Risk Of Child Maltreatment Research Articles

Pre-intervention child maltreatment risks, intervention engagement, and effects on child maltreatment risk within an RCT of MHealth and parenting intervention.

Evidence-based mental health and parenting support services for mothers postpartum can reduce risk for child maltreatment. However, women suffering economic and cultural stressors disproportionately shoulder the burden of infant caregiving while experiencing profound barriers to accessing mental health and parenting services. This article reports on an MHealth and parenting intervention targeting maternal mood and positive parent practices within a randomized controlled trial, which provided a unique opportunity to view pre-intervention child maltreatment risk, its relationship to subsequent intervention engagement, and intervention engagement effects on pre-post child maltreatment risk reduction. Principal component factor analysis was conducted to identify a modifiable pre-intervention child maltreatment risk construct within a combined MHealth and parenting intervention sample of 184 primarily Black mothers and their infants. An independent t-test was conducted to compare pre-intervention child maltreatment risk levels between mothers who went on to complete at least two-thirds of the intervention and those who did not. A GLM repeated measures analysis of variance was conducted to determine effects of intervention engagement on child maltreatment risk reduction. Pre-intervention child maltreatment risk did not differentiate subsequent maternal intervention completion patterns. Mothers who completed two-thirds of the intervention, compared to those who did not, demonstrated significant reductions in pre-post child maltreatment risk. Findings underscore the potential of MHealth parenting interventions to reduce substantial child maltreatment risk through service delivery addressing a range of positive parenting and behavioral health needs postpartum, a particularly vulnerable developmental period for maternal depression and child maltreatment risk.

Engaging fathers to strengthen the impact of early home visitation on physical child abuse risk: Findings from the dads matter-HV randomized controlled trial

BackgroundDespite growing recognition of the importance of fathers in child abuse risk, the field of perinatal home visitation has only begun to consider fathers' roles in the implementation of such services. ObjectivesThis study examines the effectiveness of Dads Matter-HV (“DM-HV”), a father-inclusion enhancement to home visitation, and hypothesized mediators of impact. MethodsA multisite cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted with 17 home visiting program teams serving 204 families across study conditions. Program supervisors and their teams were randomized to deliver home visiting services plus DM-HV enhanced services (intervention) or home visiting services alone (control). Data were collected at three time points: baseline, 4 months post-baseline immediately following the intervention, and 12 months post-baseline. We employed structural equation modeling to estimate the effect of the intervention on physical child abuse risk and to trace hypothesized mediators, including the quality of the father-worker relationship, parents' partner support and abuse, and the timing of service initiation. ResultsResults indicated that the DM-HV enhancement improved home visitor relationships with fathers, but only for families receiving services initiated postnatally. For these families, the improved quality of the father-worker relationship predicted improved parents' support of one another and reduced bidirectional mother-father partner abuse at 4-month follow-up, which in turn lowered maternal physical child abuse risk and paternal physical child abuse risk at 12-month follow-up. ConclusionsDM-HV can strengthen the impact of home visitation services on physical child abuse risk for families when services are initiated postnatally.

The global impact of COVID-19 on child protection professionals: A scoping review and thematic analysis

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic triggered new risks for child maltreatment (CM) and exacerbated existing challenges for families and children, elevating the importance of child protection professionals (CPPs) while also adding barriers to their work. During the pandemic, many CPPs experienced increased workloads, a disrupted work environment, and personal pandemic-related hardships. However, the scope of how COVID-19 impacted CPPs globally, as well as their adopted coping strategies, have not been well explored. ObjectiveThis study addresses these gaps in the research by conducting an international scoping review to explore and analyze these topics. MethodThe scoping review was performed in six languages: English, Hebrew, Arabic, French, Spanish, and Portuguese, across 16 databases. Sixteen manuscripts were included in the final thematic analysis of this review. ResultsTwo main themes were identified: 1) the impact of COVID-19 on CPPs, and 2) the coping and adaptation strategies employed by CPPs during COVID-19. This review revealed and emphasized the importance of CPPs' resilience during COVID-19, underpinned by the theoretical framework of the social ecology of resilience. ConclusionsThis study highlights the responsibility of social ecologies and organizational structures to create readiness for a rapid response in times of crisis as well as valuable evidence to inform how CPPs, children, and families may be better supported in the event of a future crisis.

