Commander’s Desk Guide, Appendix B

Glossary of Acronyms

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Glossary of Acronyms

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Glossary of
Terminology

Abuser: A person who abuses his or her spouse or
children.

Army Central Registry: An Army-wide index of abuse
reports.

At risk: A situation involving a family or family
member who is vulnerable to spouse or child abuse, but where no
abuse has occurred. Characteristics that place children at
increased risk for abuse and neglect include premature birth of a
child to adolescent parents; the presence of an infant with colic
accompanied by continuous crying, congenital deficiencies or
abnormalities; extreme financial distress; substance abuse; or
any other condition that interferes with parent-child attachment.

Case management: The process of coordinating health and
social services so that the client will receive the most
appropriate care in a timely, efficient manner.

Case manager: The individual who coordinates all of the
health, social, and other services on behalf of the client or
group of clients and monitors the progress of clients through the
sequence of the treatment program.

Child: An unmarried child, whether a biological child,
adopted child, foster child, stepchild, or ward of a military
member or a civilian for whom treatment is authorized in a
medical facility of the Military Services who is under the age of
18 years or incapable of self-support because of a mental or
physical incapacity.

Child physical abuse: A type of maltreatment that
refers to physical acts that caused or may have caused physical
injury to the victim. Injuries to a child such as brain damage or
skull fracture, subdural hemorrhage or hematoma, bone fracture,
shaking or twisting of infants and young children, dislocations
or sprains, internal injury, poisoning, burns or scalds, severe
cuts, lacerations, bruises or welts; or other physical injury
that seriously impairs that health or physical well-being of the
victim. Minor injuries include cuts, bruises or welts; or other
shaking or twisting incidents that do not result in injury that
impairs the health or physical well-being of the victim.

Child protective services: Any state, local, or foreign
department, agency, or office which provides child protective
services to families affected by child abuse.

Child sexual abuse: The employment, use, persuasion,
inducement, enticement, or coercion of any child to engage in, or
having a child assist any other person to engage in, any sexually
explicit conduct (or any simulation of such conduct) or the rape,
molestation, prostitution, or other such forms of sexual
exploitation of children, or incest with children. All sexual
activity between an offender, male or female, regardless of age,
and a child, when the offender is in a position of power over the
child whether in a caretaker role or not, is considered sexual
abuse. The child victim should be considered for appropriate FAP
services, if eligible. Sexual maltreatment specifically includes
but is not necessarily limited to the following (State law may
provide additional grounds).

a. Exploitation: Forcing a child to look at an offender’s
genitals, forcing a child to observe an offender’s masturbatory
activities, exposing of a child’s genitals for gratification of
the offender(s)’ sexual desires, talking to a child in a sexually
explicit manner, surreptitious viewing of a child while undressed
for the offender(s)’ sexual gratification, or involving a child
in sexual activity such a pornography or prostitution in which
the offender does not have direct physical contact with the
child.

b. Rape: Generally, any act of sexual intercourse between an
offender and a female, committed by force and without consent.
Any penetration of the vagina, however sight, constitutes rape
when done by force and without consent. Children of tender years
who are not capable of understanding the nature of the act are
not capable of giving consent. Force may be physical, mental,
coercion, or emotional manipulation.

c. Carnal Knowledge: Sexual intercourse under circumstances
not amounting to rape between an offender and a child who has not
attained the legal age of consent (age 16 under the UCMJ). Any
vaginal penetration, however slight, is sufficient to complete
the offense. Ignorance of a child’s age is not a defense.

d. Sodomy: Unnatural carnal copulation with another person of
the same or opposite sex or with an animal. It is unnatural
carnal copulation for a person to take into that person’s mouth
or anus the sexual organ or another person or animal; or to place
that person’s sexual organ in the mouth or anus of another person
or of an animal. Sodomy may be either consensual or forcible. Any
penetration, however slight, is sufficient to complete the
offense.

e. Molestation/Indecent Acts: May include fondling or stroking
of breasts or genitals, or attempted penetration of the child’s
vagina or rectum, either digitally or with an object.

f. Incest: Sexually explicit activity identified above between
a child and biological parent, step-parent, adoptive parent, a
sibling, or other relative too closely related to be permitted by
law to marry. Sexual abuse by familial caretakers (i.e. other
live-in guardians) may sometimes be viewed clinically as incest
depending on the specifics of that case.

g. Other Sexual Maltreatment: Other sexual activity with a
child, including encouraging another to engage in any of the
above activities, encouraging or observing masturbation, taking
sexually explicit photographs of a child, etc. May also include
acting as a principal or accessory after the fact in any of the
above listed activities.

