This course involves an interdisciplinary study, with students from a variety of disciplines, of child abuse and neglect, including a study of: LAW as is relates to reporting, investigation and coercive state intervention respecting maltreatment, and as it relates to the competency and credibility of child and expert witnesses; MEDICINE as it relates to the investigation and diagnosis of maltreatment, including problems of medically- fragile and drug-exposed infants; PSYCHOLOGY and PSYCHIATRY as they relate to the understanding and treatment of the victim and abuser; SOCIAL WORK as it relates to the role of child welfare systems in identifying, investigating, halting and treating maltreatment; PUBLIC HEALTH as it relates to the study of prevalence, causation and prevention of maltreatment; EDUCATION as it relates to the identification and prevention of maltreatment; and NURSING as it relates to the identification and treatment of maltreatment. This course consists of lectures by members of the faculties of Education, Law, Medicine, Nursing, Psychology, Public Health, and Social Welfare, and may also include representatives from various governmental agencies including the Department of Children and Family Services.
A 15 page paper is required for this one unit course. The first lecture begins on September 29th, which is the first class day of the fall quarter term.
Students wishing to satisfy the upper level writing requirement must enroll in this class for two units, with the permission of Professor Goldstein, and submit at least a 25 page paper.
Students may also participate in a field placement at Dependency Court Legal Services (DCLS), under the supervision of a practicing attorney, for an additional 2 units of credit. In addition to the regular course requirements, the field placement will involve students working one day a week (8 hours) at DCLS throughout the fall semester (during which they may be exposed to and participate in various stages of a dependency case, such as a detention hearing, a reunification, a termination of parental rights and an adoption proceeding). If you take the field placement, you will also be required to attend classes on California dependency practice at the course's regularly scheduled class hours from August 25 through September 22 (dates before the regularly-scheduled class begins for the fall quarter), and keep a weekly journal on your experiences. The number of students admitted to the field placement is limited; and admission requires email application to Prof. Goldstein by or before August 25. The 2 unit placement portion of the class will be graded P/U/NC.
Law 281B in the winter quarter will not be offered this coming academic year.