A randomized controlled trial of Safer Kids – A program for parents reported for child abuse: Short-term effects on further reports of child abuse and related risk factors

BackgroundMillions of children are victims of child abuse world-wide. Consequences include long-term health impacts and large societal costs. Parent training is promising to prevent abuse, but challenges with motivation and attrition must be overcome to reach parents in need. ObjectiveTo assess the effectiveness and acceptability of Safer Kids, a cognitive behavioral therapy-based parenting program delivered immediately after a report of child abuse. Safer Kids is used within the Child Welfare Services (CWS) in Sweden but has never been evaluated in an RCT. Participants and settingIn total, 112 families with children 2–12 years referred to the Swedish CWS for physical or emotional child abuse participated. MethodsFamilies were randomized to Safer Kids or intervention as usual (IAU). Data from parents, children and CWS were analyzed with multilevel and survival analyses. Primary outcomes were parent-rated child abuse potential and re-reports of abuse. Secondary outcomes were child abuse risk factors and treatment satisfaction. ResultsData 4 and 7 months from baseline were available for 96 % of the families. All except one family (98 %) who started Safer Kids completed the program. Both groups improved from baseline to follow-ups on most effectiveness outcomes. The changes were not statistically different between groups. Parents and social workers were more satisfied with Safer Kids than IAU. ConclusionsShort manualized parenting programs can be a way to reach parents reported for child abuse with support. Safer Kids is a viable option to the CWS's standard interventions, as it was equally effective and slightly better accepted than IAU.

Has the relationship between community poverty and child maltreatment report rates become stronger or weaker over time?

BackgroundPoverty is among the most powerful predictors of child maltreatment risk and reporting. To date, however, there have been no studies assessing the stability of this relationship over time. ObjectiveTo examine whether the county-level relationship between child poverty rates and child maltreatment report (CMR) rates changed over time in the United States in 2009–2018, overall and across of child age, sex, race/ethnicity, and maltreatment type. Participants and settingU.S. Counties in 2009–2018. MethodsLinear multilevel models estimated this relationship and its longitudinal change, while controlling for potential confounding variables. ResultsWe found that the county-level relationship between child poverty rates and CMR rates had intensified almost linearly from 2009 to 2018. Per one-percentage-point increase in child poverty rates, CMR rates significantly increased by 1.26 per 1000 children in 2009 and by 1.74 per 1000 children in 2018, indicating an almost 40 % increase in the poverty-CMR relationship. This increasing trend was also found within all subgroups of child age and sex. This trend was found among White and Black children, but not among Latino children. This trend was strong among neglect reports, weaker among physical abuse reports, and not found among sexual abuse reports. ConclusionsOur findings highlight the continued, perhaps increasing importance of poverty as a predictor of CMR. To the degree that our findings can be replicated, they could be interpreted as supporting an increased emphasis on reducing child maltreatment incidents and reports through poverty amelioration efforts and the provision of material family supports.

Development and Validation of the Parental Expectations Scale (PES) in Parents From Romania

Abstract: Social cognitive models of parenting consider the role of unrealistic parental expectations (UE) regarding children’s abilities and behaviors as antecedents to the occurrence of child abuse. However, existing self-report measures of UE yield inconsistent results, often failing to differentiate aggressive and non-aggressive parents, raising questions about their validity and utility in understanding maladaptive parenting. To address these concerns, we developed and tested a new measure of parental UE in two samples of parents. The first sample ( N = 179) was used to test the initial structure of the scale, while the second sample ( N = 249) was used to replicate the structure and examine the concurrent validity, criterion validity, and internal consistency of the new measure. The final scale demonstrated adequate internal consistency, criterion, and concurrent validity. More unrealistic expectations predicted unique variance in parental negative behavior after controlling for other related variables. The current study provides preliminary evidence for the reliability and validity of the Parental Expectations Scale (PES), discussing its utility in the clinical assessment of parents at risk for child abuse and in tailoring parenting interventions.

Is parental unemployment associated with increased risk of adverse childhood experiences? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Unemployment has adverse consequences for families and can put children at risk of harm. This study presents a systematic review and meta-analysis of global evidence on associations between parental unemployment and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Systematic literature searches across four databases identified cross-sectional, cohort or case-control studies measuring associations between parental employment and individual or cumulative ACEs in children. Available risk estimates were extracted and pooled odds ratios calculated using random-effects models. Of 60 included studies, 37 provided risk estimates suitable for pooling across seven ACE types. Paternal/any parental unemployment was associated with a 29% increased risk of sexual abuse, 54% increased risk of neglect, 60% increased risk of physical abuse and around 90% increased risk of child maltreatment and parental mental illness. No associations were found between maternal unemployment and ACEs. Pooling estimates from representative general population studies also identified increased risk of child maltreatment with paternal/any parental unemployment (82%) but not maternal unemployment. Children who grow up with parental unemployment can be at increased risk of ACEs. A combination of socioeconomic measures to increase employment opportunities and parental support targeting fathers and mothers may help break multigenerational cycles of abuse and deprivation.