Defense counsel: Army lawyers assigned to the U.S. Army
Trial Defense Service, as well as any other lawyer hired by or
retained by, or detailed to a soldier or family member to defend
him or her on a criminal charge or on an adverse military
administrative personnel action.

Department of Defense operated or sanctioned activity:
May be either a non-governmental activity or activity operated by
U. S. Government employees that is involved in the care of
children. The care of children may be either its primary or
incidental mission in carrying out another mission. Examples
include Child Development Services, Youth Services, child care
activities provided as part of the Chaplain’s programs or as part
of another Morale, Welfare or Recreation program, Family Child
Care, contracted child care services provided by private
organizations, and Boy/Girl Scouts.

Emotional abuse: Emotional abuse involves a pattern of
active, intentional berating, disparaging, or other active
behavior toward the victim that may not cause observable injury.
Emotional neglect involves passive-aggressive inattention to the
victim’s emotional needs, nurturing, or psychological well-being.

Extrafamilial abuse: This category is applicable in
cases of child abuse where the offender has no family
relationship to the child. This may range from individuals who
are known to the victim to those who are not, and may include
individuals living or visiting in the same residence who are
unrelated to the victim by blood or marriage, and who are not
cohabitating with the child’s parent. This also includes
individuals having out-of-home care supervision of the child,
such as school, child or family care personnel, volunteers or
other DoD sanctioned or operated activities such as:

(1) Child care centers. Child development or child care
services, nursery schools, preschools, or parent co-ops
provided in a centralized facility. This does not include
home-based care.

(2) Family child care. Home-based child care provided on a
regular or daily basis for compensation. This does not
include an individual offering random, temporary baby-sitting
service.

(3) School Personnel. Any staff member or volunteer in a
public or private school.

(4) Youth Personnel. Any staff member or volunteer in a
DoD sponsored or sanctioned program, service or activity
focused on youth, including but not limited to, recreation,
camps, scouting, clubs and classes (outside the school
system).

Family member: An individual whose relationship to the
sponsor authorizes entitlement to treatment in a medical facility
of the Military Services.

Foster care: A voluntary or court-mandated program that
provides 24-hour care and support services in a family home or
group facility for children who cannot be properly cared for by
their own families.

Foster child: A child other than the sponsor’s child
who resides in the sponsor’s home whose care, comfort, education,
and upbringing have been entrusted to the sponsor by a court or a
civilian agency or by a parent of the child on a temporary or
permanent basis. A foster child also includes a sponsor’s child
who has been placed in foster care by a local civilian authority.

Guardian ad litem: A guardian appointed by a court to
represent the interests of a child in a child protective case. A
guardian ad litem is considered to be an extension of the court
and helps the court decide what is in the best interests of the
child. The guardian ad litem may request evaluation and tests of
the parents and child to assist in the guardian’s recommendations
to the court.

Installation: A grouping of facilities, located in the
same vicinity, which support particular functions. Land and
improvements permanently affixed there to which are under the
control of the Department of Army and used by Army organizations.
A military community in foreign countries may be equivalent to an
installation.

Legal assistance attorneys: Army lawyers who advise and
assist soldiers and their families on family law matters. Such
matters include marriage, divorce, adoption, paternity, child
custody problems, and financial support obligations. In the
context of this regulation, a legal assistance attorney also
includes a lawyer retained by a soldier or family member at his
or her own expense to handle such legal matters.

Medical protective custody: Emergency medical care or
custody of a child without parental consent that is approved by a
medical treatment facility commander in cases where the
circumstances or condition of the child are such that continuing
the child in the care or custody of the parents presents imminent
danger to the child’s life or health.

Out-of-home abuse: Child abuse that occurs in an
DoD-operated or sanctioned activity. The abuser has a care-taking
responsibility or is another adult or child who is commonly
present in that environment (e.g., custodial staff).

Outreach: A method of providing social services by
reaching out to potential consumers rather than waiting for them
to request assistance.

