Economic Issues in the Community Response to Child Maltreatment

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Child maltreatment is a large and complex problem for all societies. Determining how best to respond is critically important. Child maltreatment imposes high costs on children, families and society, and the task of the child protection system is to ensure children are safe. This chapter takes an economic perspective in thinking about the performance of the child protection system and the role of government in it. It looks at how to critique the child protection system – the reporting and response system. The need for a correct causal model is also highlighted. If the causes of child maltreatment are not understood, the child protection system is unlikely to provide the best response to vulnerable families and disrupt the intergenerational pattern of child abuse and neglect. If we are not successful in this, we face an ongoing future of profound disadvantage for many children and families with an associated never-ending stream of costs on families and society.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationChild Maltreatment
Subtitle of host publicationContemporary Issues in Research and Policy
PublisherSpringer Nature
Pages193-216
Number of pages24
DOIs
Publication statusPublished or Issued - 2015
Externally publishedYes

Publication series

NameChild Maltreatment: Contemporary Issues in Research and Policy
Volume4
ISSN (Print)2211-9701
ISSN (Electronic)2211-971X

Keywords

  • Child maltreatment
  • Child protection
  • Cost-benefit analysis
  • Economics of child maltreatment
  • Protection systems
  • Protective services
  • Reporting

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Anthropology
  • Health(social science)
  • Psychology (miscellaneous)
  • Social Sciences (miscellaneous)

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