Specialist police units and the joint investigation of child abuse

✍ Scribed by Siobhan Lloyd; Michele Burman

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1996
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 789 KB
• Volume: 5
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0952-9136
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1099-0852(199603)5:1<4::aid-car202>3.0.co;2-8

✦ Synopsis

Police intervention should not be measured in terms of prosecution but in terms of child protection'

Specialist Police Units and the Joint Investigation of Child Abuse

The last ten years have witnessed a significant shift in the police response to investigations of child abuse. One of the most 'visible' manifestations of this shift has been the establishment of specialist units where children can be interviewed, medical examinations conducted and, in some cases, overnight accommodation made available to children and their non-abusive carers. The history of these units in Scotland is summarized in this article, together with a brief outline of their remit and some of the current issues facing them. A closer examination of the way in which Scottish units have responded to the issue of joint child abuse investigations with social workers is made, drawing on evidence from research conducted in Scotland.

KEY WOROS: police