... from the late 1960's and early 1970's. It is from then that child abuse has become identified as a "social problem" (Alcock et al 1998) mainly through high-publicised cases of child abuse victims. The high profile case of Maria Colwell who died in 1973 after serious injuries were inflicted upon her at her home whilst under the supervision of social services demonstrates this point effectively. Even today 30 years on this case is still being analysed and discussed. When identifying the key issues within child protection it is important to grapple with the concept of 'balance'. This is a main concern for all countries who find themselves victims of either jumping in too quickly with over zealous assumptions, or on the other hand holding off too long and in the end delaying intervention until in some cases it is too late. Ultimately this concept, which leads on to the third key ...

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