School personnel, particularly educators and school psychologists, are a first line of defense in protecting children from abuse. Teachers play an important role in the detection and reporting of child abuse. The relationship established between teachers and their students can facilitate the identification of child abuse. By virtue of their work,…

This study evaluated pre- and postadjudication behavior of 220 male defendants convicted of a domestic violence-related offense using court records and police department data. Our goal was the identification of possible predictors for continued criminal behavior that could pose a risk of further harm to victims. Factors identified as significant…

This study compares final sentencing decisions ordered by judges to federal and state sentencing guidelines for protective order violations. The authors reviewed violations that were pled before the largest district court in Utah and found that in the majority of cases, defendants were not sentenced in accordance with federal and state guidelines.…

This study identified selected child factors (e.g., age, gender, race/ethnicity, disabilities, prior victimization, and relationship to perpetrator of abuse), family risk factors (e.g., substance abuse, domestic violence, inadequate housing, and financial problems), and services provided by child protective services that likely increased reports…

This booklet is designed for students participating in the Utah CloseUp program. The goals of this program include teaching secondary students about the operation of state and local governments and the juvenile justice system; how laws and decisions are made and enforced in the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of state and local…

The third of five regional fact-finding committee hearings across the United States, this report includes testimony from hearing committee members and social service organizations in Utah, Nevada, Wyoming, Colorado, and Montana. Live and prepared testimony presents information on problems associated with abuse of women, children, and the elderly;…

This Kids Count report details statewide trends in the well-being of Utah's children. The statistical portrait is based on 29 indicators of children's well-being in five areas: (1) child health and safety (prenatal care, low birthweight, infant mortality, child injury deaths, injury-related hospital discharges, child abuse, childhood…

This Kids Count report examines statewide trends in the well-being of Utah's children. The statistical portrait is based on 28 indicators of children's well-being in five areas: (1) child health (prenatal care, low birth-weight births, infant mortality, child injury deaths, injury-related hospital discharges, child abuse, childhood immunizations,…

This KIDS COUNT report details statewide trends in the well-being of Utah's children. The statistical portrait is based on 26 indicators of children's well-being: (1) prenatal care; (2) low birth weight infants; (3) infant mortality; (4) child injury deaths; (5) unintentional injuries; (6) untreated tooth decay; (7) immunization rates; (8) suicide…