School communities in both urban and rural settings need trauma-informed (TI) supports; however, the adversities experienced and access to student supports may be unique to rural school communities. In addition, the contextual challenges experienced by rural schools and communities, as well as the strengths that can be drawn from them, will…

How can we use insights from cutting-edge science to improve the well-being and long-term life prospects of the most vulnerable children in our society? This is both a critical challenge and a powerful opportunity to affect the trajectories of millions of children in the United States and around the world. It is a question of particular importance…

This bulletin discusses the second National Survey of Children's Exposure to Violence (NatSCEV II), which was conducted in 2011 as a followup to the original NatSCEV I survey. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sponsored both surveys. The Crimes against Children Research Center of the…

The researchers describe a study conducted to explore how child protection practitioners negotiate their way through ambiguous and contradictory evidence when working with families under a "suspicion" of neglect. In depth interviews were conducted in order to understand the processes of discernment that practitioners used to determine how to…

Objective: To clarify the nature and extent of differences in the ways that physically abusive, neglectful, and non-maltreating parents communicate during interactions with their children. Method: A meta-analysis was conducted of 33 observational studies comparing parent-child interactions in families where parents have a documented history of…

The problem of child sexual abuse has gained an increasing amount of national attention in the past decade. Intra-familial sexual relations, incest, appears to be the predominant form of child sexual abuse. Seventy to 80 percent of sexual abuse occurs with affinity systems--families, relatives, friends, and neighbors. Child sexual abuse has been…

The booklet examines issues involved in the physical battering, sexual misuse, or emotional maltreatment of adolescents. The nature and extent of physical abuse, emotional abuse, and sexual abuse are briefly addressed, as are possible consequences, including withdrawal, mistrust, and suicide. Signs of abuse are linked to physical characteristics…

Reviews a variety of instruments that child welfare workers can use in the assessment and treatment of child abuse and neglect. Focuses on self-report inventories, behavior rating scales, structured interviews, and observational coding systems. (RJC)

This practical handbook for anyone who works with traumatized children--teachers, parents, as well as professionals--provides needed information to understand and guide a child suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) through to recovery. It describes the physical and emotional effects of trauma, shows how to recognize maladaptive…

This handbook on child abuse and neglect was written to assist school personnel, including administrators, teachers, counselors, school nurses, and school social workers in defining abuse and neglect and in developing policy and training programs to best address the abuse issue. Topics addressed include: (1) understanding child abuse and neglect;…

To provide training in issues of child abuse and neglect, steps followed to develop a training module for preservice and inservice school psychologists are logically analyzed to present a prototype training module which can be modified to accommodate a particular school's objectives and its staff's existing skills and training. (MM)

Provides guidelines enabling teachers to meet their legal and moral obligation to report possible cases of child abuse and neglect. (Author/RH)

This paper discusses the legal and ethical duty of professionals working with children to recognize possible child abuse and report it to the appropriate authorities. Concerns about false or unnecessary reports are addressed, factors associated with the decision to report are examined, and indicators of possible abuse are reviewed. (JDD)

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…