Reported Child Abuse Research Articles

Organizational factors affecting nurses’ tendency to report child abuse and neglect

To examine the factors that affect the tendency of nurses working in mother and child health clinics (MCHC) to report child abuse to the authorities. Cross-sectional survey. Three hundred and forty-one female nurses working in MCHC across Israel. (1) Social and organizational variables; (2) the tendency to report child abuse and neglect; (3) attitudes toward reporting child abuse and neglect. On average, the participants perceived that they have good collaboration with other staff members and with welfare services. They showed a favorable attitude toward reporting child abuse, but less than half (44.8%) would report child abuse suspicion to the authorities. None of the organizational variables (MCHC type, collaboration among staff, collaboration with welfare services) were correlated with the tendency to report child abuse and neglect, yet all three variables were significantly correlated with attitudes toward reporting child abuse. Nurses' attitudes toward reporting were mediated by the organizational variables. The effect of the organizational factors on the actual tendency to report child abuse is mediated by nurses' attitude toward reporting. Organizational constraints probably encourage MCHC nurses to be cautious before reporting child abuse and neglect to the authorities, restricting adherence to the law, which requires direct reporting.

The case for a diversion option to trauma-informed community-based primary mental health services for young people following early encounters with police.

There is a convergence between the peak age of onset of mental illness, offending behaviour and associated risk of crime victimization. This study compared self-reported childhood maltreatment and mental health outcomes among a cohort of help-seeking young people who disclosed either a prior criminal charge, crime victimization, or both, to those who did not report any such experiences. The outcomes may inform the development of a diversion option for young people at a first or early encounter with police. The Transitions Study (N= 802; mean age=18.3 years; 66% female) baseline and 12-month follow-up data were analysed in relation to childhood maltreatment (Childhood Trauma Questionnaire) and changes in mental health (Kessler Psychological Distress Scale and Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale) among young people attending headspace centres in Australia. Outcomes were compared between those young people reporting a prior criminal charge and/or crime victimization and those who did not. Young people who reported a prior criminal charge or crime victimization reported higher frequency and severity of childhood maltreatment, than those who did not. Both groups reported a reduction in psychological distress following youth mental health service access at 12-month follow-up, however functional improvement was only evident for young people who did not report a prior criminal charge or crime victimization. Higher rates of reported childhood maltreatment and reduced psychological distress following service access supports trialling a diversion option to a trauma-informed community-based primary mental health service for young people following an early encounter with police.

Domestic Violence Alleged in California Child Maltreatment Reports During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, reports to child abuse and neglect hotlines have dropped significantly across the United States. Yet, during this same period, calls to domestic violence hotlines have increased. The purpose of this study was to examine if there have been measurable changes in domestic violence-related reports to child abuse and neglect hotlines. Using administrative child protection records from California, we plotted counts and proportions of child maltreatment reports with and without domestic violence allegations before and through the onset of school closures associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. We used an interrupted time series analysis to evaluate whether or not there was a change in domestic violence allegations in child protection reports corresponding to the COVID-19 pandemic. We document that during the first two quarters of 2020 there was a 14.3% drop in the overall number of child protection reports. Despite a decline in maltreatment reporting overall, there was a 25% increase in the proportion of reports with allegations of domestic violence. Our findings suggest both the count and composition of reports to child protection agencies were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The current analyses also showcase the seasonality of CPS reports generally, and reports with DV allegations, specifically.

Adult retrospective report of child abuse and prospective indicators of childhood harm: a population birth cohort study

BackgroundWe aim to determine whether adult retrospective report of child abuse is associated with greater risk of prospectively assessed harmful environments in childhood. We assessed possible recall basis by adult depression status.MethodsAt 45 years, participants of the 1958 British birth cohort (N = 9308) reported a range of abuse types (by 16 years). Prospective data, ages 7–16 years, were obtained for impoverished upbringing, hazardous conditions, anti-social behaviours and 16 years poor parent-child relationships. We estimated associations between retrospective report of child abuse and prospectively measured harm using (i) odds ratios (ORs, 95% confidence intervals) and (ii) positive predictive values (PPVs). PPVs were calculated stratified by adult depression status.ResultsPrevalence of retrospectively reported abuse ranged from 10.7% (psychological) to 1.60% (sexual) and 14.8% reported ≥ 1 type; prospectively recorded harm ranged from 10% (hazardous conditions/poor parent-child relationships) to 20% (anti-social behaviours). Adults retrospectively reporting abuse were more likely to have had harmful childhood environments: 52.4% had ≥ 1 indicator of harm (vs. 35.6% among others); ORsex-adjusted for poor relationships with parents was 2.98 (2.50, 3.54). For retrospectively reported (vs. none) abuse, there was a trend of increasing relative risk ratio with number of harms, from 1.75 (1.50, 2.03) for 1 to 4.68 (3.39, 6.45) for 3/4 childhood harms. The PPV of ≥ 1 prospectively recorded harm did not differ between depressed (0.58 (0.52, 0.64)) and non-depressed (0.58 (0.55, 0.61)) groups.ConclusionsIn a population cohort, adult retrospective report of child abuse was associated with several harms, prospectively measured from childhood to adolescence, providing support for the validity of retrospective report-based research. Findings suggest retrospectively reported child abuse is not biased by depression in adulthood.

