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Prosecutions > Child Abuse |
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Child Abuse |
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What is Child Abuse?
● Child Abuse Response Team
(C.A.R.T.) ●
Child
Abduction |
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Child
Abuser Vertical Prosecution Program
● Report Abuse / Seek Help
●
Brochures |
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What is Child Abuse and Neglect? |
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The International Child
Abuse Network (Yes ICAN) takes their definition of child abuse and
neglect from the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act
(CAPTA)*, Public Law 104-235),
as it has been amended and reauthorized in October 1996.
CAPTA defines child abuse and neglect as:
"at a minimum, any recent act or failure to act on the part of
a parent or caretaker, which results in death, serious physical or
emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation, or an act or failure to
act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm."
For CAPTA, the term
child is:
someone who has not reached the age of 18; or (except in the
case of sexual abuse) the age specified by the child protection law of
the State in which the child resides;
CAPTA defines the term "sexual abuse" as:
"the employment, use,
persuasion, inducement, enticement, or coercion of any child to engage
in, or assist any other person to engage in, any sexually explicit
conduct or simulation of such conduct for the purpose of producing a
visual depiction of such conduct; or the rape, and in cases of caretaker
or inter-familial relationships, statutory rape, molestation,
prostitution, or other form of sexual exploitation of children, or
incest with children." |
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There are four
forms of child maltreatment: emotional abuse, neglect, physical abuse
and sexual abuse.
Emotional Abuse: (also known as: verbal abuse, mental
abuse, and psychological maltreatment) Includes acts or the failures to
act by parents or caretakers that have caused or could cause, serious
behavioral, cognitive, emotional, or mental disorders. This can include
parents/caretakers using extreme and/or bizarre forms of punishment,
such as confinement in a closet or dark room or being tied to a chair
for long periods of time or threatening or terrorizing a child. Less
severe acts, but no less damaging are belittling or rejecting treatment,
using derogatory terms to describe the child, habitual scapegoating or
blaming.
Neglect :
The failure to provide for the child’s basic needs. Neglect can
be physical, educational, or emotional. Physical neglect can include not
providing adequate food or clothing, appropriate medical care,
supervision, or proper weather protection (heat or coats). It may
include abandonment. Educational neglect includes failure to provide
appropriate schooling or special educational needs, allowing excessive
truancies. Psychological neglect includes the lack of any emotional
support and love, never attending to the child, spousal abuse, drug and
alcohol abuse including allowing the child to participate in drug and
alcohol use.
Physical Abuse :
The inflicting of physical injury upon a child. This may
include, burning, hitting, punching, shaking, kicking, beating, or
otherwise harming a child. The parent or caretaker may not have intended
to hurt the child, the injury is not an accident. It may, however, been
the result of over-discipline or physical punishment that is
inappropriate to the child’s age.
Sexual Abuse :
The inappropriate sexual behavior with a child. It includes
fondling a child’s genitals, making the child fondle the adult’s
genitals, intercourse, incest, rape, sodomy, exhibitionism and sexual
exploitation. To be considered child abuse these acts have to be
committed by a person responsible for the care of a child (for example a
baby-sitter, a parent, or a daycare provider) or related to the child.
If a stranger commits these acts, it would be considered sexual assault
and handled solely be the police and criminal courts. |
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Child Abuse Response Team- C.A.R.T. |
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The
Child Abuse Response Team (C.A.R.T.) was established by this office
in 1997 to work in conjunction with the Child
Abuse Vertical Prosecution Program. The C.A.R.T. team works along with
the program attorney to reduce the number of interviews a child abuse
victim must undergo, as well as to coordinate more effective criminal
investigation and prosecution of child sexual abuse cases. The C.A.R.T.
staff in conjunction with the program attorney reviews cases, meets with
the child and family to establish a working relationship, and refers the
child and family to the Victim's Center and Kids' Court. The program
networks with Rape Crisis Response Services for court support and with
the child's counselor.
The C.A.R.T. concept provides for specially equipped soft interview
rooms, and Child Interview Specialists trained to conduct comprehensive
multi-disciplinary interviews which will meet the needs of law
enforcement, the District Attorney, Victim/Witness, and Child Protective
Services, while at the same time promoting the search for truth and
protecting the rights of the accused.
Currently, the program utilizes a specially equipped "soft room" for
interviews. The interview room was
constructed and equipped through community donations and labor.
Since the inception of the program through Dec. 2009, 3,725 children
had been interviewed. Children interviewed range in age from 2.5 to 17 years.
Interviews are conducted in both English and Spanish.
For more information on our Child Sexual Abuse Program or the Child
Abuse Response Team Program, please contact our office. |
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Child Abuser
Vertical Prosecution Program |
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In 1995, this office
was awarded a grant from the Governor's Office of Criminal Justice
Planning to establish the Child Abuser Vertical Prosecution Program.
This program was renewed in 1998 to provide a South County Child Abuse
Vertical Prosecution Program. The program has dramatically increased
our capability to meet the needs of children, reduce the amount of
time required to resolve a case and increase our conviction rate.
Vertical prosecution allows for two attorneys to exclusively handle
child sexual abuse cases from filing through sentencing as a part of
the larger Family Protection Division. Most importantly, vertical
prosecution of child sexual abusers makes possible the treatment of
child-victims and witnesses within a victim-friendly environment. The
program attorney reviews cases, meets with the child and family to
establish a working relationship, and refers the child and family to
the Victim's Center and Kids' Court. The attorney also networks with
Rape Crisis Response Services for court support and with the child's
counselor. |
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Seek Help-
Tulare County Health and Human Services |
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To Report Suspected Child Abuse Call:
1-800-331-1585 |
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Children's Trust Funds
Frank Ingram
Office of Child Abuse
Prevention
744 P Street,
Mail Station 19-82
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916)445-2771
(916)323-8103 (fax)
robertabadal@dss.ca.gov
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Don't Shake the
Baby
Margery Winter
Office of Child Abuse Prevention CCDSS
744 P St., MS 19-82
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 445-2907 (916)445-2898 (Fax)
Office of Child Abuse Prevention
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Prevent Child Abuse America
Julie Christine
Executive Director
California Chapter
CA Consortium to Prevent Child Abuse
926 J St., Suite 717
Sacramento, CA 95814-2707
(916) 498-8481
(916) 498-0825 (fax)
ccpca@ix.netcom.com
Prevent Child Abuse America |
Community-Based Family Resources and Support Programs
Michael
Carey
Office of Child Abuse Prevention
744 P St., MS 19-82
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 445-2877
(916) 323-8103
mcarey@dss.ca.gov
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