Systematic braiding of Smoke-Free Home SafeCare to address child maltreatment risk and secondhand smoke exposure: findings from a pilot study

BackgroundExposure to secondhand tobacco smoke (SHS) and child maltreatment are preventable threats to child health. Few evidence-based interventions target both SHS and child maltreatment risk. The purpose of this paper is to describe the systematic braiding process of two evidence-based programs to address child SHS in the home and maltreatment perpetration risk, and present results from the formative work and pilot study.MethodsThe first 4 steps of the systematic braiding process were completed, including the following: (1) the identification of core elements of both programs, (2) the development of an initial draft of the braided curriculum (Smoke-Free Home SafeCare — SFH-SC), (3) an acceptability and feasibility pilot of SFH-SC with caregivers of young children who reported a smoker living in the home (N = 8), and (4) feedback collection on the braided curriculum from SafeCare Providers (N = 9).ResultsExperts identified common pedagogical and theoretical underpinnings for the two programs and braided Smoke-Free Homes: Some Things Are Better Outside into two SafeCare modules. Caregiver feedback from the pilot demonstrated that participants were engaged with SFH-SC and felt supported and comfortable discussing SHS intervention content with the SFH-SC Provider. Caregiver self-reports indicated a slight increase in smoke-free home rules from baseline to follow-up and a notable reduction in parent stress on the Parent Stress Index of 5.9 points (SD = 10.2). SafeCare Provider feedback following intensive review of the curriculum indicated high feasibility for SFH-SC delivery.ConclusionsParent and Provider findings suggest SFH-SC is a viable intervention that has potential to reduce the public health impact of SHS and child maltreatment for at-risk families.ProtocolThe protocol for the pilot is not published elsewhere; however, the full protocol for the hybrid trial can be found here: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05000632.Trial registrationNCT, NCT05000632. Registered 14 July 2021, there is not a separate registration number for the pilot.

Birth Spacing and Child Maltreatment: Population-Level Estimates for North Carolina.

We examine population-level associations between birth spacing and child maltreatment using birth records and child welfare records for 1,099,230 second or higher parity children born in North Carolina between 1997 and 2013. Building upon previous research, administrative data linkages were used to address out-of-state migration and family-level heterogeneity in birth spacing and child maltreatment risk factors. Findings provide the strongest evidence to date that very short birth spacing of zero through 6 months from last birth to the index child's conception is a prenatal predictor of child maltreatment (indexed as child welfare involvement) throughout early childhood. Consequently, information about optimal family planning during the postpartum period should become a standard component of universal and targeted child maltreatment prevention programs. However, challenging previous empirical evidence, this study reports inconsistent results for benefits of additional spacing delay beyond 6months with regard to child maltreatment risk reduction, especially for children of racial and ethnic minorities. These findings call for further inquiry about the mechanisms driving the connections between birth spacing and Child Protective Services assessments.

Tailored Nurse Support Program Promoting Positive Parenting and Family Preservation.

Public health nurse home visiting is a promising approach for addressing the complex needs of families at risk of child maltreatment. The Colorado Nurse Support Program advances service provision by using evidence-based practices to provide tailored assessment and intervention to low-income, primiparous, and multiparous families with children under 18 years of age identified as high risk by county human service systems. This study aimed to test the effects of the Nurse Support Program on child protective services case characteristics between Nurse Support Program families and a demographically comparable reference group of families and evaluate changes in parenting outcomes from pre- to postprogram involvement for Nurse Support Program families. We used a matched comparison group quasi-experimental design in which families in the Nurse Support Program ( n = 48) were compared to families ( n = 150) who were identified using administrative data from Colorado's Comprehensive Child Welfare Information System. Outcomes were child protective case characteristics (child protection referrals, open assessments, founded assessments, open cases, and children's placement in out-of-home care) and parenting outcomes. Nurse Support Program families were less likely to have a child protection case opened or have their child placed in out-of-home care. There were no significant between-group differences in child protection referrals, open assessments, or founded assessments. Families in the Nurse Support Program showed improvements in parenting outcomes over time. Findings suggest that the Nurse Support Program is a successful public health nurse home-visiting approach to promote positive parenting and family preservation among families with complex needs. Implementing tailored public health nurse home-visiting programs, such as the Nurse Support Program, should continue to be evaluated and supported to mitigate the public health risk of child maltreatment.

