CAN SCIENCE HELP SOLOMON?
CHILD MALTREATMENT CASES AND THE POTENTIAL FOR RACIAL AND ETHNIC BIAS IN DECISION MAKING SANDRA T. PHILLIP ATIBA GoFF+t INTRODUCTION Over the last three decades, there has been an increasing debate, both domestically and internationally, regarding the consideration that is given to children’s rights within the legal system. 1 Nowhere has the protection of children’s rights been upheld more strongly than in the passage and application of child protection reporting laws and related statutes. The intent of such statutes is to give the state the power to attend to the needs of children and their safety, when parents have failed to do so. Concerns, however, have arisen that there may be an unequal application of such statutes along racial and ethnic lines.^ t Professor of Psychology, Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University. t+ Assistant Professor of Psychology, Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University. The writing of this paper was assisted hy a Liberal Arts F
