Purpose:

To describe scope of the problem of child abuse from a national and a Maine perspective.

"Myth and Facts" Activity:

** This activity in the full-version is in quiz format. In the full-version, you are provided with a statement and you choose whether the statement is a "Myth" (False) or "Fact" (True). At the end of the activity in the full-version, you are shown how many responses were correct. This activity in the full-version is not submitted to anyone else and is just an informative practice to make the information easier to remember. For the purposes of providing valuable information in this text-only version, the statements and correct responses are provided below. **

• Statement: Truancy is a form of neglect and should be reported to DHHS.
  Correct Response: Myth. Not in Maine - in some states it is.
• Statement: Children under 12 cannot be left without adult supervision.
  Correct Response: Myth. There is no standard in Maine based solely on age.
• Statement: DHHS caseworkers may walk into a home and decide on the spot to remove the children if they believe the children have been seriously abused/neglected.
  Correct Response: Myth. As an agent, you can seek Court action to remove or call law enforcement for interim care up to 6 hrs.
• Statement: A mandated reporter must give his/her name when calling in a report of suspected abuse/neglect.
  Correct Response: Fact. The key word here is mandated. Mandated Reporters can ask for confidentiality, but not anonymity.
• Statement: The DHHS actively explores relative or kinship placements when children come into state custody.
  Correct Response: Fact. Even prior to coming into custody.
• Statement: Spanking is against the law in the State of Maine.
  Correct Response: Myth. Physical discipline that causes only transient injury is allowable under the law.
• Statement: All abuse cases must be reported to DHHS.
  Correct Response: Myth. If the suspected abuse is by the parent/caretaker, this should be reported to DHHS. All others should be reported to the DA's office.
• Statement: Children may reach out directly to DHHS for help without obtaining parental permission.
  Correct Response: Fact. We can interview a child who calls us without parental consent, but must notify parents (legally obligated to).
• Statement: As a mandated reporter, I am entitled to know what happened to my report.
  Correct Response: Myth. Not entitled. Under optional disclosure DHHS can share info it it affects the safety/care of the child. Up front we can say we won't assign this.

Who Does CPS Serve?

The Department of Health and Human Services Child Protective Services program is a child-centered, family focused social service whose primary goal is to protect children who are reported to be abused or neglected. Another important goal is to support and assist parents so they may safely care for and protect their children. The Department works to meet these goals and keep children safe by providing services and support to children and families.

For more information on CPS (this link will bring you to another web page):

Abuse Trends Total Reports have increased each year.

Appropriate reports have remained pretty constant except for 2001.

Inappropriate reports have increased by 100+ each of the last two years.

In 2003, DHHS worked at reducing reports to the Community Intervention Program (CIP). For more information on CIP, click on this link (this link will bring you to another web page): http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/ocfs/cw/protection.shtml.

Nationally, 60.4% of all cases of suspected child abuse and neglect are unsubstantiated and 26.8% are substantiated.

Summary of Reports Described by Decision - ** This is a table in the full-version. The first number is the year, followed by a dash and the corresponding value. Each year is separated by a colon.**

Total Reports

2000: 14,993
2001: 15,589
2002: 15,820
2003: 17,199
2004: 16,911

Appropriate Assigned

2000: 4,833
2001: 4,794
2002: 4,291
2003: 4,930
2004: 5,278

Appropriate Referred to CIP

2000: 4,116
2001: 4,901
2002: 4,664
2003: 4,185
2004: 3,421

Not Appropriate

2000: 6,044
2001: 5,894
2002: 6,865
2003: 8,084
2004: 8,212

Any Surprises Activity

** This activity in the full-version suggests you type responses to questions provided and print the page with your responses as a guide to focus and direct your learning throughout the training . Please form your own responses to following questions and keep them in mind throughout the training. **

As you review your responses to the "Myth and Facts" Activity, the statistics in the table, and the key points, consider the following questions:

• Were you surprised by any of these statistics? Why or why not?
• How does this information compare to what you have observed in your work?

If you do not find or obtain all the information or learning you established, be sure to talk with your Supervisor or contact Robert Pronovost at robert.n.provonost@maine.gov or call 626-8642.

Inappropriate Referrals

Inappropriate Referrals fall into the following four general categories:

Parent/Child Conflict

Parent/child conflict:

• Children and parents in conflict over family,
• school,
• friends,
• behaviors with no allegations of abuse or neglect. Includes adolescents who are runaways or who are exhibiting acting out behaviors that parents have been unable to control.

