§7 Glossary

Children’s Division Glossary "I"

Section 7 is the glossary and reference chapters. The terms in this glossary are legal, medical, psychological, and practice terms commonly used by Children’s Division (CD). However, some of the definitions may not reflect the meaning that the general public uses.

Select a letter from the row below or scroll down to browse the index. Then select a topic from the index list.

- I -

IDENTIFYING INFORMATION:
Includes CA/N-1, recorded narrative, notification letter, correspondence related to CA/N.
IDENTIFYING INFORMATION:
(Applies only in requests to release identifying information in adoption records): name, date of birth, place of birth, and last known address of the biological parents/siblings.
ILEUM:
Final portion of the small intestine which connects with the colon.
IMMEDIATE FAMILY MEMBER (For purpose of a CA/N investigation or assessment):
A parent, stepparent, child, stepchild, spouse, or sibling.
IMMORAL:
Behavior which is contrary to the established morality of a society.
IMMUNITY, LEGAL:
Legal protection from liability, such as the protection given to reporting parties under child abuse reporting statutes.
IMPENDING DANGER:
Threats to child safety that are not obvious or occurring at the onset of initial contact or in a present context, but which are identified and understood upon more fully evaluating and understanding individual and family conditions and functioning and without safety intervention reasonably could lead to severe harm.
IMPETIGO:
A highly contagious, rapidly spreading skin disorder which occurs principally in infants and young children. The disease is characterized by red blisters that develop very rapidly into pustules, commonly around the mouth and nose. The disease may be an indicator of neglect or inadequate living conditions.
INAPPROPRIATE REPORT:
Report received that does not contain allegations of abuse and/or neglect that are governed by section 210, RSMo.
INDEPENDENT ADOPTIVE PLACEMENT:
One in which a placement is made with the adoptive couple through an intermediary such as a doctor, lawyer or minister.
INDEPENDENT LIVING ARRANGEMENT (ILA):
A youth living on his/her own under agency supervision. The youth’s custody may or may not be assigned to the Division.
INDEPENDENT PLACEMENT:
One in which the natural parents make the placement directly and retain the right to supervise the care of the child and to resume custody.
INDIAN CHILD:
Any unmarried person under age 18 who is either a member of an Indian tribe, or is eligible for membership in an Indian tribe and is the biological child of a member of an Indian tribe.
INFLICTED:
Caused by action or direct act (commission).
INFORMATION SYSTEM:
The Information System is the entire database of information, including all CA/N reports, Preventive Service Referrals, Non-caretaker Referrals, and Newborn Crisis Assessments. With the implementation of the investigation/assessment approach, the assessment cases will also be in the Information System.
INFRACTION:
1. An offense defined by the Criminal Code or by any other statute of this state constitutes an "infraction" if it is so designated or if no other sentence that a fine, or fine and forfeiture or other civil penalty is authorized upon conviction. 2. Any infraction does not constitute a crime and conviction of an infraction shall not give rise to any disability or legal disadvantage based on conviction of a crime.
INITIAL ASSESSMENT:
The evaluation of the information gathered during the investigation. The need for continued emergency intervention is determined in the initial assessment. This is the first stage of the assessment process.
INITIAL SCREENING (Classification):
The process by which a determination is made as to whether a child abuse/neglect report is to be investigated or assessed.
INJUNCTION:
A court order enjoining or prohibiting a party from a specific course of action.
IN LOCO PARENTIS:
"In the place of the parent," refers to actions of a custodian, guardian, or other person acting in the parent’s place instead.
INTERDEPENDENCE:
The concept that everyone and everything in a community is connected and one cannot survive without the help of other members and resources in the community and around it.
INTERROGATION ACCUSATORY STAGE OF INVESTIGATION):
A technique for the purpose of determining a person’s involvement in an offense, and eliciting a confession.
INTERSTATE CHILD PLACEMENT COMPACT (ICPC):
A legally binding agreement or contract between individual states which sets out requirements governing the sending and receiving of children across state lines to assure their protection. The statute in Missouri governing the interstate movement of children with the purpose of assuring the most appropriate placement for the child, the sharing of full information about the child and his family and the placement resource, and promoting appropriate jurisdictional arrangement for the care of child. (Section 210.620, RSMo.)
INTERSTATE CHILD PLACEMENT COMPACT - JURISDICTION:
The authority retained by the sending public or private agency, court, person, institution, association or other entity over the child to determine all matters in relation to the custody, supervision, care, treatment, and disposition of the child which it would have had if the child had remained in the sending state.
INTERSTATE PLACEMENT:
The movement of a child from one state to another state for the purpose of establishing a suitable living environment and providing necessary care.
INTERVENTION:
Action initiated by Children’s Division or a law enforcement agency to prevent further abuse, neglect or exploitation of a child.
INTRADERMAL HEMORRHAGE:
Bleeding within the skin; bruise. Bruises are common injuries exhibited by battered children, and are usually classified by size:
  1. Petechiae - Very small bruises caused by broken capillaries. Petechiae may be traumatic in nature or may be caused by clotting disorders.
  2. Purpura - Petechiae occurring in groups, or a small bruise (up to 1 cm. in diameter).
  3. Ecchymosis - Larger bruise.
INTRAMURAL HEMATOMA OF THE DUODENUM:
This is a hematoma in the wall of the duodenum, which is the first part of the bowel after the stomach. This can only occur by trauma. It is associated with the symptoms of partial obstruction - vomiting, pain, etc.
INVESTIGATION:
The collection of physical and verbal evidence to determine if a child has been abused or neglected.
INTERVIEW (PRE-ACCUSATORY STATE OF AN INVESTIGATION):
An attempt to gain information or obtain facts regarding an alleged offense in order to clear up same; to discover who was involved; to learn significant facts about those involved.
INTRA-STATE PLACEMENT:
A placement made by a Missouri agency within the state of Missouri. The agency should inform the persons with whom the placement is made that removal of the child’s regular abode to another state will change the placement to an interstate placement and the Interstate Child Placement Compact (ICPC) will apply.
INTERVENTION:
Action initiated by the Division or law enforcement agency to prevent further abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a child.
INVESTIGATION:
A fact-finding process which includes interviews, observations, and other forms of information gathering. Information collected during the investigation provides data upon which to make a case decision regarding a report of suspected child abuse or neglect.