Engagement in Children’s Advocacy Centers’ multidisciplinary teams: Law enforcement perspective
Date
2019
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Publisher
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Abstract
This study explores factors that facilitate or hinder the engagement of law enforcement
officers in multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) at the core of Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs).
CACs are a collaborative approach to child sexual abuse. MDTs bring together major disciplines
responding to child abuse including: law enforcement; children and youth services (CYS); the
district attorney’s (DA’s) office; and medical, therapeutic, and victim services. The MDT
collaborates in a joint investigation that avoids the need for children to repeat their abuse story
multiple times to different adults, possibly retraumatizing them. As the criminal investigator on
the MDT, the law enforcement representative’s engagement is vital for the success of the MDT
process. Engagement means attending forensic interviews of the child victims and MDT case
review meetings and sharing information and communication with other MDT members.
The literature indicates that law enforcement officers may face some unique obstacles to
CAC MDT engagement. Through the lenses of Miller’s (1958) Subcultural Theory and Schein’s
(1998) theory of organizational culture, distinctions emerge between the traditional paramilitary
structure and culture of law enforcement in contrast with the cultures of the other disciplines
represented on the MDT. In Bronstein’s (2003) Model of Interdisciplinary Team Collaboration,
team members co-create goals, understand each other’s roles, agree on joint processes, and are
flexible. Police officers may encounter barriers to MDT engagement related to lack of
institutional support from law enforcement for their MDT role, gendered role assumptions about
CAC MDT assignment of officers, a lack of sufficient training regarding child abuse, and limited
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resources for their MDT participation. Previous research does not address barriers to CAC MDT
engagement for law enforcement and how to address them.
Fifteen police officers, in jurisdictions served by one of the 32 CACs in Pennsylvania,
participated in in-depth individual interviews about their experiences and perceptions with CAC
MDTs, following a semi-structured guide. I also sought support from CACs leaders in
identifying potential law enforcement participants and background information on their CAC.
This study, though small, produced seven key themes and the findings are encouraging: (1)
officers want to participate and want the MDT to succeed, and they view men and women as
equally well equipped for this work, although women are disproportionately assigned to CACs;
(2) CACs and DAs’ offices can reduce law enforcement barriers to MDT engagement through
education, example, building rapport, and providing resources; and (3) state regulations and
policies matter because they can provide basic standards of practice for law enforcement
participation with CACs. The key implication is that officer engagement on CAC MDTs is not a
law enforcement issue, but all CAC MDT members can play a role in engaging officers and
other members in the team’s success in serving children and families.
Description
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Article
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Keywords
child abuse, law enforcement, multidisciplinary team, research, perceptions, qualitative research, children's advocacy centers
Citation
Buchan, I. R. (2019). Engagement in Children's Advocacy Centers' Multidisciplinary Teams: Law Enforcement's Perspective. Indiana University of Pennsylvania Knowledge Repository.