Decision-making and judgments in child maltreatment prevention and response Edited by John Fluke, Mónica Lopez, Rami Benbenishty and Erik Knorth

John F. Fluke, Mónica López, Rami Benbenishty and Erik J. Knorth (eds). Decision-making and judgments in child maltreatment prevention and response. [Special edition Child Abuse and Neglect, 49]. Amsterdam, the Netherlands: Elsevier, 2015 (162 pages). ISSN: 0145-2134

Professional judgments and decisions in alleged cases of child abuse and neglect can be difficult and complex, often based on ambiguous, partial, and contradictory information. These decisions have potentially fateful consequences not only for the child, but also for the entire family. Yet, decision-making in Child Protective Services (CPS) is characterized by low reliability and frequent errors. Examples abound of apparent errors where CPS did not act when it should have, or acted when it should not have. Aside from highly visible errors, other more subtle decision errors can occur that result in overall outcomes that are less than desirable for children and families. To improve decision-making, CPS decision makers at all levels can benefit from taking advantage of the knowledge gains and progress regarding decision-making research. The intent of this issue is to present research that articulates and explains how context and decision-maker behaviors effect CPS decision-making and how such knowledge might lead to improvements in decision-making.

Link naar uitgave: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/01452134/49