Child Abuse Recognition, Investigation, and Protection

no certificate
with CEU Certificate*
-
20Lessons
-
26Exams &
Assignments -
12Hours
average time -
1.2CEUs
-
1,661Students
have taken this course
Course Description
Preventing child abuse is everyone's responsibility. This includes law enforcement personnel, educational personnel, medical personnel as well as family, friends, and neighbors. Child Abuse education is important so that students may recognize various aspects of child abuse, including neglect, sexual and physical abuse, and other forms of maltreatment.
Education and child abuse law enforcement procedures, investigative techniques, filing report guidelines and how surveillance is used to find and charge a suspect are all parts of a child abuse investigation that require teamwork. Learn how to recognize forms of abuse and understand child abuse cases, from crime scene investigation and preserving evidence to charging sexual or physical abuse reports and interrogating a suspect. Preventing child abuse is everyone's responsibility – learn how to spot it and how to stop it.
Child labor laws and children's rights that developed along with human rights activities around the world have increasingly sought to protect children from harmful situations, labor, and familial abuse. Unfortunately, there still are people who take advantage of and abuse children physically, sexually, and emotionally.
Many people are uncomfortable with the topic of child abuse, but that will not make it go away. Whose responsibility is it to fight child abuse? Everyone is responsible for fighting child abuse in any manner or form. Reporting suspected child abuse and neglect is the first step in a process to protect children. Many people hesitate to cast suspicion without undeniable proof; however, sometimes that proof may be elusive.
Adults have no problem going to the authorities for protection or to express complaints or grievances against other parties, but children do not have that luxury. Children are too young, and may be too frightened to protect themselves, to ask for protection, or know that they can. It is up to the adults to protect the innocents and recognize the dangers that harm them, as well as report such conditions to the proper authorities.
This course is designed to teach others to recognize the multiple signs of child abuse, as well as the different types of child abuse. Different types of child abuse may present themselves in different behaviors and physical appearance in children. This course also covers methods of reporting, identifies the professionals required by law to report suspected child abuse, and reviews the responsibilities of medical, school, and law enforcement personnel in all avenues of society.
The investigative process, including obtaining facts and creating reports, has been developed through decades of trial and error by child protective services and law enforcement agencies around the United States.
Children of all races and ethnicities can be victims of child abuse.
It is not just a matter of burying one's head in the sand and ignoring the issue. Child abuse was and still is a matter of ignorance for many citizens. The topic was not discussed in schools, nor was consideration of child neglect or abuse addressed in police procedure manuals, medical schools' curriculum, or hospital procedure materials.
Today, many people remain frustrated by the necessity of dealing with various agencies' handling of reports involving child abuse and neglect, and many feel that the legal process moves too slowly to have a direct impact on the benefit of reporting cases of child abuse or neglect without adequate proof.
There is no doubt that the procedure and requirements involved in filing reports are only the beginning of the problem. Continuing through the process and preparing a case for trial involve major hurdles not only to child protective service agencies and personnel but law enforcement departments as well.
By the mid-1970s, hundreds of thousands of children suspected of being abused were brought to the attention of public authorities, and by the late 1980s, this number rose to more than 2 million. To date, that number is alarmingly and shamefully high, but the fact that the cases are numbered shows the progress in reporting cases of child abuse and neglect, which is of great benefit to the children.
New efforts in the training and investigative process have provided law enforcement and child protective service personnel with basic guidelines and procedures that help them not only investigate reports of suspected child abuse but ensure that a great majority of child abusers are processed through a court of law. The wealth of information about various forms of child abuse has made great strides among the general public and helps concerned citizens not only recognize but identify signs and symptoms of serious forms of abuse in children. People now have instructions on how and where to make reports.
The United States has come very far in the past 40 years, not only in recognizing child neglect and abuse but following up on it and taking severe and immediate steps to protect children in danger. Specialized training for police officers, investigators, prosecutors, and district attorneys has helped to further the cause for children's safety. Investigative procedures and prosecutorial requirements also have improved conviction rates against child abusers.
However, much work remains to be done in this area, and improvements in reporting systems and opportunities are being developed on a yearly basis. In addition, law enforcement and medical personnel and professionals are receiving focused and specialized forensic training to help develop standards and formats for questioning children, parents, and other involved adults in cases of suspected and obvious child abuse incidents.
- Completely Online
- Self-Paced
- Printable Lessons
- Full HD Video
- 6 Months to Complete
- 24/7 Availability
- Start Anytime
- PC & Mac Compatible
- Android & iOS Friendly
- Accredited CEUs