Parental personality disorder and child maltreatment: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundParental pathology may affect parenting capacity and is deemed a risk factor for child maltreatment. Especially parental personality disorder (PD) can significantly burden the relationship and interaction between parents and their children. ObjectiveThis meta-analytic review aims to summarize and quantify the influence of parental PD on the occurrence / the risk of child maltreatment. Participants and settingStudies had to meet the following inclusion criteria: They had to analyze a sample of parents with a diagnosed PD and the occurrence / risk of maltreating their children. To be included in the narrative synthesis and/or meta-analysis, they had to be case-control, cross-sectional, or longitudinal studies. Literature research was conducted in the databases Web of Science, Psychinfo, and Google Scholar up to January 2023. MethodsFirst, studies were analyzed on a narrative level, and eligible studies for the meta-analysis were identified. Studies were grouped according to the diagnosed PDs. Five different groups were included: borderline PD, antisocial PD, narcissistic PD, nondifferentiated PDs, and Cluster B PDs. Three different random-effects meta-analyses were computed (borderline PD, antisocial PD, Cluster B PDs). Meta-analyses were controlled for publication bias and different covariates (e.g., study quality, sample size). ResultsAfter screening 41 full texts, 17 studies were included in the narrative synthesis, out of which 14 samples from 11 studies were included in the meta-analysis. Analysis of borderline PD showed an association with the occurrence / risk of child maltreatment (OR = 8.08; 95 % CI [2.51, 25.93]). However, after taking into account possible publication bias, this association was no longer significant. We found a significant and stable association between antisocial PD and the occurrence of / risk of child maltreatment (OR = 4.92; 95 % CI [3.26, 7.43]). Analysis of Cluster B PDs (antisocial, borderline, histrionic, narcissistic) revealed a significant overall association (OR = 4.23; 95 % CI [2.75, 6.5]), indicating that the presence of Cluster B PDs in parents significantly increases the occurrence of / the risk of child maltreatment. ConclusionsAnalyses indicated a significant association between of Cluster B PDs, and specifically between antisocial and borderline PD, with the occurrence of / the risk of child maltreatment. However, methodological limitations have to be taken into account, because results for borderline PD were no longer significant after controlling for possible publication bias. Moreover, the number of studies included was rather small, and results showed a substantial amount of heterogeneity. OtherThis work was not supported by any funding.

The association between child maltreatment and health risk behaviours and conditions throughout life in the Australian Child Maltreatment Study.

To estimate associations between all five types of child maltreatment (emotional abuse, neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and exposure to domestic violence) and health risk behaviours and conditions. Nationally representative survey of Australian residents aged 16 years and older conducted by computer-assisted telephone interviewing. Associations between child maltreatment and the following health risk behaviours and conditions: current smoker, binge drinking (at least weekly in past 12 months), cannabis dependence (according to the Cannabis Severity of Dependence Scale), obesity (based on body mass index), self-harm in past 12 months, and suicide attempt in past 12 months. A total of 8503 participants completed the survey. All five types of child maltreatment were associated with increased rates of all of the health risk behaviours and conditions that we considered. The strongest associations were in the youngest age group (16-24-year-olds). Sexual abuse and emotional abuse were associated with the highest odds of health risk behaviours and conditions. Cannabis dependence, self-harm and suicide attempts were most strongly associated with child maltreatment. Experiencing more than one type of child maltreatment was associated with higher rates of health risk behaviours and conditions than experiencing one type of child maltreatment. Child maltreatment is associated with substantially increased rates of health risk behaviours and conditions. Prevention and intervention efforts should be informed by trauma histories, and holistic psychosocial care should be incorporated into programs focusing on behaviour change.

Pregnancy and Childbirth in Women With Epilepsy

Women with epilepsy (WWE) need effective and safe treatment during the childbearing age. Administration of antiseizure medications to WWE during pregnancy may be associated with risks to the fetus, including major congenital malformations and negative developmental outcomes. Therefore, preconception care is essential for WWE. Multidisciplinary approaches with interprofessional collaboration are important to support WWE during pregnancy and childbirth; however, such collaboration may be complicated and difficult. Moreover, the prevalence of perinatal depression among WWE is higher than that in the general population. Health care professionals should determine factors associated with perinatal mental health concerns among WWE. Previous meta-analysis have reported that perinatal mental health disorders were associated with a three-fold higher risk of child maltreatment. Therefore, perinatal mental health care is important for WWE.

