Susstantiation of reported child abuse or neglect: Predictors and implications

Abstract

Underreporting and overreporting of suspected child abuse and neglect cases reduce the efficiency of child protection services. We used all the reports in South Australia for 1988–1989 ( N = 3,228) to study the determinants of the decision by child protection workers to register a reported incident as being one of child abuse and neglect. Logistic regression showed that registration (substantiation) was predictable from two variables: the age of the alleged victim and the caseworker's estimate of severity. This latter variable needs investigation, as despite its crucial role we have no information on how caseworkers from a judgment about severity.