Reported Child Abuse Research Articles

Overcoming barriers to recognizing and reporting child abuse.

Infants and children under age 3 years have the highest risk of dying from child abuse and neglect. Clinicians treating children must recognize and report child abuse. Barriers to consistent recognition and reporting leave children in harm's way. Often, the signs of abuse in very young children are subtle, and clinicians may fail to recognize and report these signs. Clinicians also must understand the role of bias in the reporting of child abuse and ways to address abuse individually and as part of a larger system.

Does a child maltreatment report source predict differences in immediate and subsequent report outcomes?

BackgroundMandated reporting policies, a core response to the identification of child maltreatment, are widely debated. Currently, there are calls to abolish or scale back these policies to include only certain professionals. These calls warrant evaluation of whether there are any differences in child welfare outcomes based on report source. ObjectiveTo determine if the initial report source predicts immediate and long-term risk of re-referral, substantiation, and placement. Participants and settingWe used yearly National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) hotline report and placement data. Children (0-14y) with a first ever hotline report in 2012–2014 were followed for three years. The final sample included 2,101,397 children from 32 states. MethodsWe use descriptive and bivariate statistics to show initial report outcomes by reporter source type and logistic regression models to evaluate the effect of report source on immediate and subsequent report outcomes. ResultsProfessional sources varied in levels of substantiation and placement, with law enforcement, medical, and social service sources showing much higher rates. Reports from professional sources have higher odds of initial report substantiation and foster care entry, and slightly lower odds of later re-report than nonprofessional sources. We found no differences between professional and nonprofessional sources in subsequent foster care entry. ConclusionsReports from professional, nonprofessional, and unclassified sources have varying levels of risk in some of their short- and long-term outcomes. To the degree that child protective services embrace a long-term preventative role, reports by nonprofessional report sources may provide opportunities for prevention.

Twenty-five years of child welfare data in Ontario, Canada: Examining the response of child welfare to reports of children's exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV)

BackgroundIncreases in child welfare investigations involving children's exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) in Ontario are likely the result of three factors: 1) changes to legislation, policy, and assessment instruments; 2) increased awareness of the risks of exposure to IPV for children, and 3) referrals from professionals (e.g., police). ObjectivesUsing data from 6 cycles of the Ontario Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (OIS) (1993, 1998, 2003, 2008, 2013, and 2018), this paper will examine the changes of the incidence rates of IPV exposure, providing important context for a type of investigation that is not well understood in Ontario. MethodsThe incidence of investigations where the primary concern of the investigating worker is IPV was derived and compared across OIS cycles. Investigation were compared across cycles using incidence counts. ResultsAfter the nearly 2-fold increase of investigations for all maltreatment types in Ontario between 1998 and 2003, IPV investigations are the only type that continue to increase. There is a growing gap between these investigations and substantiating child maltreatment. Rates of placement have not changed over time, remaining low. Rates of transfers and referrals have increased but not significantly. ConclusionsThe continued growth in the rate of child welfare investigations involving exposure to IPV as well as the overwhelming endorsement of substantiated exposure to IPV, while maintaining the same proportion of transfers to ongoing child welfare services and low placement rates, is a significant concern for Ontario.

Affordable Housing and Neighborhood Child Maltreatment Reports.

Reports of child maltreatment vary by neighborhood characteristics, yet the influence of housing affordability is less understood. The current study examines the relationship between reports of suspected child maltreatment and the spatial distribution of affordable housing across 2,341 census tracts in Los Angeles County, California. Bayesian conditionally autoregressive model results indicate that neighborhoods where residents paid a greater share of their income in rent had fewer reports of suspected child maltreatment, while neighborhoods with a higher number of subsidized rental units had more reports. These findings suggest that higher cost neighborhoods provide supportive resources and amenities to families which may reduce risk of child maltreatment. Subsidized housing units are more likely to be located in high poverty, under resourced neighborhoods, thus undermining the benefits of these programs to families. These findings have implications for equitable housing policy that promotes inclusive communities as a primary prevention strategy for child maltreatment.

Latin American children in Ontario child welfare: An examination of investigation disparities

Despite literature indicating that children and families of certain racial and ethnic backgrounds are more likely to experience child welfare involvement than white children and families, there is limited research on Latin American children’s child welfare involvement within the Canadian context. This study provides the first investigation of potential differences and disparities in child welfare involvement for Latin American children in Ontario, Canada, by conducting a secondary analysis of data from the Ontario Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect 2018 (OIS-2018). The OIS-2018 collected data on child protection investigations from investigating workers, including characteristics of the investigated child, their caregivers, and their household, as well as characteristics of the investigation and short-term investigative dispositions. Incidence rates and disparity indices were calculated, and descriptive and bivariate analyses compared investigations involving Latin American children to those involving white children across key characteristics. While comprising a relatively small proportion of the investigation population, Latin American children were more than twice as likely to be investigated as white children. Consistent with this investigation disparity, significant differences were also observed in rates of substantiation and placement in out-of-home care. Investigations involving Latin American families more frequently involved concerns about family violence and were more likely to be initiated by police, but they were less likely to involve concerns about child or caregiver risks. These findings underscore a need to focus on Latin American experiences in the child welfare system, their service trajectories, and practice and policy considerations that can adequately respond to this community’s unique needs.