Examples: Running away, won't follow rules, lots of screaming/hollering/arguing, etc.

Non-Specific Allegations

Non Specific allegations or allegations of marginal physical or emotional care which may be poor parenting practice but is not considered abuse or neglect under Maine Law.

Examples: Children are dirty, children not properly dressed for weather, parents not providing traditional mealtimes, parents frequently argue, parents threatening children.

Custody or Visitation

Conflicts over Custody and/or Visitation of children which may include allegations of marginal/poor care.

Examples: Parents don't agree with former spouse (parent) current lifestyle, friends, activities or visitation issues around care and supervision.

Families in Crisis

Families in Crisis due to:

• financial
• physical
• mental health or
• interpersonal problems

BUT…

There are no allegations of abuse or neglect.

Families in Crisis Activity

** In the full-version, this is an activity where you drag the "Family in Crisis" situation to an example of those situations. Below are the situations listed and their corresponding examples. **

• Family in Crisis Situation: Financial
  Example: Family experiencing difficulty meeting child's basic needs (food, clothing, medical care)
• Family in Crisis Situation: Mental Health
  Example: Parent in Mental Health crisis being treated.
• Family in Crisis Situation: Physical
  Example: Parents physical health problems/disabilities make it difficult to provide good care.
• Family in Crisis Situation: General Family Conflict
  Example: Does not meet statutory legal definition of abuse or neglect.

DHHS Response to Referrals

Current staff resources are not sufficient for DHHS to assign all of the reports of child abuse and neglect that it receives.

Even with contract agencies, some cases are not assigned. This number is far smaller than in the past, but this is still an issue we all face.

Response is based on factors such as:

• The seriousness/complexity of cases receiving services.
• The number of caseworkers.
• Availability of resources.

Contract Agencies

DHHS has contracts with private agencies to respond to reports of child abuse and neglect. This has resulted in a significant decrease in the number of reports that were not assigned for assessment.

Key Points

Low to moderate risk reports may be referred to a Contract Agency that do not require court involvement.

Contract Agencies do not handle investigations.

Contract Agency services are voluntary.

Contract Agency refers family back to CPS when necessary.

NOTE: As of February 2005, the current state budget proposes the elimination of funding for the CIP Program in July 2007.

Sources of Reports Assigned - ** This is a table in the full-version. **

School Personnel

2000: 874
2001: 739
2002: 672
2003: 698

Social Services Personnel

2000: 693
2001: 718
2002: 634
2003: 648

Law Enforcement Personnel

2000: 586
2001: 595
2002: 590
2003: 641

Medical Personnel

2000: 359
2001: 363
2002: 382
2003: 484

Mental Health Personnel

2000: 453
2001: 481
2002: 379
2003: 480

Anonymous

2000: 162
2001: 261
2002: 291
2003: 359

Neighbor/Friend

2000: 345
2001: 378
2002: 356
2003: 415

Relative

2000: 364
2001: 378
2002: 384
2003: 479

Other

2000: 453
2001: 481
2002: 379
2003: 480

Self/Family

2000: 254
2001: 373
2002: 266
2003: 324

Child Care Personnel

2000: 71
2001: 98
2002: 80
2003: 73

Key Points

This data shows numbers of assigned reports.

The Top 5 categories are all mandated reporters (School Personnel, Social Services Personnel, Law Enforcement Personnel, Medical Personnel).

School Personnel has always been number 1.

Child Care Personnel has always been low.

It does not matter to CPS who reports; what matters is the quality of the reports.

Nationally, the highest number of reports is made by educational personnel at a rate of 16.1%, followed by legal and law enforcement personnel at 15.7%.

In Maine, the highest number of reports are made by school personnel at a rate of 14%, followed by social services personnel at a rate of 13%.

National Rates of Maltreatment by Type - ** This is a table in the full-version. In Maine the categories of abuse are:

Physical, Neglect, Emotional Maltreatment, and Sexual. Maine does not recognize Medical Neglect as a separate abuse type. Medical Neglect is included under "General Neglect" in Maine.**