Course Lessons
Lesson 1: Introduction to Child Abuse Investigation
Lesson 1 Video
Complete: Lesson 1 Exam
Lesson 2: Profiling Child Abusers
Lesson 2 Video
Complete: Lesson 2 Exam
Lesson 3: Defining Child Abuse and Neglect
Lesson 3 Video
Complete: Lesson 3 Exam
Lesson 4: Recognizing the Basic Signs of Child Abuse
Lesson 4 Video
Review Article: Signs of Child Abuse
Complete: Lesson 4 Exam
Lesson 5: Assessing Signs of Abuse
Lesson 5 Video
Complete: Lesson 5 Exam
Lesson 6: Understanding Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy
Lesson 6 Video
Review Article: Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome
Complete: Lesson 6 Exam
Lesson 7: Who Is Required to Report Child Abuse?
Lesson 7 Video
Complete: Lesson 7 Exam
Lesson 8: Repercussions: Failure to Report and Protecting Reporters
Lesson 8 Video
Complete: Lesson 8 Exam
Lesson 9: Child Abuse Law Enforcement Procedures
Lesson 9 Video
Review Article: Reporting Abuse
Complete: Lesson 9 Exam
Lesson 10: The Investigative Process
Lesson 10 Video
Review Article: Code of Police Practice
Complete: Lesson 10 Exam
Lesson 11: Interviewing Children
Lesson 11 Video
Complete Assignment: Interviewing and Investigating Child Abuse
Complete: Lesson 11 Exam
Lesson 12: Alternative Investigation Techniques
Lesson 12 Video
Complete: Lesson 12 Exam
Lesson 13: Confronting a Suspect
Lesson 13 Video
Review Article: Child Abuse Suspect
Complete Assignment: Interviewing and Interrogation
Complete: Lesson 13 Exam
Lesson14: Child Abuse Crime Scene Investigation
Lesson 14 Video
Complete Assignment: Child Abuse Crime Scene
Complete: Lesson 14 Exam
Lesson 15: Child Death Investigations
Lesson 15 Video
Complete: Lesson 15 Exam
Lesson 16: Teachers and Child Abuse
Lesson 16 Video
Review 2 Articles: Child Abuse and Teacher's Responsibilities; Child Welfare Information
Complete: Lesson 16 Exam
Lesson 17: Interviewing Parents
Lesson 17 Video
Review Article: Interviewing the Child and Parents
Complete: Lesson 17 Exam
Lesson 18: Charging a Sexual Abuse Case
Lesson 18 Video
Review Article: Miami Method
Complete Assignment: Process for Charging a Child Abuse Case
Complete: Lesson 18 Exam
Lesson 19: Charging Physical Abuse or Homicide
Lesson 19 Video
Review 2 Articles: Battered Child Syndrome; Homicide vs Murder: The Differences
Complete: Lesson 19 Exam
Lesson 20: Protecting the Children
Lesson 20 Video
Take Poll: What do you think about this course?
Take Survey: Program Evaluation Follow-up Survey (End of Course)
Complete Assignment: Protect their Children from Offenders
Complete: Lesson 20 Exam
Complete: The Final Exam
Learning Outcomes
- Describe how to profile child abusers.
- Define child abuse and neglect.
- Recognize the basic signs of child abuse.
- Assess signs of abuse.
- Describe Munchausen's by Proxy.
- Describe reporting procedures and responsibilities for child abuse.
- Know Child Abuse Law Enforcement Procedures.
- Describe the investigative process for child abuse.
- Describe how to interview children regarding abuse.
- Describe ways and responses when confronting a suspect.
- Describe methods of interviewing parents.
- Describe ways to protect children from child abuse, and
- Demonstrate mastery of lesson content at levels of 70% or higher.
Additional Course Information

- Document Your Lifelong Learning Achievements
- Earn an Official Certificate Documenting Course Hours and CEUs
- Verify Your Certificate with a Unique Serial Number Online
- View and Share Your Certificate Online or Download/Print as PDF
- Display Your Certificate on Your Resume and Promote Your Achievements Using Social Media

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Time to complete | 6 months |
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Time to complete | 6 months |
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Time to complete | 12 Months |
No. of courses | 500+ |
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Time to complete | 24 Months |
No. of courses | 500+ |
Student Testimonials
- "The whole course was helpful, I now realize there is an amazing need for people in the child abuse field." -- Sheila H.
- "I found all of this course was well done. Thank you for your help." -- Carlos R.
- "The instructor responds quickly, very accommodating and encouraging. Inspires me to do more and better." -- Marimel N.
- "Excellent!" -- Lynn K.
- "This course covered all the essentials and gave you the ground work and resources to continue study in this area. Great experience, great instructor." -- Robert S.
- "Thank you for your quick response and nice comments." -- Cynthia M.
- "All of it was helpful. Thank you!" -- Clarence R.
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