The effects of a universal short-term home visiting program: Two-year impact on parenting behavior and parent mental health

BackgroundAt the time of childbirth, families face heightened levels of unmet need. These needs, if left unmet, can lead parents to engage in less positive parenting practices, which in turn, increase the risk of child maltreatment. Family Connects (FC) is a universal postnatal nurse home-visiting program designed to prevent child maltreatment by supporting all families in a community through one to three visits to improve parent mental health and parenting behaviors. A randomized controlled trial of FC demonstrated improving positive parenting and reducing postpartum depression through age 6 months. ObjectiveTo determine sustained (2-year) impact of random assignment to FC on parenting behavior and parent mental health and identify heterogeneity of effects. Participants and settingA representative subsample of 496 families that had been randomized to FC (255 treatment; 241 control) of infants born between July 1, 2009, and December 31, 2010, in Durham County, North Carolina. MethodsDemographic characteristics were collected through hospital discharge data. Treatment-blinded interviewers collected maternal reports of parenting behavior and mental health at infant age two years. Moderation and subgroup analyses were conducted to estimate heterogeneity in impact of FC. ResultsMothers assigned to FC engaged in more self-reported positive parenting relative to control mothers (B = 0.21; p < 0.05). Hispanic mothers assigned to FC reported greater sense of parenting competence (B = 1.28; p < 0.05). No significant main effect differences were identified for negative parenting, maternal depression, or father involvement. ConclusionsAssignment to FC was associated with improvements in population-level self-reported scores of positive parenting 2 years post-intervention.

Identifying enablers and barriers to the implementation of Functional family Therapy – Child Welfare (FFT-CW®) into the routine delivery of child protection services in New South Wales, Australia

BackgroundFunctional Family Therapy – Child Welfare (FFT-CW®) aims to reduce the risk of child maltreatment and out-of-home care entry for vulnerable children. ObjectiveTo identify enablers and barriers to implementing FFT-CW® into the routine delivery of child protection services from policy and service provider perspectives. Participants/settingEighteen program and policy experts, and 54 service providers, involved in the delivery of FFT-CW® across 6 districts in New South Wales, Australia. MethodsSemi-structured interviews with policy and program experts, and four discussion groups with service providers using nominal group technique (NGT). Interview data were thematically analyzed to identify enablers and barriers. An adapted Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) scoring system was used to quantify themes, with scores of −2 assigned for barriers, 0 for neutral, and 2 for enablers. NGT was used to generate and rank enablers and barriers of program implementation with service providers. ResultsThe semi-structured interviews generated 16 themes, from which three enablers and four barriers were identified using CFIR scoring. The NGT discussions generated nine enablers and eight barriers. Key enablers common to both interviews and NGTs were FFT-CW’s therapeutic and empowering approach, model purveyor training and support, and the supervision and feedback provided to service providers. Key barriers included referral difficulties, staff burnout, turnover and training logistical challenges, and problems with data collection and the safety impacts of outcome measures on participants. ConclusionsSustained uptake of FFT-CW® is likely feasible and evaluating its effectiveness within the routine delivery of NSW child protection services is warranted.

Social Information Processing Theory Indicators of Child Abuse Risk: Cultural Comparison of Mothers from Peru and the United States

Much of the research conducted on social information processing (SIP) factors predictive of child abuse risk has been conducted in North America, raising questions about how applicable such models may be in other cultures. Based on the premise that the parents' child abuse risk is affected by both risk and protective factors, the current study considered how specific SIP socio-cognitive risk factors (acceptability of parent-child aggression as a discipline approach; empathic ability; frustration tolerance) as well as social support satisfaction as a resource related to child abuse risk by comparing a sample of mothers in Peru (n = 102) with a sample of mothers in the U.S. (n = 180). Using multi-group regression analyses, the current investigation identified that lower empathy was more salient for the abuse risk of U.S. mothers relative to the salience of lower frustration tolerance for Peruvian mothers. Although effects were observed for the approval of parent-aggression for the child abuse risk of both samples, such approval did not appear to be related to the Peruvian mothers' actual use of such tactics. When considered alongside the socio-cognitive risk factors, greater social support satisfaction did not significantly relate to child abuse risk for either sample. The findings are discussed in reference to future cross-cultural work that may need to better examine how factors may or may not be universal to craft more culturally informed child abuse prevention programs.

