Crimes Against Children Essay

ABSTRACTChild twist clearly has a negative impact on electric razorren and quarter get out in demeanoral, cognitive, emotional, and developmental tryingies. This whitethorn lead to greater difficulties later in life that get out extend into adulthood. The use of prudish investigation techniques and usurp handling of cases, however, can result in less traumatization for nestling squ completely victims.I. IntroductionAccording to Hess & amp Orthmann (2010), law enforcement agencies are charged with investigation all crimes, but the responsibility is greater when peasantren are involved. Be pose children are more(prenominal) vulnerable than former(a) members of society, their protection under the law must be greater. Crimes against children cover an extensive range of crimes, including but non limited to vilification, inner exploitation, sexual ill-treat, abduction, trafficking and molestation. Child ill-treat investigations involve many challenges and therefrom se cond specific techniques and con placerations for boffo imports in terms of cases solved and pursuits.This paper will begin by defining specific terms that are relevant to the topic of crimes against children. The next section will provide a compass of the problem concerning crimes against children. The following section will offer a surmise framework to account for offenders of crimes against children. The fifth section will offer a literature re ascertain of current research findings regarding crimes against children investigative techniques. This is followed by a discussion section that will identify strategies and recommendations for successful investigative outcomes. Finally, the live section will summarize and conclude the important aspects of crimes against children investigation strategies as they relate to successful outcomes and prosecution.The significance of this paper is that it contributes to the culpable justice dust by critically reviewing investigative s trategies and techniques as they relate to their mission of successful outcomes in crimes against children cases. This paper is written for colleagues and clerisy who have a schoolmaster or academic interest in reducing crimes against children through utilizing the shell investigative strategies and techniques.II. Maltreatment of Children DefinedMaltreatment means to treat someone roughly or abusive (Hess & Orthmann, 2010). The four common types of maltreatment include remissness, physiologic abuse, emotional abuse, and sexual abuse. A. Child Neglect The trial to meet a childs basic needs. This could include starvation a child, or not keeping a child light and closely-kempt. B. Physical call out Refers to violence against a child. While the laws whitethorn transfer from state to state regarding the specifics of what constitutes bodily abuse towards a child, this term refers to riotous abuse such as punching, strangling, or causing bodily vituperate to a child. C. E motional Abuse Involves causing fear or feelings of unworthiness in a child. This may include hurling insults at a child, or intimidating a child. D. Sexual abuse Sexually molesting a child, performing sexual acts, statutory rape, and seduction (Hess et al, 2010).III. Scope of the ProblemThe outcome of the problem is described by two conflicting views. One on side of the spectrum, there is a maximalist alarmist perspective and on the other side there is the minimalist skeptical perspective. The maximalist alarmist perspective believes that child abuse and neglect is reaching epidemic proportions and unless drastic steps are taken child abuse will continue and only get worse. The minimalists consider the maximalist view to be overly exaggerated and overstated for their own self-serving consumption (Hess et al, 2010). According to Juvenile Offenders and Victims 2006 National Report, child fatalities are the most sad consequences of maltreatment. An estimated 1,530 children died because of abuse or neglect. 41.1 percent of child fatalities were caused by neglect where physical abuse was also a major contributor. More than three-quarters of the children who died because of child abuse were younger than four years old.However, some experts believe that child fatalities may be underreported by 50 to 60 percent (Hess et al, 2010). The effects of child abuse are upsetting, disheartening and potentially very dangerous. Child abuse and neglect result in serious as well as permanent physical, mental and emotional damage. Unfortunately, the effects of child abuse may lead some victims to behave in future criminal behavior (Hess et al, 2010). Emotional damage from the effects of child abuse is disturbing. It may cause the victim to have an increased level of aggression along with unsafe tendencies. Anti genial behavior can put not only the family in harms way, but also the community (Hess et al, 2010). Antisocial behaviors along with physical aggression are two of the most constant outcomes of physical abuse. Fear and anger are also incorporated with abused children. few studies have suggested that childhood abuse and neglect will fasten cognitive skills and can lead to attention dearth dis positions. In make forition to deficit disorders, neglected and physically abused children do not do well in school. These children tend to produce low grades, lower standardized tests gain and much retention in the same grade, but neglected children are far worse off than those who are physically abused (Chalk, Gibbons, Scarupa, 2002).IV. possibility Framework to Account for OffendersCrimes against children have numerous broad based causations root in criminological, psychological, and biological system constructs. From a crimes against children investigative perspective, the forefinger and hearler theory, (as a subset of conflict criminology), as posited by