ABSTRACT
Defining professional misconduct against youth is important for policy and practice, not just for conceptual clarification. This includes defining particular types of misconduct. For example, the issue of what constitutes “abuse” has important implications for how to identify and respond to the abuse of children in placements (Kendrick, 1998). Professionals may be unsure about which acts by their colleagues constitute abuse and should be reported (Horwath, 2000). Child maltreatment in institutions can be similar to maltreatment that takes place in the home. It can take a variety of forms such as inadequate supervision, prolonged isolation, minor to very serious physical injury, involvement in sexual activities, violations of governmental regulations (denying home visits, for example), and inadequate treatment programs. However, with such a wide range of possibilities, professionals widely disagree over which acts constitute institutional child maltreatment and should therefore be reported to authorities and counted in incidence statistics (Powers, Mooney, & Nunno, 1990). Though difficult to develop, a valid definition of professional misconduct against juveniles in correctional treatment settings is needed for policy, practice, research, and theory.
