Child Maltreatment: Costly Consequences for Society, Families, and Individuals - Essay Sample

Introduction

Child maltreatment is a traumatic social and public health issue in American society. Child abuse and neglect have been found to affect not only the children but the adults they become as well (National Research Council, 2014). The adverse effects of abuse cascade throughout the lifetime of an individual and results in costly consequences for the society, families, and individuals. These effects are evident in various aspects of human functioning, including mental and physical health and essential areas such as social relationships, work, and education.

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Moreover, careful examinations of the protective and risk factors for child neglect and abuse at the macrosystem, contextual, and individual levels have led to the development of more effective strategies for abuse prevention and treatment. This public health issue requires effective and swift action through recommendations and deliberations that are realistic and feasible in these tough economic and political times. Therefore, it is necessary to take advantage of the current opportunities while advocating for new opportunities and actions when necessary. The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), promotes the utilization of services and policies that strengthen the family unit to enhance the healthy development of children and prevent child neglect and abuse before it occurs. To determine whether this policy works well and meets its goals and objectives, the present study carries out a policy analysis using the hybrid model by Popple and Leighninger, with focus on the problem, the historical analysis, social analysis, economic analysis, political analysis, policy and program evaluation and recommended changes.

Description and Overview of Policy and Problem

Description of Policy

The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), initially validated in January 1974, is the critical Federal legislation that addresses the issues of child neglect and abuse. The act has undergone several amendments, including 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2019, and authorizations with the last reauthorization happening in 2010, under the CAPTA Reauthorization Act of 2010 (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2019). The purpose of the act is to provide Federal funding and direction to States for purposes of prevention, investigation, assessment, treatment, and prosecution activities. Besides, CAPTA avails grants to nonprofit organizations (such as Tribal organizations and Indian Tribes) and public agencies for demonstration projects and programs. Furthermore, CAPTA executes the Federal role in supporting technical assistance, research, data collection, and evaluation, manages the Office on Child Abuse and Neglect, and receives and disseminates all information related to abuse and neglect (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2015). In addition to the widely recognized forms of child abuse and neglect, the act now includes any type of trafficking, including sex trafficking as child abuse (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2019).

Nature of Problem Targeted by CAPTA

Child abuse and neglect are significant economic, social, and health problems affecting individuals, families, and communities. One in eight children, (which translates into 12.5 percent of the total American child population), suffers child abuse before reaching 18 years (Casey Family Programs, 2019). In the 2017 financial year, hotlines of child protection agencies recorded 4.1 million referrals of about 7.5 million children. Out of these, 58 percent were screened in and investigated or provided with non-investigative responses, while 42 percent of the calls are screened out for reasons such as inadequate information or information that does not warrant screening. Among the 3.5 million children investigated, 674,000 were confirmed to be victims of abuse, and half the number received foster care (Casey Family Programs, 2019). There were also 1720 abuse-related fatalities in that year (Casey Family Programs, 2019). These statistics provide a brief demonstration of the extent of the problem that CAPTA covers.

Although initially CAPTA was enacted to handle physical abuse, most cases today relate to child neglect. Neglect is defined as the failure to provide the much-needed shelter, clothing, food, supervision, or medication, to a level that threatens a child's well-being, safety, and health. Among recent cases of maltreatment, 75 percent suffer neglect, 18 percent suffer physical abuse, and 9 percent experience sexual abuse (Casey Family Programs, 2019). While some victims are exposed to a single type of maltreatment, some undergo multiple types of abuse.

Background

Analysis and Assessment of Previous Policies and Programs

Throughout history in the US, the evolution of the child protection and welfare system has been shaped by changing attitudes and beliefs about the role of the government in the care and protection of neglected and abused children (Murray & Gesiriech, 2004). In the past, government interventions targeting these children utilized practical interventions focused on meeting the physical needs of affected children as opposed to tackling the negative impacts of neglect and abuse on the development of children. Continued awareness of the issue of child abuse and its damage led to increased government attention to the point of child protection (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2015). Resultantly, there was an expanding federal role, which complemented the child welfare policies at the state level. With time, government funding and support has increased, which has increased accountability among states and positive outcomes for children.

