and
maltreatment cases. In fact, in 1974 the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA)
was enacted, providing states with extra funding for child protective agencies, given that they
create mandatory reporting laws. These laws would require certain professionals who work
regularly with children to report any situation that leads them to believe that child maltreatment
may be occurring (Segal, 2013).
The focus of child protective services shifted many times throughout history. As
aforementioned, after the case of Mary Ellen, agencies began to have more involvement in child
maltreatment cases; however, they were still hesitant to interfere too much (Ferguson, 2004). The
Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act was even enacted in 1980 to encourage family
reunification because of the publics response to the increasing number of children in foster care
(Doak, 2009). Then in 1997 the focus shifted again when the government realized that
reunification did not always work out in the best interest of the child and revised the reasonable
efforts of the Adoption and Safe Families Act to enforce that the safety of the child was the
most important thing and should come first (Doak, 2009). According to Segal (2013), this view
on child maltreatment has remained consistent, with workers primary focus now being on the
safety of the child and the main public response being to remove children from abusive
environments either temporarily through foster care, or permanently through adoption.
The focus on child maltreatment has grown and shifted significantly throughout the
years. Fortunately, the main focus is now on the safety of the child as a primary concern, and

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child protection agencies continue to develop and prosper, providing greater protection for
children.
Effects of Social Stigma, Discrimination, and Societal Prejudices on Child Maltreatment
Throughout the years, the social stigma about government involvement in child
maltreatment cases has had a significant effect on some policies and programs put into place.
This is clearly evident by the changes that were made to the Adoption Assistance and Child
Welfare Act throughout the years. In 1980, this act shifted its focus to reunification of the family
due to the public perception that too many children were being removed from their homes and
placed into foster care. According to Child Welfare Information Gateway (2012), by 1990
emphasis was being placed on creating a strong foundation for children and families. Public
opinion polls between 1975 and 1985 also show an increase in public recognition of child abuse
as a social problem as well as a decline in the acceptance of corporal punishment in disciplining
children and an increased concern to raise awareness (Child Welfare Information Gateway,
2012), Based upon these concerns, additional efforts were made to educate parents and alter their
behaviors (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2012). This shows how social stigmas about the
structure and methods of child welfare policies can have significant effects, leading to
considerable changes to policy over time.
While it does not seem that it has had a significant impact on child maltreatment policies
thus far, discrimination is a problem currently affecting the child welfare system. As Mumpower
(2010) states, African American children and families face a disproportionate amount of overreporting when compared to Caucasians and Hispanics. African American children are 80
percent more likely to be referred to a worker for suspected child abuse when there is not
actually any abuse occurring (Mumpower, 2010). This data shows that individuals are
discriminating against African Americans by anticipating that there will be a presence of abuse,
when in fact there is not. African Americans are two to three times more likely to be referred into

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the child welfare system than children from other races and ethnic groups (Mumpower, 2010).
Further policy changes could prove beneficial in helping to cut down and potentially eliminate
the discrimination and disproportionate reporting in the child welfare system.
My View on Child Maltreatment
I hold very strong views regarding the issue of child maltreatment. I have been exposed
to instances of child maltreatment periodically throughout my life which has caused me to have
such strong views. I believe that child maltreatment is a very serious issue that often times does
not receive the recognition that it should. In my opinion, cases that should receive attention and
stern consequences often do not. I understand the desire to keep a child in the home if at all
possible; however, it seems to me that too much focus is now spent on this and many times
children are put back into homes where they are likely to face abuse again. This is what I have
encountered through my experience. I witnessed a situation where children were placed right
back into the home where they faced abuse after being away for only a week. This is not enough
time for a parent to attend therapy or other family services and thus, the children are likely being
put back into the exact environment that they were taken out of. I most definitely do not believe
that child maltreatment services are completely ineffective; however, I do believe situations such
as the one I experienced contribute to continued abuse and neglect. If parents do not face any
consequences, then I do not feel that they are likely to stop performing the actions in question.
While I feel that there is an issue with some cases not receiving enough attention, it also seems
that there is a disproportion in the types of cases reported and investigated. While some cases are
not receiving enough attention, others are receiving too much. According to Mumpower (2010),
African Americans are 80 percent more likely to be referred to a child protection agency for
suspected abuse when there is actually no presence of abuse than are members of any other
ethnic group. This can also be a significant problem. Referring children that are not facing abuse

