Child Sexual Abuse Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Child Sexual Abuse - Case Study Example based, before hey can be used in clinical practice. This was acknowledged by John Forfar, the then president of the British Pediatric Association, who wrote on e of the Pediatricians involved, Dr.Mariett Higgs, in July 1987 and gave an admonishment in regards to use of the anal dilation test. He stated;"The regulation of medical practice is achievedbest when it is accomplishedwithinthe medical profession. New stances based on a new awareness of clinical signs, ornew significances being attached to them, require first to be established within theprofession. This takes some time and requires persuasion and scientific evidence ofvalidity, based on the accepted method or communication to professional journals orscientific meetings"(Forfar) In the early months of the crisis, the allegations involved work class families, who were confused bewildered, and angry of being accusedof sexually abusing their children, but they were powerless againstmiddle class professionals with the authority, power, and legal sanctions to support their actions. Charles Prugnell in his piece "An abuse and misuseof professional power describes the pressure placed on the working class by the middle class thusly:"From a sociological perspective, therefore, the events in Cleveland could be seen as apunitive form of middle class oppressionof working class families by middle classprofessionalsand an imposition of middle class values on the workingclass' (Prugnell) One of the key issues in the Cleveland sex abuse scandal was the power of...In the early months of the crisis, the allegations involved work class families, who were confused bewildered, and angry of being accused of sexually abusing their children, but they were powerless against middle class professionals with the authority, power, and legal sanctions to support their actions. Charles Prugnell in his piece â€Å"An abuse and misuse of professional power describes the pressure placed on the working class by the middle class thusly: â€Å"From a sociological perspective, therefore, the events in Cleveland could be seen as a punitive form of middle class oppression of working class families by middle class professionals and an imposition of middle class values on the working class’ (Prugnell) One of the key issues in the Cleveland sex abuse scandal was the power of professional groups in UK society and how these powers can be misused and abused in the absence of accountability in law for professional practice. Social workers are not personably liable in law for their actions in child protection matters, as they can be in mental health work and it could be argued that this is a necessary development. There is a belief in some quarters that the events in Cleveland in 1987 led to the Children Act 1989, but this is incorrect. The need for child care reform legislation, both public and private law relating to children, had been identified several years earlier by the House of Commons Social Services Select Committee of 1984 (Children in Care), which described the then situation as complex, confusing, and unsatisfactory.