Early intervention in case of child abuse: co-operation between the hot-line and local facilities

The Center for Child Abuse Prevention (CCAP), a citizens' organization, was started in May 1991 with such members as pediatricians, psychiatrists, lawyers and people working at child welfare offices. A hot-line dealing with child abuse was set up immediately after the establishment of CCAP on 20 May 1991, and in the 2 years it has been in operation this hot-line has received 3189 calls out of which we picked 30 cases that CCAP was consulted about by helping persons or therapists affiliated with such facilities as hospitals, public health centers, etc. in order to evaluate how CCAP co-operates with these organizations. We reviewed the CCAP records of these 30 cases, comparing them with the materials concerning other hot-line calls, while at the same time interviewing the helping persons and therapists who had called in those cases, ascertaining their motives and the later course of the cases. This follow-up study was begun in June 1992 so that the longest follow-up period from the first call was 2 years and 7 months and the shortest 7 months. A total of 73.3% of these 30 cases required emergency intervention, and 53.4% were extremely severe, life-threatening cases of child abuse. The age distribution of these 30 victimized children peaked between 4 and 6, and 13 and 15 years. The perpetrator was the biological mother in 55.9% of the cases, the biological father in 29.4% and the stepfather in 8.9%. The abuse was physical in 58.3% of the cases, sexual in 8.9%, emotional in 5.6%, and involved neglect in 22.2%. These percentages differ from the general trend seen in the total hot-line cases, but were very similar to those reported by the Child Guidance Center. In the majority (56.7%) of the cases CCAP was consulted about, CCAP went beyond its hot-line service and co-operated to intervene, organizing network sessions in which the helping persons and therapists involved could discuss how best to deal with the problem at hand in five of these cases. In 22 of these 30 cases, the persons involved are still co-operating with CCAP after successful intervention through which the victimized children were rescued from critical situations. It is vitally important to set up networks between the professionals of the various support agencies involved if we are to intervene successfully in cases of child abuse.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)