Protecting the Child

When there is an allegation that a child has been sexually abused, the first concern may be the protection of the child, not only from further abuse, but from the consequences of reporting the abuse. It may be necessary to take protective measures even before the credibility of the allegations has been sufficiently tested, but, of course, some evaluation of credibility must be made: draconian steps cannot be taken simply on a statement which may be patently exaggerated or imaginative. It may be necessary to remove the child from the home but such should be a last resort. It may be that the family's own controls will be sufficient or that protective orders will be adequate. And if removal is necessary, consideration should first be given to removing the abuser rather than the abused. In either case, as soon as removal is ordered, the prerequisites for return should be set out so that the child will not be out of her home longer than is necessary for her safety. Since rehabilitation of the family is always a primary objective, maintaining family contacts is desirable and thus visitation should be arranged, with appropriate protections. Protective orders are being increasingly found to be a quickly available and nicely flexibile tool for the security of the child with a minimum disruption for the family. Due process is required but the orders can be designed for the individual. But they must be enforced or they will quickly become ineffective and a child may again be at risk.