Guidelines are offered for child protection workers who are appearing in court as expert witnesses. Guidelines include be objective, be accurate, stick to the area of expertise, don't get manipulated by lawyers, don't be greedy, and maintain one's expert witness work as a minor part of one's professional activities. (JDD)

Discusses the role of the librarian in child abuse prevention, including the identification of high risk situations, provision of appropriate literature and support group information, and acting as a role model. An annotated bibliography of books for children and young adults in families at risk is provided. (8 references) (CLB)

Physical educators have a responsibility to be aware of signs of abuse or neglect of students. Common injuries to and behavior characteristics of abused children are described. The Oklahoma statute on reporting child abuse is presented as a model to govern school policy. (MT)

Seven functional uses of anatomical dolls in sexual abuse evaluations of young children are identified: comforter, icebreaker, anatomical model, demonstration aid, memory stimulus, diagnostic screen, and diagnostic test. The relevancy of criticisms is shown to vary greatly by doll use. The continued, informed use of anatomical dolls in sexual…

Asserts that, in addition to reporting and responding to child abuse, counselors must initiate education programs about abuse. Lists 12 ideas for counselors and school personnel to implement. The American School Counselor Association position paper on the school counselor and child abuse/neglect prevention, child abuse or neglect form, and list of…

Various personal observations and experiences of a former director of the Office of Child Development and chief of the Children's Bureau are recounted in an informal discussion of punishment and child abuse. Several brief arguments focusing on the negative effects of punishment are offered, and contributions of the Children's Bureau to action…

This article addresses the disabled child's particular vulnerability to child abuse and exploitation. Roles for schools and parents are described in detail along with specific signs of abuse. Stressed is the need to provide disabled children with accurate information on sexual abuse and with the necessary skills to protect themselves. (Author/VW)

It is important for school administrators and teachers to recognize the signs and symptoms of child abuse--physical, sexual, and emotional. Principals need to promote the awareness of child abuse with the faculty, and promptly report all cases to the appropriate agencies. References, lists of films and videocassettes, and information sources are…

Proposed is a system of flexible options for the mandated reporting of child abuse and neglect, to improve compliance with and reduce burdens on the child protective system. Potential benefits and drawbacks of the plan, which would identify and train "registered reporters" and offer the option of explicit deferred investigation, are…

The article proposes that issues of countertransference should be addressed in training persons mandated to report suspected cases of child abuse/neglect. Recommended mechanisms include teaching about the influence of countertransference reactions, identifying a community child abuse expert for consultation, and educating case workers about the…

The school can help abused and neglected children by establishing policies, training staff, and ensuring administrator commitment. (Author)

This paper questions the appropriateness of characterizing infants/young children who are handicapped or developmentally delayed as a group in jeopardy for abuse/neglect. It proposes the adoption of a family-focused view, which considers child, family, and environmental variables to determine risk and provide services to abusive and neglectful…

Comparison of the histories of 59 mothers of children (mean age 13 months) referred for nonorganic failure to thrive (NOFTT) and 131 mothers of children with normal growth found a surprising 80% of NOFTT mothers reported they were victims of abuse as children. The need for treatment of the mother-child dyad is stressed. (Author/DB)

A case summary and accompanying question-and-answer discussion reveals that principals continue to be not only defendants but also plaintiffs in cases involving the reporting of suspected child abuse. (Contains 10 references.) (Author/MLF)

This commentary notes that solid empirical evidence on the effectiveness of classroom-based child sexual abuse prevention programs is lacking. Prevention efforts need to target potential victims, potential perpetrators, and those aspects of the social fabric that nurture abusive behaviors; and the merits of prevention efforts must be discussed…