Proceedings of Symposium on Professional Ethics and Child Abuse: A Summary and Analysis

摘要

A Symposium on Professional Ethics and Child Abuse, jointly sponsored by the American Bar Association and the National Institute of Mental Health, was convened November 22-23, 1985. People from many different professional fields discussed the ethical, legal, and practical dilemmas that arise when professionals either subject children to abuse or do not protect them from the maltreatment of others. The symposium was attended by representatives of professional organizations and licensing boards in nursing, medicine, psychiatry, soical work, law, child care, early childhood education, education, marriage and family counseling, and psychology. The papers presented at the Symposium provided a basis for discussion, analysis and recommendations for further action at the legislative, organizational and practice levels. The report summarizes the outcome of the discussion and places it in the context of selected research on the decision to report suspected abuse or neglect and on mechanisms for control of professional misconduct.