Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gbm5v Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T12:37:27.569Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Reporting Laws on Child Abuse: Health Professionals’ Knowledge of and Attitudes Towards Child Abuse Reporting Laws and case Management, in Victoria

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 February 2024

Dorothy A.F. Shamley
Dorothy A.F. Shamley*
Affiliation:
Department of Social Work, La Trobe University with L. Kingston and M. Smith
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

This study investigates the knowledge and attitudes of health professionals towards the reporting of child abuse in Victoria. A review of the literature suggests that this professional group lacks adequate knowledge of child abuse reporting, legislation and procedures. It is also suggested that numerous factors other than ignorance of the law may influence professionals’ cooperation in reporting or trying to deal with a case of child abuse. Finally, it was found that the introduction of compulsory reporting in the State of Victoria would not markedly increase professionals’ willingness to report. Seventy-four health professionals were included in the sample for analysis, and the results indicate that negative attitudes to the law and the competence and resources of ancillary services is more of a problem than ignorance of the law.

Type
Research Article
Information
Children Australia , Volume 9 , Issue 1 , Autumn 1984 , pp. 3 - 7
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1984

References

1. Schwartz, D.A., A reappraisal of the New York Child Abuse Laws — How Far Have We Come? Columbia Journal of Law and Social Problems, 1977, 13, 91–136.Google Scholar
2. Woolley, P.V. and Evans, W.A., Significance of Skeletal Lesions in Infants Resembling Those of Traumatic Origin, Journal of the American Medical Association, 1955, 158, 538–543.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3. Altman, D.H. and Smith, R.L., Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, 1960, 42, 407–412.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4. Gwinn, J.L., Lewin, K.W. and Peterson, H.G., Children in Jeopardy, Journal of American Medical Association, 1961, 176, 926–929.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5. Antler, S., Child Abuse: An Emerging Social Priority, Social Work, 1978, January.Google Scholar
6. Helfer, R. and Kempe, C.H., The Battered Child. Chicago: University of Chicago Press (second edition), 1974.Google Scholar
7. Kempe, R.S. and Kempe, C.H., Child Abuse. Open Books Publishing Ltd: London, 1978.Google ScholarPubMed
8. Solomon, T., History and Demography of Child Abuse, Pediatrics, 1973, 51(4), 733–776.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9. Kempe, C.H., Sherman, F.N., Steele, B.F., Droegemueller, W. and Silver, H.K. The Battered Child Syndrome, Journal of the American Medical Association, 1962, 787, 107–112.Google Scholar
10. DeFrancis, B., Protecting the Child Victim of Sex Crimes Committed by Adults, Federal Probation, 1971, 35(3), 15–20.Google Scholar
11. Gil, D.G., Violence Against the Child: Physical Abuse in the United States. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1970.Google Scholar
12. Sussman, A., Reporting Child Abuse: A Review of the Literature, Family Law Quarterly, 1974, 8(3), 245–313.Google Scholar
13. Young, L., Wednesday’s Child: A Study of Child Neglect and Abuse, New York: McGraw-Hill, 1964.Google Scholar
14. Zalba, S.R., The Abused Child: 1. A Survey of the Problem, Social Work, 1966, 11(4), 3–16.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
15. Leaflet Distributed by the Children’s Protection Society. Battered Children and Their Parents. Melbourne, 1982.Google Scholar
16. Bentovim, A. and Lynch, M., Recognition and Reporting of Child Abuse. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 1981, 56, 570–573.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
17. Boss, P., On the Side of the Child — An Australian Perspective on Child Abuse. Melbourne, Fontana/Collins.Google Scholar
18. Light, R.J., Abused and Neglected Children in America: A Study of Alternative Policies, Harvard Educational Review, 1973, 43(3), 556–598.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
19. Simpson, C.K., The Battered Child Syndrome, London: NSPCC, 1965.Google Scholar
20. Zalba, S.R., Battered Children. Transaction, 1971, 8, 58–61.Google Scholar
21. Alexander, J., Protecting the Children of Life-threatening Parents. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 1974, 3(2), 53–54.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
22. Gil, op. cit.Google Scholar
23. Helfer, R. Why Most Physicians Won’t Get Involved in Child Abuse and What to do About it, Children Today, 1975, 4(3), 28–32.Google Scholar
24. Light, op. cit.Google Scholar
25. Lynch, A., Child Abuse in a School-age Population, Journal of School Health, 1975, 45, 141–148.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
26. Zalba, S.R., Battered Children, Transaction, 1971, 8, 58–61.Google Scholar
27. Boss, P., Child Abuse — Fact and Fancies. Australian Child and Family Welfare, 1976, 1(2), 11–16.Google Scholar
28. Boss, P., On the Side of the Child — An Australian Perspective on Child Abuse. Melbourne: Fontana/Collins.Google Scholar
29. Ibid.Google Scholar
30. Pluekhahn, U.D., Lectures on Forensic Medicine and Pathology. 4th edition, Melbourne: University of Melbourne Press, 1980.Google Scholar
31. Schwartz, D.A. A Reappraisal of the New York Child Abuse Laws — How Far Have We Come? Columbia Journal of Law and Social Problems, 1977, 13, 91–136.Google Scholar
32. Boss, P., On the Side of the Child — An Australian Perspective on Child Abuse. Melbourne: Fontana/Collins.Google Scholar
33. Ibid.Google Scholar
34. Pluekhahn, U.D., Lectures on Forensic Medicine and Pathology. 4th edition, Melbourne: University of Melbourne Press, 1980.Google Scholar
35. Boss, P., On the Side of the Child — An Australian Perspective on Child Abuse. Melbourne: Fontana/Collins.Google Scholar
36. Pleukhahn, U.D., Lectures on Forensic Medicine and Pathology. 4th edition, Melbourne: University of Melbourne Press, 1980.Google Scholar
37. Report on the Child Maltreatment Workshop, Victoria, 1976, pages 53–56.Google Scholar
38. Community Welfare Services Act, 1978, No. 9248, Section 19(1),(2),(3),(4), (5). Government Printer, Melbourne, Community Welfare Services (Amendment) Act, 1979, No. 9266, Section 2, Government Printer, MelbourneGoogle Scholar