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and causing them to go through an investigation may be just as devastating to some children as
facing abuse could be. Helping workers to understand this disproportionate reporting could be
beneficial in helping them to better assess whether they are referring a child due to signs and a
perceived presence of abuse, or simply because the child seems as though he or she may be
coming from a family that the worker may expect to be abusive due to stereotypes. I feel that it is
incredibly important for workers to put their personal views aside and focus on what is truly
happening in the household. I feel more preliminary investigation needs to be done when
presented with a case as a way to better help workers understand what it truly happening and
what option seems best for the children in question.
From my past experiences, I believe that some of the main causes of child abuse and
maltreatment stem from struggles that parents may be facing such as depression, substance
abuse, or other similar conditions. As mentioned above, I also feel that a parent is less likely to
change such behaviors if they do not see any consequences. This is why I feel it is so important
to thoroughly investigate cases and take the necessary actions to remove the children and have
the parents seek help when necessary. Without these actions I do not feel that the parents
negative actions will ever end. Overall, I feel that more serious actions in cases where abuse is
found and further investigation into the parents stability could prove beneficial in providing
children the help they truly need when trapped in situations of maltreatment.
Child Maltreatment and The Code of Ethics
This issue of child maltreatment relates to the NASW Code of Ethics in many ways.
According to the NASW Code of Ethics (2008), social workers have a responsibility to help
individuals in need and address social problems as stated by the value of service, challenge social
injustices as mentioned in the value of social justice, and also recognize the importance of
human relationships. These three values closely relate to the issue of child maltreatment and
demonstrate why workers implement the forms of treatment that they in regards to this problem.

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Social workers working with child welfare have a commitment to the children they serve. As
stated by the NASW Code of Ethics, workers need to utilize their skills and knowledge to help
these children in need and address social problems that they may be facing. This could explain
why agencies such as Child Protective Services and their workers investigate cases of child
maltreatment and make attempts to remove children from unsafe situations and work to end the
abuse that is occurring. Workers are also expected to pursue social change, especially when
working with vulnerable and oppressed individuals, such as children (National Association of
Social Workers, 2008). This could include providing information, services, and resources such as
helping parents acquire a spot in parenting classes, helping children get out of abusive situations
and into safer homes, and providing other resources such as family counseling or additional
services to help end abuse and reunify a family. This is where it is also important for a worker to
recognize the central importance of human relationships. As discussed in the Code of Ethics,
social workers need to work to strengthen relationships among individuals in a way designed to
restore the wellbeing of families, as well as individuals and social groups. This is why while it is
important for a worker to advocate for and protect their child client by removing them from
dangerous situations, it is also important for a worker to remember that personal relationships are
important as well. This could mean that a worker makes an attempt to reunify the family or allow
the child to visit with their parent(s) while working to overcome the issues of maltreatment being
addressed through the removal of the child. It is extremely evident through these three values
discussed in the NASW Code of Ethics why many forms of treatment and intervention are taken
in regards to child welfare and the issues of maltreatment. These values help to explain why
workers are implementing certain policies and taking such actions when working with issues of
child maltreatment.

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Overall, it seems that much progress has been made in regards to the issue of child
maltreatment; however, I believe that there is still much room for improvement. While an
increased recognition of child maltreatment has been incredibly helpful in raising awareness and
gaining support for new policies, there is still the issue of disproportionate reporting, along with
excessive reporting which causes a surplus of cases to be addressed by Child Protective Services.
Based on these issues, I feel that although there has been much progress made in regards to child
maltreatment, there are still areas that could use improvement as well.

Works Cited
Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2012). Mandatory reporters of child abuse and neglect.
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Childrens Bureau.
Defining child abuse and domestic violence. (2009). In M. J. Doak, Information Plus
Reference Series. Child Abuse and Domestic Violence (2009 ed.). Detroit: Gale.
Ferguson, H. (2004). Protecting children in time: Child abuse, child protection, and the
consequences of modernity. Gordonsville, VA: Palgrave Macmillan.
First Star, Inc. (2009). Federal child welfare policy. Retrieved from:
http://www.firststar.org/policy-legislation/federal-child-welfare-policy.aspx
Freeman, J. (2013). The field of child and youth care: Are we there yet? Child & Youth Services,
34 (2), 100-111. DOI: 10.1080/0145935X.2013.785875
Mumpower, J. L. (2010). Disproportionality at the front end" of the child welfare services
system: An analysis of rates of referrals, "hits," "misses," and "false alarms". Journal of
Health & Human Services Administration, 33(3), 364-405.
National Association of Social Workers. (2008). Code of Ethics of the National Association of
Social Workers. Washington, DC. NASW Press.

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National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System., National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect.,
United States., & United States. (1990). Child maltreatment: Reports from the states to
the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System. Washington, D.C: U.S. Dept. of
Health and Human Services, National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect.
Segal, E.A. (2013). Social welfare policy and social program: A values perspective. Belmont,
CA: Brooks/Cole.