Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA)
Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA)
Introduction
Parents have the responsibility of nurturing, protecting and providing care to their children. However, the state also has the mandate to intrude into the parent- child relationship if there is reason to believe that parents are failing in fulfilling the above responsibility. Various statutes have empowered states to intervene and ensure that children get protections against abuse. CAPTA is one of these statutes. The federal government established CAPTA with the aim of augmenting states activity of preventing, investigating and prosecuting child abuse and neglect cases. This paper has evaluated the CAPTA statute and how it seeks to address the child abuse problem. CAPTA has achieved significant success in terms of addressing the child abuse problem within the society.
The Statute
Definition
CAPTA statute has addressed the child abuse and neglect problem by providing a standard definition for nation. Providing a standard definition has enabled all states to be in agreement in terms of actions that constitute abuse and neglect. CAPTA defines child abuse refers to any actions or inaction that results in physical, psychological or emotional harm to the child (Connecticut Clearing House, 2012). On the other hand, child neglect refers to the failure to provide basic needs resulting in harm to children. These basic needs include; medical care, food, education, and emotional attention.
This statute has defines abuse into four broad classes; sexual, emotional, physical abuse, and neglect. In 2008, the states received over 772,000 reports of child abuse and neglect cases (Connecticut Clearing House, 2012). About 71% of these cases entailed elements of child neglect. Sixteen percent of this case involved physical abuse while 9% entailed cases of sexual abuse.
Mandated Reporters
CAPTA requires certain members of the society to identify victims of abuse and report cases to the relevant authority (Children’s Bureau, 2012). The statute refers to these members of the society as mandated reporters. It provides a minimum standard for reporting child neglect and abuse cases. Mandated reporters include; teachers and other school personnel, healthcare givers, child care providers, social workers and police officers (Children’s Bureau, 2012). The law requires these individuals to report immediately to the relevant authority when there are indications that a child is being neglected or abused. Congress incorporated this provision to ensure that incidents of child abuse are easily recognized and reported.
Grants to States and Other Organization
CAPTA has also empowered to the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to commit grants to state governments, private agencies, nongovernmental organizations and tribal organizations that runs programs on child abuse and neglect (Children’s Bureau, 2012). The secretary may provide grants to states and other organizations for various purposes. One of the purposes is for creation of training programs. CAPTA provides funds for training professional within the judiciary, medicine, education and other fields on how to identify and address child abuse cases.
CAPTA also provide funds for maintaining support programs for victims of child abuse. The support programs also aim at strengthening family institutions in order to make them useful tools for combating child abuse. CAPTA has authorized the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to enter into contracts with states and other organizations that offer the programs discussed above (Children’s Bureau, 2012). CAPTA has also availed discretionary funds that the secretary can distribute to entities that demonstrate innovativeness in the fighting child abuse.
Research
CAPTA also supports research activities in the issue of child neglect and abuse (Children’s Bureau, 2012). CAPTA act mandates the secretary of the program with the responsibility spearheading a continuing research program into the issue of child neglect and abuse. Research activities should focus on investigating the scope and nature of child neglect and abuse within a given setting. Defining the scope of the problem is usually the first step towards addressing the problem. Research activities also focus on identifying the root causes of child neglect and abuse, as well as, the most appropriate prevention measures (Children’s Bureau, 2012). Once the problem is defined, the research activities shift focus to the identification of the primary cause of the problem. Understanding the causes of the problem assists stakeholders to come with appropriate remedies for this problem.
Clearing House
CAPTA also supports the establishment of clearing house for child abuse and neglect by the states and other organizations (Children’s Bureau, 2012). Clearing houses are organizations that provide information about child abuse. The clearing houses collect, organize and distribute all information that regards to the issue of child abuse and neglect. The clearing house serves as centers of information and assists states and the country to address the problem of child abuse. The clearing house also enables the state to establish policies that would cable the problem of child neglect and abuse.
Effectiveness of CAPTA in Addressing the Child Abuse Problem
CAPTA has achieved relative success in addressing the problem of child abuse. One area in which CAPTA has made remarkable achievement is in the creation of awareness about the problem (Coffman, 2010). Prior to CAPTA enactment, the American population was oblivious that child abuse was a momentous problem in the country. People regarded child abuse as minor domestic problems. CAPTA has helped to bring this problem into the lamp light through investing in research and awareness programs. CAPTA research programs have helped to unveil the scope and nature of the child abuse problem in different parts of society (Coffman, 2010). This has helped the members of society to pay attention to this problem and make efforts towards addressing child abuse.
CAPTA has also been effective in making child protection a responsibility of the entire society (Coffman, 2010). Previously, the society left the role of child protection primarily to parents. However, some parents often fail to fulfill this obligation. The enactment of CAPTA made the task of protecting children a responsibility of all members of the society. The law has identified several stakeholders and made them mandated reporters of child abuse cases (Children’s Bureau, 2012). These stakeholders include; teachers and other school personnel, healthcare personnel, social workers and police officers. Establishment of mandated reporters has enhanced the identification of child abuse case. CAPTA has also empowered state organs to intervene whenever cases of child neglect and abuse are reported.
CAPTA has also been effective in establishing support programs (Coffman, 2010). These support programs target different issues. One of the issues is providing safe refuge for victims of child abuse. The law provides funding for programs that are directed towards hosting and facilitating treatment of child abuse victims. The support programs are also directed towards strengthening families (Children’s Bureau, 2012). Family is the basic protection unit for the child and, therefore, creating stable family atmosphere enhances protection of children. The law has provided funds that are directed towards strengthening the family unit. CAPTA has also been successful in facilitating prosecution of perpetrators of child abuse.
Conclusion
CAPTA is a federal statute that provides funds for state and private programs that are directed towards addressing child neglect and abuse. Congress enacted CAPTA in 1976 with three main goals. The first goal was to provide a standard definition of child abuse and child neglect. The second goal was to provide funding for state and private programs that are directed towards identifying, evaluating, prosecuting and treating child abuse problems. Congress also enacted CSPTA with the aim of supporting research activities into the issue of child abuse. CAPTA has been successful in a variety of aspects. One of these aspects is the creation of awareness about the child abuse problem within the American society. CAPTA has also managed to make the society accountable for the protection of children.
References
Children’s Bureau (2012). The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act. November 15, 2012. http:default/files/cb/capta2010.pdf
Coffman D. (2010). Twenty Years of CAPTA. November 15, 2012. http://www.familyrightsassociation.com/bin/brochures/20_years_CAPTA/capta.html
Connecticut Clearinghouse (2012). Child Abuse Prevention. November 15, 2012. https://www.ctclearinghouse.org/topics/topic.asp?TopicID=35
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