Hagan, Gillis, and Simpson (1990) accounts for a substantive recess of offenders. In their theory Hagan et al. (1990) describe the power surmountowed to males by the patriarchal governance of marriage. While primarily an explanation of domestic violence, the power and control theory also incorporates domestic aspect of child abuse, neglect, and sexual assault (Hagan et al., 1990). Hess and Orthmann (2010) add further support in their claim that 90 percent of child abuse suspects are parents or an adult known to the child. Tanner (2009) notes terminal point of the power and control theory is it does not explain or betoken violent behavior, only that offending behavior toward children does occur in significant numbers in a patriarchal construct. Even with this limitation, the power and control theory is useful in identifying offenders and developing useful policies and strategies in crimes against children investigations.V. belles-lettres ReviewA specific technique for a better outcome for handling child victim cases would be to establish a childrens advocac y center. Allowing these centers to place law enforcement officeholders, child protection workers, prosecutors, therapists, medical professionals all in one center will be to coordinate investigations, prosecution and treatment to the young victim. These centers can conduct child-friendly interviews rather than multiple interviews that may be in an interrogation room or in the business firm where the abused victim was neglected to such criminal activity. By placing children in an advocacy center and using a multidisciplinary group approach, it is easier for a team of professionals to work together to ensure that the maltreatment of the child is responded to in the best possible way with the least amount of further trauma. These centers improve the pure tone of data and increase the number of successful prosecutions (U.S. Dept. of Justice, 1999).Unfortunately in the criminal justice system, law enforcement agencies must vie for federal funding and therefore resources like advoca cy centers may not always be purchasable in all cities and towns to coordinate such a team of professionals. some other idea that has been proven to work better than others would be to bring other agencies together and form a multidisciplinary team approach to the situation. The purpose of speech these teams and agencies together is to limit the amount of times the child is interviewed, to coordinate intervention, and to disgrace the amount duplication of agency procedures (U.S. Dept. of Justice, 1999) Joint and coordinated responses stand by cases not fall through the cracks (Hess & Orthmann, 2010). Joint interviews and monitored interviews will economic aid reduce inconsistencies that may occur and improve the quality of information that is given by the child (U.S. Dept. of Justice, 1999).VI. Discussion/RecommendationsInvestigating child neglect and maltreatment cases can be very demanding and is perceived by prosecutors as the most difficult to prosecute. Protecting the c hild from further harm, interviewing the child, and the need to involve other agencies are three challenges that occur when investigating child abuse and neglect (Hess et al, 2010). To help address these issues, there are some strategies in place to help children in need. To protect the child from further harm, under welfare regulations and codes, an officer may place a child in temporary hands without a warrant if there is an emergency (Hess et al, 2010). To help overcome challenges (i.e., bunco attention spans, difficulty discussing the abuse, and the fact the child was most likely told not to tell anyone) when interviewing a child, officers should consider the childrens age, their ability to describe what happened, and the retribution by the suspect once the child tells (Hess et al, 2010). One idea would be to consider inviting a social worker or therapist who has analyze child psychology and who is formally trained and has experience smattering with lush and abused chil dren.VII. ConclusionCrimes which are move against children have dire consequences, not just for the victims but for society as a whole. Police investigations of crimes against children anticipate specific strategies and techniques for successful outcomes. With a wide scope of crimes being committed against children, law enforcement officials are charged with ensuring the safety of the child, and getting all the information about the crime from the child. This may involve bringing in social workers, creating children advocacy centers or other mental health professionals in order to provide an environment where children can feel they are safe to talk about what has happened. While some solutions to this problem may be expensive, time-consuming, or difficult protecting the child is the ultimate goal for law enforcement and proper training for those who are involved in child abuse cases is overriding to bringing justice for these young victims.VIII. ReferencesChalk, R., Gibbons, A., & Scarupa, H. (2002). The Multiple Dimensions of Child Abuse and Neglect New Insights into an Old Problem. Research Brief, Retrieved April 11, 2013, from http//www.childtrends.org/Files/ChildAbuseRB.pdfHagan, J., Gillis, A. & Simpson J. (1990). Clarifying and extending the power and control theory. American Journal of Sociology, 9, (4), 1, 1024-37Tanner, J. (2009). Teenage Troubles Youth and Deviance in Canada, 3rd edition. Oxford PublishingU.S. Dept. of Justice. (1999). Breaking the Cycle of Violence Recommendations to Improve the crook Justice Response to Child Victims and Witnesses. Office for Victims of Crime, 6, Electronic Source Only. Retrieved April 15, 2013 from http//www.ovc.gov/publications/factshts/monograph.htmHess, K. M., & Orthmann, C. H. (2010). Criminal Investigation (9th ed.). Clifton Park, NY Delmar.