Is the Criminalisation of Child Harm and Injury in the Interests of Children?

Wattam, Corinne (1997) Is the Criminalisation of Child Harm and Injury in the Interests of Children? Children and Society, 11 (2). pp. 97-107. ISSN 0951-0605

Abstract

The impetus to prosecute in cases of child harm and injury has increased considerably over recent years with earlier involvement of the police in child protection and incremental legal reform which aims for more child-centred practices. Research on the implementation of the Memorandum of Good Practice is presented to propose that the prosecution of child abuse is neither achieved nor achievable in the majority of cases and that the assumption on which the criminalisation of child abuse is based should be challenged.