Perspectives and experiences of preschool teachers in preventing and intervening child abuse and neglect

ABSTRACT The ability to identify and report child abuse and neglect at schools plays a significant role in protecting children and reducing the consequences of violence and abuse. This research examines how preschool teachers identify and report child abuse and neglect by focusing on their knowledge and skills in available preventions and interventions. The study sample included 25 preschool teachers from both public and private kindergartens in Türkiye. Thematic analysis was conducted on the interventions around child abuse and neglect using semi-structured interviews. The thematic analysis revealed three themes: (a) challenges in protecting children; (b) being able to identify neglect and abuse; and (c) contributing factors in child protection. Many participants demonstrated an ability to identify the consequences of child abuse and neglect. Key barriers to protecting children were the teachers’ difficulties in reporting abuse, struggles within the school environment, parents’ normalization of violence and abuse and resistance to changing their behaviors toward children. Based on these findings, a multilevel intervention approach was recommended to address child abuse and neglect in school settings, emphasizing the need for coordinated responses.

Policies to reduce child poverty and child maltreatment: A scoping review and preliminary estimates of indirect effects

This study includes a scoping review of prior studies investigating the effects of policy changes on child poverty rates. It further conducts an empirical analysis to estimate the relationship between child poverty rates and child maltreatment report (CMR) rates, utilizing national county-level data. The study then calculates the indirect effects of policy changes on CMR rates, mediated through child poverty rates, by integrating information from previous studies with its own empirical findings. Among the policy changes explored in prior studies, those related to a child allowance and a fully refundable Child Tax Credit demonstrate the largest indirect effects but also the highest costs. The expansion of in-kinds and near-cash benefits, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits and housing vouchers, shows moderate effects with moderate costs. Tax credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit exhibit lower effects and costs when targeted at the lowest earners, and moderate effects and costs for broader expansion. Focused tax credits, such as the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, had lower effects and costs, even if made fully refundable. Despite certain limitations, the study's approach yields consistent estimates with a recent simulation study, indicating its potential validity. While some proposed policy changes may seem expensive, implementing them is anticipated to substantially reduce CMR rates, with the benefits outweighing the associated costs. Overall, the findings suggest that addressing child poverty to reduce CMRs is an attractive strategy with numerous potential benefits.

유아교사의 아동학대 신고의도에 영향을 미치는 요인 분석

Objectives The purpose of this study is to analyze the factors affecting the intention of early childhood teachers to report child abuse.
 Methods After conducting a survey of 404 early childhood teachers on perceived severity, perceived benefits, perceived disability, self-efficacy, and intention to report child abuse, the data were analyzed using the SPSS 18.0 program. To analyze the average difference between groups, t-test and one-way variable analysis were con-ducted, and multiple regression analysis was conducted to identify variables that affect early childhood teachers' intention to report child abuse.
 Results Early childhood teachers are mandatory reporter of child abuse and are an important job group in early de-tection and intervention of child abuse. In a situation where the mortality rate of child abuse under the age of 6 is remarkably high, it is very important to increase the reporting rate of child abuse by early childhood teachers. Accordingly, based on the health belief model, the factors influencing early childhood teachers' intention to report child abuse were analyzed.
 Conclusions Data analysis revealed that perceived severity and self-efficacy among the variables had a significant impact on the intention to report child abuse, and based on the results a plan to increase the report rate of child abuse by early childhood teachers was proposed.

Development and psychometric evaluation of the reporting suspected child abuse and neglect (RSCAN) scale for United States registered nurses

PurposeIn the United States (US), nurses have a mandated duty to report child abuse and neglect (CAN). Despite comprising the highest proportion of the US healthcare workforce, limited research has explored the institutional barriers they face in reporting suspected CAN. Furthermore, there is no existing valid and reliable measure of reporting relevant to US. The purpose of this research is to develop and psychometrically evaluate a scale to measure nurse knowledge and self-efficacy as CAN mandated reporters. Design and methodsThe Reporting Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect (RSCAN) tool was developed from two existing international tools to examine institutional barriers and facilitators to US nurses' professional knowledge and reporting of CAN. A convenience sample of one hundred and sixty-six US nurses primarily from the Pacific Northwest responded to an online survey. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and Cronbach's α were used to examine validity and internal consistency, respectively, of an initial 16-item scale. ResultsA two-factor model consisting of eight items indicated good model fit (CFI = 0.986, RMSEA = 0.049, and SRMR = 0.028) and was internally consistent (Cronbach's α = 0.822). ConclusionRSCAN is the first US instrument to reliably measure nurses' professional knowledge and self-efficacy of reporting suspected CAN. Practice implicationsFuture research can build upon these findings to recognize and support nurses in their mandated role to report CAN.