Adult mental health and child maltreatment: An ecological study across rural-urban and economic continua with implications for post-pandemic human services.

This ecological, county-level, cross-sectional study examines relationships between the mental health of adults (IV) and child maltreatment report rates (DV), as they vary by socioeconomic distress and rurality (n = 3015 counties), using the most recent available data from several linked sources. In a two-way model, maltreatment reports increased 20.1% for each additional half day of poor mental health in metro counties, 11.7% in nonmetro counties, and 13% in rural counties. Our zero-inflated negative binomial model, moderated by rurality and economic distress, showed a significant relationship between the number of poor mental health days and increased child maltreatment report rates in counties (χ2 = 145.52, p < 0.0001). Investment in prevention and treatment of adult mental health concerns is imperative, especially in light of the increase in mental health problems caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and increased tension within national political debate. Our results indicate successful support of adult mental health will prevent child maltreatment and reduce the cyclical financial burden of child maltreatment and mental health concerns.

The neglected ones: Time at home during COVID-19 and child maltreatment

The early months of the COVID-19 pandemic led to extreme social isolation, precarious employment and job loss, working from home while tending to children, and limited access to public services. The confluence of these factors likely affects child health and well-being. We combine early release child maltreatment reports in Indiana with unique and newly available mobile phone movement data to better understand the relationship between staying at home intensively during the COVID-19 pandemic and child maltreatment. Our findings indicate that the prolonged stays at home promoted by the early public health response to COVID-19 resulted in reductions in child maltreatment reports overall and substantiated reports of maltreatment. However, relative to areas that stayed home less, children in areas that stayed home more were more likely to be both reported for and a confirmed victim of maltreatment, particularly neglect. These areas have historically been socioeconomically advantaged and experienced lower rates of maltreatment. We only observe increases in confirmed child maltreatment in metropolitan counties, suggesting that the effects of staying home on child maltreatment may reflect both the differential risk of leaving home and access to services in metropolitan–rather than non-metropolitan–counties. Staying at home has been challenging for many families. Families likely need assistance as the pandemic persists, evolves, and when it ends.

Effects of a structured online educational program course on nursing students' attitudes toward gender roles and women and children's violence abuse reports: A quasi-experimental evaluation

BackgroundIt is important to know the rights of women and children while shaping attitudes toward gender roles, violence against women, and reporting child abuse. To shape attitudes toward reporting abuse, women's and children's rights courses should be integrated into undergraduate nursing curriculum. It is important to develop positive attitudes of nursing students toward gender roles, violence against women, and reporting child abuse. ObjectivesThe aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of a “women's–children's rights” online-educational program in a nursing curricula. DesignA pretest–posttest follow-up with a control group quasi-experimental trial. SettingsNursing department of the state university in Turkey. ParticipantsFourth-year students (N = 62) of a nursing department at the state university in Turkey constituted the study sample. The students were divided into two groups: education and control groups with each group comprising 31 fourth-year nursing students. MethodsThe education group took the women's–children's rights online-course, whereas the control group did not. In both groups, baseline assessments were performed online using the “Gender Roles Attitude Scale,” “Violence Against Women Attitude Scale,” and “Healthcare Provider Attitudes Toward Child Maltreatment Reporting Scale.” The posttest (T1) was conducted immediately after the 14-week course was completed. Follow-up was performed after 1 month (T2). Numbers, percentages, chi-square test, t-test, Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, Pearson's correlation, and Duncan's test were conducted using SPSS 20.00 software. ResultsThe education group's scores of attitudes toward gender roles, violence against women, and reporting child abuse/neglect were significantly higher than those of the control group (p < 0.05). After the online program, a significant difference between the groups and between the measurements was observed in the education group (p < 0.05). ConclusionsThe women's–children's rights online-course is an effective method in educating and enriching nursing students on women's and children's rights.

