Child abuse cases are among the most demanding investigations in law enforcement. The evidence is often subtle, the victims cannot always speak for themselves, and the people causing harm are frequently the same people the child depends on. This 16-hour online course is built for criminal investigators who need to handle these cases with the investigative rigor and sensitivity they require.

This course is Idaho POST-certified. If you are outside Idaho, check with your state POST for credit eligibility.

What This Course Covers

The curriculum is organized into four core areas:

Introduction, History, and Case Studies

Context and history of child abuse investigation, including landmark cases such as Mary Ellen Wilson and Terrell Peterson. Understanding where the system came from matters for understanding why current protocols exist.

Initial Response and Investigation

Types of child abuse and the initial response framework. Burn and scald identification in depth, including the distinctions between contact burns, immersion burns, and branding. Surveillance options. Caregiver behavioral indicators. Investigative questioning strategies from first contact through case development. Scenario-based exercises throughout.

Child Neglect

Types of neglect, Munchausen syndrome by proxy, authority to declare imminent danger, and the legal and practical questions around child removal. Working with Child Protective Services and navigating the relationship between law enforcement and CPS from initial contact through case closure.

Interviewing and Case Building

Interviewing child abuse victims, interviewing suspects, and building a case that holds up. Sources of information, documentation practices, and coordination with CPS and legal counsel. The course includes a child abuse and neglect investigative checklist as a take-home resource.

Course Format

Online, self-paced. 16 total hours including video content, scenario-based exercises, interactive lessons, knowledge checks, and a final exam. Includes a downloadable investigative aid and checklist. Certificate of completion upon passing the final exam.

Built for Criminal Investigators, Not Mandated Reporters

Most child abuse training available online is aimed at teachers, social workers, and healthcare providers. It covers recognition and reporting, which is useful but not sufficient for the investigator whose job starts where that training ends. This course is built for law enforcement. The focus is investigation: how to document what you find, how to interview the people involved, how to build a case, and how to work within the multi-agency framework that these cases require.

Burn Identification in Depth

One of the most mishandled areas in child abuse investigation is physical injury interpretation, specifically burn and scald evidence. Investigators who cannot distinguish an accidental scald from an immersion burn, or who fail to recognize a contact burn pattern, miss critical evidence. This course addresses burn identification in detail, including contact burns, immersion burns, branding, and the surveillance considerations that go with documenting injury evidence.

CPS Coordination and Legal Authority

Child abuse cases almost always involve Child Protective Services, and the working relationship between law enforcement and CPS can make or break an investigation. This course covers the role of CPS, how to work with CPS and legal counsel effectively, sourcing information across agencies, and the legal authority to declare imminent danger and remove a child from harm.

Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy

Medical child abuse, or Munchausen syndrome by proxy, is one of the most difficult forms of child abuse to identify and investigate. Caregivers who fabricate or induce illness in children are often perceived as devoted parents. This course covers how to recognize the indicators and how to build a case in circumstances where the abuse mechanism is deception rather than visible physical injury.

Scenario-Based Training Throughout

Knowledge checks and scenarios are woven through the course, not stacked at the end. Investigators work through realistic case situations and receive scenario discussions that connect the content to investigative decisions. The course includes a final exam and a take-home investigative checklist designed for use in the field.

Most law enforcement training exists because someone needed to fill a POST requirement. You've sat through that training. You know exactly what it looks like.

RTI courses are built by working investigators who got tired of watching officers fail in the field because their training never matched reality. Every module is grounded in current forensic science, tested against real case outcomes, and built to hold up in court, not just in a classroom.

No rubber-stamp certificates. No recycled slide decks from a decade ago. No instructors whose only qualification is that they once attended the course they're now teaching.

If you do the work, you'll leave with skills you can use on your next shift.
That's the standard RTI trains to.

How many credit hours is this course?

16 hours. The course includes video instruction, interactive lessons, scenario exercises, and a final exam.

Is this course POST-certified?

Yes. This course is Idaho POST-certified. If you are outside Idaho, contact your state POST to confirm credit transferability before enrolling.

Who is this course designed for?

Law enforcement officers at any experience level who respond to or investigate child abuse and neglect cases. This includes patrol officers who are first on scene and detectives who carry these cases through to prosecution.

Does this course cover both physical abuse and neglect?

Yes. The curriculum addresses physical abuse including burn identification, neglect in its various forms, Munchausen syndrome by proxy, and the investigative and legal frameworks that apply to each.

Does the course include interviewing guidance?

Yes. The course covers interviewing child victims and interviewing suspects, including guidance on building a defensible record and coordinating with CPS and legal counsel throughout the investigation.

Is there an investigative aid included?

Yes. The course includes a downloadable child abuse and neglect investigative checklist intended for use in the field.

Can my agency enroll multiple officers?

Contact RTI about group enrollment options or agency-hosted in-person delivery.