CMAS 258 exam 1 Questions and
Answers 100% Pass
What is child maltreatment? - ✔✔-a generic term that includes abuse and neglect
-the term maltreatment is generally used in research, but not always in practice/ policy
-notably, sometimes laws will use the term "child abuse" to refer to abuse and neglect
CPS - ✔✔-child protective services
~most general term and refers to the system that investigates and responds to
allegations of child maltreatment
~frequently called "social services" which is an older and less specific term
-people may also use state specific terms, in PA its CYS
civil statutes - ✔✔~always lower, can't deprive people of their fundamental liberty
~allegations found to be true but not offensive
~to terminate someone's parental rights it has to have a clear and convincing argument
criminal statutes - ✔✔severe abuse
Brittie Donald, All Rights Reserved © 2025 1
,research - ✔✔~variable
~mandatory reports to CPS > have to report everything they see
lay definitions - ✔✔~they way we generally talk about maltreatment
~based on community standards or culture > lots of disagreement
When, What and by Whom of maltreatment - ✔✔-has to be recent >statute of
limitations to protect the accused
~effort to change statute of limitations with sexual abuse cases
-act or fail to act
-on the part of a parent or caretaker
act or failure to act - ✔✔~doesn't have to be something that you do, can also be
something that you don't do
-parents have responsibility to provide for kids, when they fail to meet their basic
needs= failure to act
-someone else if harming child and parent fails to intervene even if they know about it=
failure to act
~tends to be controversial especially in cases of domestic violence
Brittie Donald, All Rights Reserved © 2025 2
,on the part of a parent or caretaker - ✔✔~very restrictive > generally assumed that if
someone other than parent/caretaker abuses a child it can be taken care of by the
parental figures/other adults in the household
~being able to remove child from the person causing the abuse/neglect
~Pennsylvania has more exceptions than most states
Physical abuse - ✔✔~generally defined as a "non-accidental physical injury"
~areas of variability/subjectivity
-type or level of injury required
-acts that did not, but could, result in injury
sexual abuse - ✔✔~"sexual abuse or exploitation" Any of the following:
~"The employment, use, persuasion, inducement, enforcement or coercion of a child to
engage in or assist another individual to engage in sexually explicit conduct, which
includes but is not limited to the following-(for the purpose of sexual arousal or
gratification)
-viewing intimate parts of a child
-participating (by any means) in sexually explicit conversation with a child
-actual or simulation sexual activity or nudity
Brittie Donald, All Rights Reserved © 2025 3
, emotional abuse - ✔✔~this is variously referred to as "mental injury" or "psychological
abuse" and encompasses verbal abuse
~requires a professional diagnosis to prove it
physical neglect - ✔✔~an inability or unwillingness to provide for a child's basic needs
EX. food, water, shelter, hygiene, medical care, safety/protection from others
supervision neglect - ✔✔~sometimes simply called "general neglect"; difficult to define
~includes both "lack of supervision" and "inadequate supervision"
**sometimes supervision counts as a basic need under physical neglect, but it's
significantly different construct so we will, where possible, separate physical and
supervision neglect**
~substance abuse is usually a factor
emotional neglect - ✔✔~failure to attend to child's emotional needs; this would
generally refer to the absence of love, attention and stimulation
educational neglect - ✔✔a parent's failure to provide for a child's basic needs with
regards to school and education.
legal neglect - ✔✔~child without a legally responsible caregiver
~would include abandonment, relinquishment, re-homing
Brittie Donald, All Rights Reserved © 2025 4
Answers 100% Pass
What is child maltreatment? - ✔✔-a generic term that includes abuse and neglect
-the term maltreatment is generally used in research, but not always in practice/ policy
-notably, sometimes laws will use the term "child abuse" to refer to abuse and neglect
CPS - ✔✔-child protective services
~most general term and refers to the system that investigates and responds to
allegations of child maltreatment
~frequently called "social services" which is an older and less specific term
-people may also use state specific terms, in PA its CYS
civil statutes - ✔✔~always lower, can't deprive people of their fundamental liberty
~allegations found to be true but not offensive
~to terminate someone's parental rights it has to have a clear and convincing argument
criminal statutes - ✔✔severe abuse
Brittie Donald, All Rights Reserved © 2025 1
,research - ✔✔~variable
~mandatory reports to CPS > have to report everything they see
lay definitions - ✔✔~they way we generally talk about maltreatment
~based on community standards or culture > lots of disagreement
When, What and by Whom of maltreatment - ✔✔-has to be recent >statute of
limitations to protect the accused
~effort to change statute of limitations with sexual abuse cases
-act or fail to act
-on the part of a parent or caretaker
act or failure to act - ✔✔~doesn't have to be something that you do, can also be
something that you don't do
-parents have responsibility to provide for kids, when they fail to meet their basic
needs= failure to act
-someone else if harming child and parent fails to intervene even if they know about it=
failure to act
~tends to be controversial especially in cases of domestic violence
Brittie Donald, All Rights Reserved © 2025 2
,on the part of a parent or caretaker - ✔✔~very restrictive > generally assumed that if
someone other than parent/caretaker abuses a child it can be taken care of by the
parental figures/other adults in the household
~being able to remove child from the person causing the abuse/neglect
~Pennsylvania has more exceptions than most states
Physical abuse - ✔✔~generally defined as a "non-accidental physical injury"
~areas of variability/subjectivity
-type or level of injury required
-acts that did not, but could, result in injury
sexual abuse - ✔✔~"sexual abuse or exploitation" Any of the following:
~"The employment, use, persuasion, inducement, enforcement or coercion of a child to
engage in or assist another individual to engage in sexually explicit conduct, which
includes but is not limited to the following-(for the purpose of sexual arousal or
gratification)
-viewing intimate parts of a child
-participating (by any means) in sexually explicit conversation with a child
-actual or simulation sexual activity or nudity
Brittie Donald, All Rights Reserved © 2025 3
, emotional abuse - ✔✔~this is variously referred to as "mental injury" or "psychological
abuse" and encompasses verbal abuse
~requires a professional diagnosis to prove it
physical neglect - ✔✔~an inability or unwillingness to provide for a child's basic needs
EX. food, water, shelter, hygiene, medical care, safety/protection from others
supervision neglect - ✔✔~sometimes simply called "general neglect"; difficult to define
~includes both "lack of supervision" and "inadequate supervision"
**sometimes supervision counts as a basic need under physical neglect, but it's
significantly different construct so we will, where possible, separate physical and
supervision neglect**
~substance abuse is usually a factor
emotional neglect - ✔✔~failure to attend to child's emotional needs; this would
generally refer to the absence of love, attention and stimulation
educational neglect - ✔✔a parent's failure to provide for a child's basic needs with
regards to school and education.
legal neglect - ✔✔~child without a legally responsible caregiver
~would include abandonment, relinquishment, re-homing
Brittie Donald, All Rights Reserved © 2025 4