Adverse childhood experiences and substance misuse in young people in India: results from the multisite cVEDA cohort

BackgroundAdverse childhood experiences (ACEs) increases vulnerability to externalising disorders such as substance misuse. The study aims to determine the prevalence of ACEs and its association with substance misuse.MethodsData from the Consortium on Vulnerability to Externalising Disorders and Addictions (cVEDA) in India was used (n = 9010). ACEs were evaluated using the World Health Organisation (WHO) Adverse Childhood Experiences International Questionnaire whilst substance misuse was assessed using the WHO Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test. A random-effects, two-stage individual patient data meta-analysis explained the associations between ACEs and substance misuse with adjustments for confounders such as sex and family structure.Results1 in 2 participants reported child maltreatment ACEs and family level ACEs. Except for sexual abuse, males report more of every individual childhood adversity and are more likely to report misusing substances compared with females (87.3% vs. 12.7%). In adolescents, family level ACEs (adj OR 4.2, 95% CI 1.5–11.7) and collective level ACEs (adj OR 6.6, 95% CI 1.4–31.1) show associations with substance misuse whilst in young adults, child level ACEs such as maltreatment show similar strong associations (adj OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.1–3.5).ConclusionACEs such as abuse and domestic violence are strongly associated with substance misuse, most commonly tobacco, in adolescent and young adult males in India. The results suggest enhancing current ACE resilience programmes and ‘trauma-informed’ approaches to tackling longer-term impact of ACEs in India.FundingNewton Bhabha Grant jointly funded by the Medical Research Council, UK (MR/N000390/1) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR/MRC-UK/3/M/2015-NCD-I).

Breastfeeding Duration and Reported Child Maltreatment in a Population-based Alaskan Birth Cohort

Breastfeeding Duration and Reported Child Maltreatment in a Population-based Alaskan Birth Cohort

Influence of the GABA Receptor Subunit Gene Polymorphism and Childhood Sexual Abuse on Processing Speed in Major Depression and Suicide Attempt.

Background: Suicide is moderately heritable and also more common in those who report childhood abuse. Previously, it was found that allele A of GABRG2 (GABA A receptor subunit gamma2) polymorphism rs211034 was protective in a suicide attempt (SA). Hence, it was proposed that rs211034 may interact with childhood trauma to influence cognitive deficits related to SA or depression risk. Genetic variants may predict the benefits of certain cognitive treatments.Methods: A total of 52 individuals who had attempted suicide, 59 individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) or bipolar depression who had not previously attempted suicide, and 90 healthy volunteers were subjected to the modified Suicide Stroop task and were clinically assessed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and Hamilton Depression Scale-24 items (HAMD-24). rs211034 was genotyped using Sanger sequencing.Results: After correcting for covariates, depressed participants displayed longer reaction times for all emotional conditions, including suicide-related words, compared with healthy controls. Depressed suicide attempters displayed longer reaction times for negative words than depressed non-attempters. Depressed non-attempters displayed higher interference scores for negative words compared with healthy controls. There was an interaction between rs211034 risk allele and the effects of reported childhood sexual abuse (CSA) on reaction time for all emotional words and suicide-related words. Carriers of the rs211034 risk allele A exhibited shorter reaction times, but the protective effects of this allele were eliminated in those exposed to reported CSA.Conclusion: Only limited results were found regarding effects of a past suicide attempt on response times to emotional and suicide-related words, but there was an overall effect of major depression on slower response time. Protective genetic effects of the rs211034 A allele on this slowing were eliminated in those with a history of sexual abuse during childhood. Further research is needed to better characterize the mechanisms underlying the effects of childhood trauma on these genetic effects.

Mandated Reporter Training for Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Students Using Virtual Simulation and Community Collaboration: A Pilot Event

BackgroundChild maltreatment has significant impact on the health and wellness of children and is a public health concern. Healthcare professionals are legally obligated mandated reporters in many states but make up only a small number of positive child maltreatment reports even when direct patient contact occurs. MethodsEight pediatric nurse practitioner students, four standard patients (SP), four community volunteers, and three faculty participated in a virtual SP event simulation. Students prepared with assignments and interactive lectures on child abuse and mandated reporting. They were asked to discuss concerning findings with SPs and complete a simulated report or concern. Standardized, evidence based, debriefing practices were utilized following the simulation to increase retention. This was determined by institutional review board to be quality improvement. ResultsStudents, faculty, and community members reported positive learning experiences, and preparation for future clinical practice. Limitations included small class size, limited data collected due to timing and nature of the event. ConclusionsThe use of virtual simulation in child maltreatment and mandated reporting education is an effective method of preparation for clinical practice. Future research on effectiveness of training and expansion to multidisciplinary events could benefit future practice.

