Sources of Additional Information on Child Abuse and Neglect

Additional Information on Child AbuseWelcome to Part 9 of 10 in our series on child abuse and neglect. Today, we will be laying out some additional sources of information on child abuse and neglect used throughout this report. 

Most of the information in this article was garnered from the following sources. While I have not attempted to site individual sources for each piece of information presented, I am grateful to these resources for providing the information that comprises this article. I hope that the accumulation and synthesis of the information from these numerous sources will help those who work with kids, and particularly those who work with kids in a church setting, to be better equipped to understand the risks and types of child maltreatment, recognize the signs of maltreatment and develop a plan for responding to suspected maltreatment.

What Is Child Abuse and Neglect? (April 2008), Department of Health and Human Services: The Child Welfare Information Gateway of the U.S.(https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/whatiscan/)

Child Maltreatment Surveillance: Uniform Definitions for Public Health and Recommended Data Elements, Version 1.0 (January 2008), Department of Health and Human Services: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. (http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/CM_Surveillance-a.pdf)

Fourth National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect (NIS–4) (2010), Sedlak, A.J., Mettenburg, J., Basena, M., Petta, I., McPherson, K., Greene, A., and Li, S., Report to Congress. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families. http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/abuse_neglect/natl_incid/nis4_report_congress_full_pdf_jan2010.pdf)

What is Child Abuse and Neglect? Recognizing Signs and Symptoms (2013), Department of Health and Human Services: The Child Welfare Information Gateway of the U.S. https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/whatiscan/)

Toll-Free Crisis Hotline Numbers (May 2011), Department of Health and Human Services: The Child Welfare Information Gateway of the U.S. http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/reslist/tollfree.cfm)

State Child Abuse Reporting Numbers (September 2011), Department of Health and Human Services: The Child Welfare Information Gateway of the U.S. https://www.childwelfare.gov/organizations/?CWIGFunctionsaction=rols:main.dspList&rolType=Custom&RS_ID=%205)

Definitions of Child Abuse and Neglect (February 2011), Department of Health and Human Services: The Child Welfare Information Gateway of the U.S. (http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/statutes/define.pdf)

Clergy as Mandatory Reporters of Child Abuse and Neglect: Summary of State Laws (April 2010), Department of Health and Human Services: The Child Welfare Information Gateway of the U.S. http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/statutes/clergymandated.pdf)

Mandatory Reporters of Child Abuse and Neglect: Summary of State Laws (April 2010), Department of Health and Human Services: The Child Welfare Information Gateway of the U.S. (http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/statutes/manda.cfm)

Child Abuse FAQs (Accessed 09/02/2011), Faith Trust Institute. (http://www.faithtrustinstitute.org/resources/learn-the-basics/ca-faqs/?searchterm=child%20abuse)

Signs and Symptoms (Accessed 09/02/2011), Arizona Child Abuse Info Center.(http://www.childhelpinfocenter.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=28&Itemid=41)

Fact Sheet: Emotional Child Abuse (Accessed 09/02/2011), Prevent Child Abuse America. (http://preventchildabuse.org/resource/emotional-child-abuse/)

Principals of Working With Traumatized Children (Accessed 09/02/2011), Perry, Bruce. (http://teacher.scholastic.com/professional/bruceperry/working_children.htm)

Johnson, Martin, When the Bough Breaks (Accessed 09/14/2011), ChildrensMinistry.com (http://www.childrensministry.com/articles/when-the-bough-breaks)

Hayes, Alley & Wagner, Nate, They Are In Our Midst (Accessed 09/14/2011), ChildrensMinistry.com (http://www.childrensministry.com/articles/they-are-in-our-midst)

Wilcox, W. Bradford, Why Marriage Matters, Third Edition (August 2001), Institute for American Values & National Marriage Project (http://www.americanvalues.org/bookstore/pub.php?pub=81).

State Statutes Search, Department of Health and Human Services: The Child Welfare Information Gateway of the U.S.

This vehicle allows you to search for specific state statues related to the following areas involving abuse and neglect:

  • Child Witnesses to Domestic Violence
  • Clergy as Mandatory Reporters of Child Abuse and Neglect
  • Cross-Reporting Among Responders to Child Abuse and Neglect
  • Definitions of Child Abuse and Neglect
  • Definitions of Domestic Violence
  • Disclosure of Confidential Child Abuse and Neglect Records
  • Establishment and Maintenance of Central Registries for Child Abuse Reports
  • Immunity for Reporters of Child Abuse and Neglect
  • Making and Screening Reports of Child Abuse and Neglect
  • Mandatory Reporters of Child Abuse and Neglect
  • Parental Drug Use as Child Abuse
  • Penalties for Failure to Report and False Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect
  • Representation of Children in Child Abuse and Neglect Proceedings
  • Review and Expunction of Central Registries and Reporting Records

It is a fantastic vehicle for researching the laws in your state.(http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/state/index.cfm?event=stateStatutes.showSearchForm)

For more resources for learning about, and dealing with child abuse and neglect, please visit our Hope 4 Hurting Kids Child Abuse & Neglect Help Center. For more resources for learning about, and dealing with sexual abuse and rape, please visit our Hope 4 Hurting Kids Sexual Abuse & Rape Help Center.

This article is updated and adapted from an article originally published on Divorce Ministry 4 Kids on October 17, 2011.

Written by Wayne Stocks
Wayne is the founder and executive director of Hope 4 Hurting Kids. He is a happily married father of four kids with a passion for helping young people who are going through rough times. In addition to Hope 4 Hurting Kids, Wayne previously started I Am A Child of Divorce and Divorce Ministry 4 Kids to help kids who are dealing with the disruption of their parents' relationship. These are now part of Hope 4 Hurting Kids. Wayne speaks frequently at conferences and churches on issues related to helping kids learn to deal with difficult emotions and life in modern families. Wayne lives with his wife, three youngest kids, three dogs and an insane collection of his kids' other pets outside of Columbus, Ohio. In addition to his work with Hope 4 Hurting Kids, Wayne is a partner in a local consulting firm, an avid reader, coaches his son's soccer team and is a proud supporter of Leicester City Football Club (and yes, for those in know, his affinity for the club does predate the 2016 championship). You can reach Wayne at wayne@hope4hurtingkids.com.