Parents have retained the responsibility for their children and have had the right to raise them as they wish. This right is presented in the 14th Constitution amendment, in a statement that emphasizes every individual's right to life, property, and liberty (National Child Abuse and Neglect Training and Publications Project, 2014). There is also a Supreme Court affirmation that independence does denote not only freedom from bodily harm but also an individual's right to establish a home and provide for children as his or her conscience dictates. As such, in the past, parents exercised reasonable corporal punishment, and there was minimal government interference in parents' prerogative to apply punishment on their children (Myers, 2008). However, the lack of intervention did not infer indifference on the plight of neglected and abused children. Notably, acts preventing child maltreatment have been in existence for as long as abuse has been around.

Organized child protection in the United States is traceable to the late 19th century when the case of Mary Ellen Wilson resulted in the creation of the Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (SPCC) in New York in 1874 (National Child Abuse and Neglect Training and Publications Project, 2014). In response to this, there was a widespread movement to come up with non-governmental institutions for protecting children from maltreatment. By the end of 6 years in 1880, there were 37 such organizations in place. By 1922, 300 non-governmental organizations were targeting to end child maltreatment (National Child Abuse and Neglect Training and Publications Project, 2014). This progress highlighted the active involvement of charities in child protection and lack of participation by the federal government. Resultantly, the 1909 White House Conference on the Care of Dependent Children recommended and spearheaded the establishment of a federal Children's Bureau, which was successfully established in 1912 (National Child Abuse and Neglect Training and Publications Project, 2014). The mandate of the Children's Bureau was broad and involved the investigation and reporting on all matters relating to child welfare and life among all classes in society. Besides, the CB was tasked with investigating child issues such as birthrates, infant mortality, juvenile courts, orphanages, employment, diseases and accidents among children, dangerous occupations, desertion, and laws affecting children in different territories and states. Most importantly, the creation of the Children's Bureau by Congress indicated the recognition of the government's responsibility in children's welfare.

Child protection charities formed in the late 19th century were entirely dependent on private donations, which led to significant funding reductions during the Great Depression that began in 1929 and went on to the 1940s (National Child Abuse and Neglect Training and Publications Project, 2014). Even though these charities played a significant role in increasing awareness of child maltreatment and child protection, lack of funding during this period led to their disbandment. What followed was a growing call by citizens and activists for government involvement in the provision of child protection and other forms of social welfare. Therefore, the suffering created by the Great Depression led to an awakening among Americans, as they expressed the need for the government to be directly involved in matters of children's welfare (Myers, 2008). This awakening led to the adoption of the Social Security Act in 1935, an act that provided numerous programs to Americans, including the social insurance program for the elderly, aid to needy children, old-age assistance, and unemployment insurance (National Child Abuse and Neglect Training and Publications Project 2014).

A 1939 inquiry into the role of private agencies in enhancing child welfare and protection services concluded that individual agencies have a role to play in child protection, even though public welfare departments retain primary responsibility in child protection. The findings of a 1967 study by Vincent De Francis showed that only 84 private agencies existed as compared to more than 300 before the Great Depression (National Child Abuse and Neglect Training and Publications Project 2014). Besides, 32 states lacked services of child protection, highlighting the need for the government to improve its efforts in developing child protection laws. There was increased media attention and calls for action on child neglect and abuse in the 1960s (National Child Abuse and Neglect Training and Publications Project, 2014). The Children's Bureau commenced meetings with different stakeholders such as legal experts, social workers, judges, and other experts involved in social protection. These models led to the development of a model statute, and the CB was developed a legislative language for a law that required hospitals and doctors to report cases of suspected abuse. The realization that the existing laws are not adequate to handle the reported cases of child exploitation, neglect, and violence led to the development of CAPTA (Myers, 2008).

Conclusion

The turnaround on child protection legislation was triggered by the 1970 White House Conference on Children and Youth, which increased the focus on child abuse (National Child Abuse and Neglect Training and Publications Project, 2014). The results of this conference led to the creation of state councils that had the responsibility of monitoring the welfare and status of children in different states. The meeting also resulted in requests for budget allocations to enhance the implementation of the recommendations at the state level. At the same time, the issue of child maltreatment also made it to the House of Representatives, where several members suggested legislation to address the problem. Following these suggestions, the Office of Child Development (OCD) was chosen as the lead agency for federal and interdepartmental strategies to solve the problem (National Child Abuse and Neglect Training and Publications Project, 2014).