Crimes Against Children Essay

ABSTRACT tiddler ab enjoyment clearly has a negative encroachment on minorren and fecal matter result in behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and developmental exhaustingies. This whitethorn deal to greater difficulties later in life that leave alone extend into adulthood. The use of puritanical investigation techniques and appropriate handling of cases, however, can result in less traumatization for nipper affront victims.I. IntroductionAccording to Hess & Orthmann (2010), justice enforcement agencies atomic number 18 charged with investigating all crimes, but the responsibility is greater when barbarianren are involved. Because children are more vulnerable than a nonher(prenominal) members of society, their protection under the law must be greater. Crimes against children cover an extensive range of crimes, including but not limited to maltreatment, sexual exploitation, sexual cry, abduction, trafficking and molestation. Child abuse investigations involve galore(postn ominal) challenges and therefore warrant specific techniques and careations for winning outcomes in legal injury of cases single-minded and prosecutions.This paper will begin by defining specific terminuss that are germane to the topic of crimes against children. The next section will cater a scope of the problem concerning crimes against children. The following section will bid a theory framework to account for offenders of crimes against children. The fifth section will offer a literature review of current research findings regarding crimes against children investigatory techniques. This is followed by a discussion section that will identify strategies and recommendations for successful investigative outcomes. Finally, the last section will summarize and conclude the cardinal aspects of crimes against children investigation strategies as they touch to successful outcomes and prosecution.The significance of this paper is that it contributes to the wretchedjustice system by critically reviewing investigative strategies 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 find a professional or academic interest in reduction crimes against children through utilizing the best investigative strategies and techniques.II. Maltreatment of Children DefinedMaltreatment style to treat someone roughly or abusive (Hess & Orthmann, 2010). The four vulgar types of maltreatment allow in negligence, physical abuse, emotional abuse, and sexual abuse. A. Child flatten The failure to meet a childs basic needs. This could include starving a child, or not keeping a child clean and easy-kempt. B. Physical Abuse Refers to violence against a child. While the laws whitethorn vary from state to state regarding the specifics of what constitutes physical abuse towards a child, this term refers to excessive abuse such as punching, strangling, or causing corporal harm to a child. C. Emotional 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 occupationThe extent of the problem is described by two conflicting views. single 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 all get worse. The minimalists consider the maximalist view to be overly exaggerated and overstated for their own self-serving usance (Hess et al, 2010). According to Juvenile Offenders and Victims 2006 National Report, child fatalities are the or so tragic consequences of maltreatment. An estimated 1,530 children died because of abuse or neglect. 41.1 percentage 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 expertsbelieve that child fatalities may be underreported by 50 to 60 percent (Hess et al, 2010). The make 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 savage 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 on with self-destructive tendencies. anti mixer behavior can put not only the family in harms way, but also the community (Hess et al, 2010). Antisocial behaviors along with phys ical aggression are two of the most aeonian outcomes of physical abuse. Fear and anger are also incorporated with ill-treated children. Some studies have suggested that childhood abuse and neglect will adulterate cognitive skills and can lead to attention deficit dis companys. In attachment to deficit disorders, ignored and physically maltreated children do not do well in school. These children tend to produce low grades, lower interchangeable tests scores 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. Theory Framework to Account for OffendersCrimes against children have numerous broad establish causations rooted in criminological, psychological, and biological theory constructs. From a crimes against children investigative perspective, the advocator and operate on theory, (as a subset of conflict criminology), as posited by Hagan, Gillis, and Simpson (1990) accounts for a solid niche of offenders. In their theory Hagan et al. (1990) describe the power bestowed to males by the patriarchic system of marriage. While primarily an explanation of domestic violence, the power and control theory also incorporates domestic aspect of child abuse, neglect, and sexual labialise (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. tan (2009) notes limitation of the power and control theory is it does not explain or predict 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 offendersand developing useful policies and strategies in crimes against children investigations.V. Literature ReviewA specific technique for a best outcome for handling child victim cases would be to establish a childrens advocacy center. Allowing these centers to place law enforcement military officers, child protection workers, prosecutors, therapists, medical professionals all in one center will be to engineer investigations, prosecution and treatment to the young victim. These centers can conduct child-friendly interviews rather than threefold interviews that may be in an interrogation room or in the house where the abused victim was neglected to such criminal activity. By placing children in an advocacy center and using a multidisciplinary team up 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 rectify the quality of training 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 backup and therefore resources like advocacy centers may not always be available in all cities and towns to mastermind such a team of professionals. Another idea that has been proven to work better than others would be to induce other agencies together and form a multidisciplinary team approach to the situation. The purpose of bringing these teams and agencies together is to limit the amount of times the child is interviewed, to coordinate intervention, and to discredit the amount duplication of agency procedures (U.S. Dept. of Justice, 1999) Joint and coordinated responses benefactor cases not fall through the cracks (Hess & Orthmann, 2010). Joint interviews and monitored interviews will second 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 ch ild from further harm, interviewing the child, and the need to involveother agencies are three challenges that occur when investigating child abuse and neglect (Hess et al, 2010). To dish out 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 bonds without a warrant if there is an emergency (Hess et al, 2010). To help overcome challenges (i.e., diddle 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 study child psychology and who is formally trained and has experience whistleing with roiling and abused ch ildren.VII. ConclusionCrimes which are committed against children have dire consequences, not just for the victims but for society as a whole. Police investigations of crimes against children assume 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 paramount to bringing justice for these young victims.VIII. ReferencesChalk, R., Gibbons, A. , & Scarupa, H. (2002). The Multiple Dimensions of Child Abuse and throw 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 produceU.S. Dept. of Justice. (1999). Breaking the Cycle of Violence Recommendations to Improve the Criminal 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.