Racial Identification as a Protective Factor for At-Risk Parenting in Black Parents: A Longitudinal, Multi-Method Investigation.

Although considerable literature focuses on risk factors predicting parents' likelihood to engage in maltreatment, relatively less work evaluates potentially protective parental resources, particularly culturally relevant qualities. The current investigation utilized a multi-method longitudinal study to examine parents' racial identification as a possible resource, hypothesizing that Black parents with stronger racial group identification would demonstrate lower at-risk parenting, operationalized as lower child abuse risk and less negative observed parenting. In a sample of 359 mothers and fathers (half self-identified Black, half non-Hispanic White), controlling for socioeconomic status, findings partially supported the hypothesis. Black parents' greater racial identification was associated with lower child abuse risk and less observed negative parenting, whereas the reverse was true for White parents. The potential limitations of current assessment approaches to gauge at-risk parenting in parents of color are discussed, as well as how racial identification could be considered in culturally informed prevention programming for at-risk parenting.

Pharmacotherapy May Attenuate the Risk of Child Abuse in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder from the Real-World Evidence

Objective: Psychiatric disorders, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), may serve as a risk factor for child abuse. Methods: This study aimed to evaluate the association between children and adolescents with ADHD diagnosis and the risk of child abuse. The effectiveness of a pharmacological intervention on reducing the risk of child abuse was also assessed. A nationwide, population-based, retrospective with a matched-cohort study design was used. Data were from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan over a 15-year period (2000-2015). Results: Increased risk of child abuse in the ADHD group was noticed and the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) was 1.797 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.245-2.388, p < 0.001). The Kaplan-Meier analysis showed a significantly higher cumulative incidence in the ADHD group over the 15-year period (Log-rank test p < 0.001). ADHD patients with other psychiatric comorbidities had a higher risk of child abuse. Pharmacological treatment of either methylphenidate or atomoxetine was associated with a reduced risk of child abuse. The total adjusted HR was 1.466 (95% CI = 1.077-1.883, p < 0.001) in medicine group compared with the controls. Conclusions: ADHD was associated with a subsequent risk of child abuse in Taiwan. Pharmacological treatment could reduce the risk of child abuse in ADHD patients.

Differences and similarities between mothers’ and fathers’ risk factors for child maltreatment

BackgroundParental risk factors play an important role in child maltreatment, however, little is known about the role of fathers’ risk factors. ObjectiveThe current study aimed to compare fathers and mothers in terms of (1) the prevalence and impact of risk factors for perpetrating child maltreatment and (2) the interplay of risk factors. Participants: The Dutch sample consisted of 4090 mothers and 3973 fathers who had a newborn and received health-and developmental checks between October 2001 and November 2002. MethodsRisk factors were assessed using the Instrument for Identification of Parents at Risk for Child Abuse and Neglect (IPARAN) and child maltreatment was defined as a verified report at Child Protection Services in a period of 3-years following completion of the IPARAN. McNemar tests and network analyses were performed. ResultsResults demonstrated that the majority of assessed risk factors were related to perpetrating future child maltreatment for both fathers and mothers. In general, risk factors were more prevalent in mothers than in fathers. Inability to ask for help was the risk factor that was most prevalent for both mothers (22.4%) and fathers (22%). The risk factors worries about raising the child, unhappy during pregnancy, and losing control when angry were more strongly related to future child maltreatment in mothers compared to fathers, whereas risk factors related to their own child maltreatment in the past and experiencing a lack of support were more impactful for fathers compared to mothers. For fathers and mothers, belief in physical punishment and risk factors related to their own history of child maltreatment were most central. ConclusionsOverall, these findings underscore the importance of considering the long-lasting, intergenerational effects of child maltreatment. Intergenerational trauma may put parents at a higher risk of becoming perpetrators; our network results confirm that these risk factors deserve an important spot in prevention efforts.

Applications of artificial intelligence in predicting the risk of child abuse: A literature review

Child abuse is a major problem in most of the developing and developed countries. Medical practitioners and law enforcement authorities have often tried to tackle the problem using several conventional approaches. Nevertheless, there are other modern methods to screen, detect, and predict child abuse using artificial intelligence (AI). Therefore, this article aimed to critically review the currently available AI tools including data mining, computer-aided drawing systems, self-drawing tools, and neural networks used in child abuse screening.