Physical Abuse

Child Population: 72,894,483
Victims: 166,920
Rate: 2.3
# of States: 51

Neglect

Child Population: 72,894,483
Victims: 523,704
Rate: 7.2
# of States: 51

Medical Neglect

Child Population: 55,118,362
Victims: 18,128
Rate: 0.3
# of States: 40

Sexual Abuse

Child Population: 72,894,483
Victims: 88,656
Rate: 1.2
# of States: 51

Psychological Maltreatment

Child Population: 71,187,498
Victims: 58,022
Rate: 0.8
# of States: 49

Other Abuse

Child Population: 51,163,475
Victims: 169,465
Rate: 3.3
# of States: 31

Unknown

Child Population: 19,964,283
Victims: 1,382
Rate: 0.1
# of States: 8

Household Type of Reports Assigned for Assessment -

** This is a table in the full-version. The two highest assigned household types are Two-Parent Married and Single, Female Parent.**

Two Parent Married

2000: 1,437
2001: 1,384
2002: 1,254
2003: 1,370

Two Parent Unmarried

2000: 627
2001: 700
2002: 630
2003: 884

One Parent Female

2000: 2,054
2001: 2,055
2002: 1,871
2003: 2,036

One Parent Male

2000: 271
2001: 301
2002: 263
2003: 300

Relative

2000: 146
2001: 161
2002: 146
2003: 164

Non-Relative

2000: 32
2001: 27
2002: 16
2003: 35

Other

2000: 69
2001: 54
2002: 40
2003: 71

Unknown

2000: 27
2001: 158
2002: 7
2003: 11

Family Stress Factors During Assessment -

** This is a table in the full-version. These are stress factors that are seen most often with child abuse and neglect. They are contributing factors, not abuse in and of themselves. **

Family Violence

2000: 734
2001: 852
2002: 801
2003: 1,036

Alcohol/Drug Use by Parent/Caretaker

2000: 893
2001: 1,111
2002: 1,190
2003: 1,454

Mental/Physical Health Problem

2000: 1,270
2001: 1,750
2002: 1,893
2003: 2,358

Severe Parent/Child Conflict

2000: 513
2001: 607
2002: 617
2003: 711

School Problems

2000: 455
2001: 519
2002: 539
2003: 591

Divorce Conflict

2000: 379
2001: 476
2002: 490
2003: 543

Emotionally Disturbed Child

2000: 288
2001: 372
2002: 390
2003: 535

Runaway

2000: 81
2001: 72
2002: 90
2003: 84

Alcohol/Drug Misuse by Child

2000: 95
2001: 144
2002: 138
2003: 170

Substantiated Victims by Sex (Male) -

** This is a table in the full-version. It includes "substantiated" cases. **

Sexual Abuse

2000: 317
2001: 296
2002: 205
2003: 220

Physical Abuse

2000: 676
2001: 595
2002: 505
2003: 650

Neglect

2000: 1,343
2001: 1,314
2002: 1,147
2003: 1,623

Emotional Maltreatment

2000: 1,128
2001: 1,090
2002: 958
2003: 1,301

Substantiated Victims by Sex (Female) -

** This is a table in the full-version. It includes "substantiated" cases. **

Sexual Abuse

2000: 593
2001: 506
2002: 360
2003: 354

Physical Abuse

2000: 602
2001: 511
2002: 485
2003: 570

Neglect

2000: 1,256
2001: 1,3282
2002: 1,195
2003: 1,537

Emotional Maltreatment

2000: 1,193
2001: 1,139
2002: 1,001
2003: 1,306

Noteworthy Numbers Activity

** This activity in the full-version suggests you type the top three statistics that were most noteworthy for you, print them, and share them with your Supervisor. Please note the three that you find most noteworthy and share them with your Supervisor. **

Unit 1 Review

** This activity in the full-version is in quiz format. In the full-version, you are provided with a statement and you choose the correct response. At the end of the activity in the full-version, you are shown how many responses were correct. This activity in the full-version is not submitted to anyone else and is just an informative practice to make the information easier to remember. For the purposes of providing valuable information in this text-only version, the statements, possible responses, and correct responses are provided below. **

Statement: Parent/Child conflict includes adolescents who are runaways.
Possible Responses: True or False
Correct Response: True

Statement: Choose the factor listed below that is not a DHHS Response to Referrals.
Possible Responses: a) Seriousness/complexity of receiving services, b) Number of abused persons, c) Number of caseworkers, d) Availability of resources
Correct Response: b) Number of abused persons

Statement: School personnel have always been #1 in reported child abuse.
Possible Responses: True or False
Correct Response: True

Statement: Maine does not recognize Medical Neglect as a separate abuse type.
Possible Responses: True or False
Correct Response: True

Statement: In Maine, 70% of all cases of suspected child abuse and neglect are unsubstantiated and 30% are substantiated.
Possible Responses: True or False
Correct Response: False. 50% are unsubstantiated and 50% are substantiated.

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