Parent: The father or mother of a child related by
blood, a father or mother by marriage, a father or mother of an
adoptive child (adoptive parent), a guardian, or any other person
charged with a parent’s rights, duties, and responsibilities.

Report point of contact: The person or location on the
installation designated to receive all reports of spouse and
child abuse and to notify the appropriate authorities with regard
to such reports.

Sponsor: An active duty military member or employee of
the Department of Defense who is authorized treatment in a
medical facility of the Military Services.

Spouse abuse:

a. Physical Spouse Abuse

(1) Use of physical force that caused physical injury to
the spouse. Violence generally used to intimidate, control or
force the spouse to do something against his or her will.
This may include grabbing, pushing, holding, slapping,
choking, punching, sitting or standing on, kicking, hitting
with objects, and assaulting with knives, firearms or other
weapons.

(2) The forcing of one spouse by the other spouse to
engage in any sexual activity through the use of physical
violence, intimidation, or the explicit or implicit threat of
future violence.

b. Emotional Spouse Abuse. A pattern of acts or omissions,
such as violent acts that may cause observable injury, that
adversely affect the psychological well-being of the victim.
Arguments alone are not sufficient to substantiate emotional
maltreatment.

(1) Psychological violence is a pattern of behavior
involving one or more of the following behaviors: explicit or
implicit threats of violence, extremely controlling types of
behavior, extreme jealousy, mental degradation (name calling,
etc.), and isolating behavior.

(2) Property violence by one spouse may constitute
emotional abuse if intended as a means to intimidate the
other spouse. Property violence includes, but is not limited
to, damaging or destroying the other spouse’s property,
hitting/kicking a door or wall, throwing food, breaking
dishes, and intentionally or recklessly damaging automobiles.
Threatening injury to or injuring pets is included in this
category.

Staff Judge Advocate (see RMC 103(17)): A judge
advocate so designated in the Army, Air Force or Marine Corps;
the principal legal advisor of a command in the Navy and Coast
Guard who is a judge advocate. The SJA advises the commander on
laws and regulations affecting the command. Does not include
attorneys assigned to U. S. Army Trial Defense Service.

State Criminal History Repository (SCHR) (see DA
Circular 690-95-1): The state’s central record of investigative
files. State information, including addresses, phone numbers,
costs and remarks. (DA Form 7512-R/DA Form 7512-R-E)
(Release/Consent Statement)

Substantiated case: A case that has been fully
investigated for which the preponderance of available information
indicates that abuse occurred. Refer to para 2-d.

System of records (see AR 3340-21 (Glossary)): A group
of records under U. S. Government control from which information
is retrieved by the name of the individual or by some identifying
number, symbol, or other identifying particular assigned to the
individual.

Unit commander: The immediate officer-in-charge or in a
position of command, who has control over persons subject to
military law.

Unsubstantiated case: A case of abuse that has been
fully investigated for which the available information is
insufficient to substantiate that abuse occurred.

Ward: A child (other than the sponsor’s child) or adult
who resides in the sponsor’s home whose care has been entrusted
by a court (or voluntarily assumed by the sponsor) because of
age, or a physical, mental, or emotional disability.

Withholding medically indicated treatment: The failure
to respond to the infant’s or child’s life-threatening conditions
by providing treatment (including appropriate nutrition,
hydration, and medication) which, in the treating physician’s or
physicians’ reasonable medical judgment, will most likely be
effective in ameliorating or correcting all such conditions.
However, the term does not include the failure to provide
treatment (other than appropriate nutrition, hydration, and
medication) to an infant when, in the treating physician’s or
physicians’ reasonable medical judgment:

a. The infant is chronically and irreversibly comatose;

b. The provision of such treatment would

(1) merely prolong dying,

(2) not be effective in ameliorating or correcting all of
the infant’s life-threatening conditions, or

(3) otherwise be futile in terms of the survival of the
infant; or the provision of such treatment would be virtually
futile in terms of the survival of the infant and the
treatment itself under such circumstances would be inhumane.

Youthful sex offenders: A child under the age of 18
years who commits any act of sexual abuse against any person,
including another minor child, either against the victim’s will,
through coercion or trickery, fraud, or in an exploitative or
threatening manner. Sexual abuse generally may include, but is
not limited to the acts described under the definition of Child
Sexual Abuse, even when applied by an adult. Children of tender
years who are not capable of understanding the nature of the act
cannot consent.