This document provides comparative information on state legislation concerning (1) the reporting of suspected cases of child abuse and neglect throughout the United States, and (2) the establishment and use of central registries containing reported data. The first section lists for each state: who must and who may make reports of suspected child…

This psychoanalytic descriptive case study of a 2-year-old girl investigates the emergence of self-object differentiation, particularly in relation to the anal, urinary, and genital zones. An early emergence of genital excitation and awareness in this child due to certain early experiences, intensified a search for "the missing phallus." In the…

This paper discusses the problem of maintaining confidentiality in data resulting from research projects. The rights and responsibilities of the parties involved in a research effort are examined. Five parties to a research project are identified as: (1) the participants, often called subjects, who have the right to privacy and the responsibility…

This article discusses the issue of accessibility to social service records on the part of attorneys engaged in an adversary process. The bureaucratic, therapeutic and legal foundations of the child protection procedure are discussed in relation to the challenges to the tradition of confidential client records. (SJL)

Recently, adoptive parents have successfully sued placement agencies for wrongful adoption or fraudulently misrepresenting or neglecting to give a child's medical or family history. Adoption agencies' policies about disclosing the medical and social history of adoptees have been cyclical and have developed because of specific social factors; such…

During action research projects a great deal of written material is produced. Some of this is data generated about the project, some about the process of the research and some is reflective writing about the researcher(s). In this article I propose that a deliberate focus on the tracking of texts might be helpful in action research, particularly…

The purpose of this trainer's manual is to teach drug abuse counselors: (1) the kinds of background information needed to assess a client; (2) how to interview clients to obtain the necessary information; (3) how to write up a case history; and (4) how to design individualized treatments. This trainer's manual is organized into three major…

The report examines the operation of Florida's child protective service system based on analysis of 2,889 representative cases of child abuse or neglect received by the State of Florida Child Abuse Registry from 1970 thru midsummer of 1977. Associations were investigated between antecedent variables (child's sex, race and age, and family structure…

The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children financed this study of the battered-child syndrome and provided case study data on a sample of 78 battered children under the age of 4 years, from low socioeconomic status families. Case study information was transferred to a precoded questionnaire. Tables of demographic and medical…

The objective of this study was to reveal operational problems by objectively describing the service-delivery situation in the Children's Aid Society. A second goal was to add knowledge of social work practice. Major areas of concern were investigated: the undue length of time that some children tended to stay in the reception-assessment facility;…

Experience with the Computer Stored Ambulatory Record (COSTAR), a computerized medical records system, installed at a large primary care clinic at a university medical center is reported. Use of the system was terminated because clinic revenues could not cover operating costs. (Author/MLW)

Suggests social work recording has languished, due to administrative regulations and a decrease in confidentiality. Describes client recording, where the client actively participates in the recording process. Proposes client recording provides structure for the interview, creates continuity between sessions, and serves as a therapeutic tool in the…

Recounts the author's experience of visiting her native Korea for the first time, where, as an adopted child brought up in Belgium, she learns what it can feel like to be caught between two worlds. Emphasizes the right of every child to know her or his origin and to be rightful owner of a birth certificate. (AA)

Presents a format for case conceptualization to fill gaps in the literature on the preparation of counselors. The format fosters the systematic collection and integration of clinical data and is intended to complement training in counseling techniques. Model should aid counselors' collection and integration of data. (RJM)

Describes a prototype, computer-based, decision support system for eligibility determination for Food Stamps, and other support services, based on the regulations of various programs. Illustrates decision-tree structures for analysis and synthesis of client information. Argues that tree structures can help rehabilitation counselors see how human…