Detecting child abuse: A phenomenological exploration of the collaboration between NYPD patrol officers with child protective services workers.

Abstract

In New York City, Child Protective Services Workers and NYPD patrol officers are the frontline to responding to child abuse cases. It is their responsibility to take action when crimes against children are committed and to accurately report all allegations of child abuse. They have the initial responsibility of preventing children from further harm by investigating if child abuse exists. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the level of collaboration between NYPD patrol officers and Child Protective Services Workers when responding to child abuse cases. Thirty police officers form precincts with high volume of child abuse calls participated in the study. Child Protective Services workers were not granted permission to participate in this study. All police officers that participated in this study were asked to fill out a demographic survey, signed consent forms and gave permission to the researcher to be recorded and agreed to be contacted for any follow-up questions that may arise throughout the research. The researcher followed all necessary protocols and was approve to conduct this research by the Internal Review Board (IRB).