ABSTRACT
The passage o f the federal Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention and Treatm ent Act (Child Abuse, 1974) provided monetary incentives to states for the development or expansion o f statutes requiring a broad range o f professionals to report suspected incidences of child abuse and neglect. The act also authorized the use o f federal funds for technical assistance in providing professional training and increasing public awareness about the nature and seriousness of child abuse and neglect in our country. As a result o f these activities, a steady, and in some states, a dramatic increase in referrals of suspected abuse and neglect occurred. Many states were not prepared to respond adequately. Information from such national organizations as the American Humane Association’s report by Suski (1987) and the National Committee for the Prevention o f Child Abuse and Neglect (1987), as well as individual state reports from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia (Commonwealth o f Penn sylvania, 1987; Commonwealth o f Virginia, 1987; New Jersey, 1987), revealed that in less than 5 years the number o f child sexual abuse cases reported to state agencies designated to receive reports o f child abuse and neglect increased from 100% to 600% across states.
