@article{ref1, title="Child protection in Sweden: Are routine assessments reliable?", journal="Acta paediatrica", year="2006", author="Cocozza, Madeleine and Gustafsson, P. A. and Sydsjö, G.", volume="95", number="11", pages="1474-1480", abstract="Aim: To study the validity of the decision not to investigate mandatory reports of suspected child maltreatment. Methods: Written files of 220 reports indicating possible child maltreatment were analysed and re-evaluated. As a measure of the justification for the decisions, a 5-y follow-up study was done. Results: We determined that 76% of the reports still indicated child maltreatment after the initial assessment was done. In the follow-up study, 45% of the children had been investigated. The social worker used the family as the only source of information in 74% of the cases, in 6% someone outside the family was contacted, and in 11% no further information in addition to the report was collected. In 9%, data on information sources were missing. Conclusion: The findings are rather discouraging, as they challenge the belief that a report is a means of ensuring that maltreatment does not continue. The study shows that, depending upon the way in which the initial assessments are made, maltreated children may run a risk of not being identified, even though the maltreatment has been reported. This suggests that there may be a need for national guidelines concerning the reporting of maltreatment.

Language: en

", language="en", issn="0803-5253", doi="10.1080/08035250600784352", url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08035250600784352" }