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Child Protection Services (CPS) and How Juveniles Are Affected

Jessie Hurt

SOC-331 Social Justice & Ethics

Instructor Jen Brockel

January 14th, 2013

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“Nearly five children die every day in America from abuse and neglect, and in 2010, an estimated 1,560 children died from abuse and neglect in the United States.” (Alliance, 2012)
Children who are being abused and taken from their families, put into foster care systems and/or even adopted out to other families, these children are far more likely to turn to the streets and drugs as a result of their circumstances. Although Child Protection Services (CPS) has changed from the early 1800’s one problem still remains in effect and that is trying to prevent juvenile delinquency through this service, because numerous mistreated children make the jump from innocence to delinquency and find themselves in the juvenile justice system, other systems of care, or in extreme cases they find themselves in adult criminal court. “As child abuse and/ or neglect increases the risk of arrest as a juvenile by 55% and the risk of committing a violent crime by 96%.” (Bilchik & Nash, Fall 2008)
Child Protection Services (CPS) history in America is divided into 3 eras. The first era was from colonial times until 1875 and was known as being the “era before organized protection” (Myers, 2008) and the second era from 1875 to 1962 was witness to the foundation and expansion of organized child protection through independent sources rather through the government. However in the year 1962 started the beginning and current third era: “the era of government-sponsored child protective services.” (Myers, 2008) Since 1962 our progress for protecting our children as become a national concern