Abuse and Neglect
• Compare child and elderly abuse and neglect, including laws and factors that lead to abuse.
Child Abuse and Neglect
Until the development of formal child protective services in the 1960s and 1970s, most law enforcement was not included in the process of protecting children’s well-being. Even with the creation of child protective services and the intervention of law enforcement, child abuse and neglect are still significant issues in society because of barriers to reporting and the risk factors from caregivers that lead to neglect and abuse. Image: Michael C. Ivering’s Child Abuse Monument. Authored by: Harvey K. Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/theharv58/17256524296/. License: CC-BY 2.0
For much of human history, what happened to children was considered a family matter, although extreme physical abuse, sexual abuse, or death would receive attention from whatever authority was in charge of that jurisdiction. It wasn’t until the 1800s that the plight of children started to enter the public domain, first looking at delinquents and their effects on society, and later turning to issues surrounding neglect or abuse. As discussed in earlier modules, the early laws around child abuse developed out of social movements around workers’ rights, poor laws, and creating homes for juvenile delinquents or abused children (the refuge movement). It wasn’t until the development of formal child protective services (CPS) in the 1960s and 1970s, that law enforcement was included in the process of protecting children’s well-being.