Professional attitudes regarding treatment and punishment of incest: Comparing police, child welfare, and community mental health

To punish or rehabilitate revisited: an analysis of the purpose/goals of state correctional statutes, 1991–2002

“…Another study by Trute, Adkins and MacDonald (1996) compared police, child welfare workers and community mental health workers on their attitudes towards treatment in cases of incest. They found that while the police tended to view the situation more punitively, caseworkers were more apt to support treatment for the offender.…”

Correlates of joint child protection and police child sexual abuse investigations: results from the Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect–2008

“…We can only speculate on the reasons, given the nature of the data, but the mandate of joint investigations is to ensure safety and protection of children. This can involve providing evidence to the court for removal of the child to care or punishment of the perpetrator, 18 but it can also encompass the provision of services to improve parenting capacity whether it includes alcohol and/or drug counselling or receipt of financial assistance or childfocussed services. Cross et al 17 suggested that the additional services offered in joint investigations may indicate that police involvement does not, in fact, cause a greater distress that hampers the relationship with the investigated families or change the focus of child protection agencies' mandate to assist children and families.…”

“…A case vignette study that assessed attitudes towards incidents of incest found that the police focussed on collecting evidence whereas child protection workers concentrated on the safety of the child and long-term implications for the family. 18 However, although hypothetical vignettes are important, they fail to address the complexities involved in decision making and may not reflect what actually occurs.…”

Voices in thread: Women's childhood experiences of a primary caregiver that remained in a relationship with an alleged or known sex offender, an arts-based inquiry.

“…Additionally, many treatment service providers focus on different family members which can delay proceedings of criminal investigation and procedure through the judicial system (Trute et al, 1996). This research is a reminder that there continues to be a need for a collegial, multi disciplinary, and collaborative response to child abuse in all its form.…”

“…What is described as an inadequate response will ultimately depend on a multitude o f factors from the victims' perspective and professional services roles. Although key service providers, such as RCMP, child protection services, mental health, and sexual assault centres are drawn together in service delivery, they often act in a solitary and uncoordinated manner (Trute, Adkins & MacDonald, 1996). In the following section, the participants' childhood accounts of inadequate societal response to their experiences o f both, being sexually abused and their primary caregiver remaining in a relationship with a sex offender, are presented.…”