Mandatory reporting of child abuse/neglect among substance use counselors

ABSTRACT Substance use counselors are in a unique position to intervene when exposed to suspected abuse of children. However, mandatory reporting habits of substance use counselors have seen little attention in empirical research. The purpose of this study was to quantify the frequency of mandatory reports of child abuse and/or neglect among substance use counselors. Further, binary and ordinal regression models were used to determine if personal and/or professional characteristics are predictive of reporting frequency. A total of 241 substance use counselors were recruited from national addiction organizations. Results from both the ordinal and binary logistic regressions identified dual-licensure status as a significant positive predictor and a lack of knowledge of the symptoms of child abuse and neglect as a significant negative predictor of reporting behaviors. Given the relationship between reporting habits and knowledge of abuse/neglect, substance use counselors must increase declarative, procedural, and conditional knowledge in order to increase adherence to mandated reporting.

A national survey of pediatric emergency medicine physicians on improving education in child maltreatment recognition and reporting child abuse & neglect

BackgroundChild maltreatment is an important public health problem with serious consequences. Even in the face of increased research and enhanced public awareness over the last decade, the rate of child fatalities due to reported child maltreatment has increased. ObjectiveThis study describes pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) physicians' knowledge, training, confidence, and barriers in recognition and reporting suspected child maltreatment. Participants and settingA nationally representative sample of PEM physician members of Pediatric Emergency Medicine Collaborative Research Committee (PEM CRC) participated. MethodsA cross-sectional 36-item survey study of PEM physicians with content domains including provider knowledge, preparedness, confidence, and barriers to identifying and reporting child maltreatment was conducted and distributed. Results113 of 486 members completed the survey. Confidence with recognizing and reporting child abuse (95%) was greater than in child neglect (88%). Knowledge in child maltreatment recognition and reporting was significantly correlated with confidence in reporting and recognition (p < 0.001). There was a significant relationship between knowledge and confidence for respondents from states with training in child maltreatment recognition and reporting requirement as a condition of licensure and re-licensure compared to states without the requirement (p < 0.01). Qualitative responses revealed insightful themes to improve child maltreatment training, recognition and reporting. ConclusionOur national survey study demonstrates that PEM-trained physicians have high confidence and knowledge with the management of child maltreatment, and that inclusion of mandated child maltreatment training in residency/fellowship and mandated training for medical licensure in all states could improve child maltreatment recognition and reporting.

Examining Child Maltreatment-Related Investigations of Children from Newcomer and non-Newcomer Households in Ontario, Canada

Objectives: The study aims to further the understanding of child welfare involvement with Newcomer families in Ontario, Canada in 2018. This study examines a) the rate and characteristics of child maltreatment-related investigations involving Newcomer families and b) differences in child maltreatment-related investigations between Newcomer and non-Newcomer families.Methods: This study is a secondary data analysis of the Ontario Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect-2018 (OIS-2018). Using Statistics Canada Census Data, the Population-based Disparity Index (PDI) was calculated for Newcomer and non-Newcomer families. Descriptive and bivariate chi-square analyses were conducted to determine characteristics of investigations involving Newcomer and non-Newcomer households.Results: The PDI of the incidence of maltreatment-related investigations involving children under the age of 15 from Newcomer households versus non-Newcomer households in Ontario in 2018 is 2.48.Implications: The findings suggest that a child maltreatment-related investigation is more than twice as likely to occur if the investigation involves a child from a Newcomer household, when compared a non-Newcomer household in Ontario. This study demonstrates a need for further collaboration with Newcomer communities and their social service providers to better understand risk factors of child welfare involvement, and to increase protective factors for children from Newcomer families.

Identification and Reporting of Child Abuse: The Effect of an Educational Programme on the Attitude, Knowledge and Behaviours of a Sample of Iranian Nurses

Key Practitioner Messages Iranian nurses can face difficulties in identifying and reporting suspected child abuse. Education can support Iranian nurses to identify and report suspected child abuse; learning from the government's approved Bill on the Protection of Children and Adolescents (PCA) and adhering to the PCA is therefore timely. The educational programme presented here showed promise in promoting nurses' knowledge and skills with respect to recognising and reporting child abuse in Iran.

