It takes a community to curb child abuse.

Abstract

Every state has had its particularly infamous child abuse case. In New York, it was Elisa Izquierdo. In Georgia, it was Terrell Peterson. The professional and societal reaction to these monstrous events was to immediately put ‘the system’ under a microscope. What went wrong? Who’s to blame? The courts? Child Protective Services? What policies and procedures should be changed? Was there inadequate funding? Some critics were quick to inundate the public with catch phrase answers such as the need for “strategic multi-agency development” and “best practices.”