WITHDRAWN: Impact of psychological abuse on children and social skill development

Most young children are underestimated and guilty, sometimes blame themselves for the violence. It can be painful for children to have trusted relationships and to endure solitude or harassment. The lack of awareness of the teacher about child abuse contributed to a smaller proportion of reports of child abuse. The students who have been victimized in primary school exhibit behaviors that impair their socio-emotional development including, violence, interruptions in behavior, weak feelings, and loss of social relationships. This study identifies the various factors causing psychological abuse on children and behavioral malpractices among them due to this abuse. The detailed research finds the lack of social awareness on prevention and early detection of psychological abuse in children. Therefore, this research extends this study by determining the impact of psychological abuse on children and social skill development. Thus, this qualitative research study provides a better understand ability of the optimistic view of the social skill development programs in elementary education to prevent and detect various psychological abuse. • Family factors causing psychological child abuse • Factors causing psychological child abuse in educational institutions • Determines how social skill education or individuals' social skill development

New Horizons for the Journal: Familiar Landscapes in Child Protection

New Horizons for the Journal: Familiar Landscapes in Child Protection

Evaluation of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the reporting of maltreatment cases to the National Family Safety Program in Saudi Arabia

IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic represents a global and nationwide public health crisis. Although protective, socially restrictive measures may cause social isolation, which amounts to an increased ecological risk for mental health disturbance in vulnerable populations. Previous reports have suggested a significant association between the occurrence of public health crises and increased rates of multiple risk factors related to child mental health disturbances, domestic violence, and child-maltreatment. MethodologyWe conducted a retrospective data review of reported child maltreatment cases from the National Family Safety Program during the period of September 2019 to September 2020. A descriptive analysis approach was used to compare rates before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. ResultsDuring COVID-19, abuse was significantly more reported by a family member than by the victims themselves or by a healthcare worker. However, before COVID-19, the offender was less often reported to be known to the victim; was both parents or the mother but was more often described as male, older, single, less educated; and currently unemployed with no significant change observed in their health status (p < 0.001). Interestingly, the predicted type of abuse also significantly differed and was more emotional or sexual than other types (p < 0.001). ConclusionThe types of abuse and the characteristics of both abused children and offenders saw significant changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sexual and emotional abuses were reported more frequently, and the male gender is considered to feature more commonly in reports prior to the pandemic era than during the pandemic.

Settler Colonial Structures of Domestication: British Home Children in Canada

There has been a surge of research on Home Children in the past several decades, as the phenomenon previously unknown to many came into the spotlight. However, much of the historical research has focused on either the psychological and physical impacts on the children at the hands of their new “families” (there were many reports of child abuse and neglect) or the ways they were saved from their poverty in Britain by being sent to the colonies. This article will put this existing historical research into conversation with theories of settler colonialism, considering Home Children as a tool of domestication for the social reproduction of Canadian white settler society, which was paired with the forced removal of Indigenous peoples from their lands. This analysis stems from and is intertwined with personal reflections on my own family history as a white settler woman descending from a Home Child to explore the gendered labour of social reproduction as a crucial pillar in creating and maintaining settler colonial Canada. Following Lorenzo Veracini’s argument that settler colonialism is a distinct structure that uses domestication as one of its key tenets and relies on its “regenerative capacity”, this paper will explore how British Home Children were a key component of settler colonialism in Canada and how this history has manifested in the current gendered, racialized, and classed politics of “settling”.

Caregiver drug use in Ontario child welfare investigations: The need for coordinated intervention

BackgroundCaregiver substance abuse is associated with harmful parenting behaviors, increased child welfare involvement, and negative child outcomes, and the opioid epidemic has brought increased attention to the safety and wellbeing of children living with caregivers who abuse substances. ObjectiveThis paper investigates the impact of primary caregiver drug abuse concerns on child welfare investigations in Ontario, Canada and examines how different drug abuse categories impact out-of-home placements in a Canadian setting, with a focus on opioids, opiates, and morphine derivatives. Participants and settingSecondary analyses of data from the Ontario Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect 2018 (OIS-2018) were conducted. The OIS-2018 collected information on child welfare investigations from workers who conducted the investigations. The final unweighted sample of the OIS-2018 included 7590 investigations involving children under 18 years old. MethodsDescriptive and bivariate analyses were conducted as well as a logistic regression predicting out-of-home placement. ResultsInvestigations involving noted primary caregiver drug abuse concerns involved increased household and family risks as well as more intrusive forms of child welfare involvement. Results of the logistic regression controlling for family, child, and case characteristics revealed that investigations involving noted primary caregiver drug abuse were more likely to involve out-of-home placements, and investigations that involved caregivers who abused opioids specifically were approximately 3.5 times more likely to result in a placement. ConclusionsA coordinated response involving the child welfare, addictions treatment, and other allied systems is warranted to support families with substance abuse concerns and provide appropriate services.