What do child maltreatment reports to child protective services tell us about the needs families and communities are experiencing?

Intake reports from child protective service (CPS) agencies are the foundation for subsequent decisions and services within the child welfare system. They provide valuable information for understanding children’s needs, yet the unstructured way that information is captured makes the information ascertained in these reports difficult to summarize. Utilizing CPS intake reports from a mid-sized urban county in the southeastern United States (N = 2,724), our study had three aims: (1) develop a coding system to abstract information from narrative CPS intake reports, (2) examine the prevalence of maltreatment subtypes, and (3) compare prevalence of maltreatment subtypes by screen-in/screen-out decisions. Improper discipline/physical abuse was the most common maltreatment subtype (34.6 %); over 40 % of reports involved a physical act toward the child not resulting in injury. Salient risk factors included caregiver drug use (20.6 %) and domestic violence (19 %). While substantialdiscrepancieswere not foundbetween screened-in and screened-out caseswith respect tomaltreatment types,maltreatment type-specific codes, or contributory factors, they were found for reporter typeand child age. Our coding system to extract and assess child maltreatment intake narrative data can provide local agencies with descriptive information about why children come to their agency’s attention and provide nuanced details regarding the children’s and families’ needs. This coding framework could be used to develop validated intake tools to better document and categorize child maltreatment which could inform the assessment/investigation process and create targeted prevention and intervention services for families that come to the attention of CPS.

State variations in child maltreatment reports among adolescents in the United States

ABSTRACT Understanding child maltreatment on a national level is complicated by lack of consistency in definitions of abuse and reporting by state. Adolescents experience child maltreatment, but responses to their maltreatment likely differ from younger children due to differences in development and vulnerability. The present study examined state variations of adolescent child protective systems reports using data from the 2015–2019 NCANDS. We calculated the rates of maltreatment reports, substantiations, and maltreatment subtypes per 1,000 adolescents in the population. Findings revealed wide variations across all three measured rates. Examining state variations involved with CPS is critical to informing policy and practice solutions.

Genetic Contributions to Reported Childhood Maltreatment: What It Means and How It Could Mean More

Genetic Contributions to Reported Childhood Maltreatment: What It Means and How It Could Mean More

유아교사와 부모의 관계에서 교권침해 경험의 현상학적 연구

Objectives Essentially understand the experience and phenomenon of teacher rights infringement cases in the relationship between kindergarten and daycare center teachers and their parents, derive the experience and coping process of teacher rights infringement, experience in solving, and demands for improvement plans through interviews and in-depth techniques, and effectively in the educational field application was proposed.
 Methods Fourteen teachers with experience of teaching rights infringement at kindergartens and daycare centers located in Incheon were selected as the study subjects. The research data collection was conducted from June 2, 2023 to June 27, 2023 through focus group interviews, one-on-one interviews, group face-to-face interactions, and web-based interactions tailored to the circumstances of the research participants, and qualitative data analysis procedures According to the phenomenological research method of interpretation, coding, and classification, it was analyzed.
 Results The experiences of teacher rights infringement were ‘infringement of teacher authority experienced by parents’, ‘experience of power abuse as a target for venting anger from parents’, ‘experience of helplessness and realistic fear coming from situational limitations’, ‘harsh social standards for early childhood teachers’, infringement of teacher authority The coping process was ‘things that early childhood teachers should strive to establish teaching rights’, ‘experiences of dealing with when they felt infringed on teaching rights’, and ‘factors hindering the establishment of teaching rights by early childhood teachers’. Efforts to establish teacher authority' and ‘preparation of measures to establish teacher authority’ were found.
 Conclusions The significance of this research is that it pays attention to the experience and coping process of kindergarten and daycare teachers who have been infringed upon by their parents, applies a phenomenological research method to deeply explore the essential meaning of the experienced phenomenon, examines the experience of teacher rights infringement, and proposes improvement measures. have meaning Expecting to help prepare effective support measures for kindergartens and day care centers, social implications for recognition of early childhood teachers' teacher status, establishment of teaching rights from early childhood education, and punishment for reporting child abuse without complaint were suggested.

Child Welfare Investigations of Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence Referred by Medical Professionals in Ontario: A Uniquely Vulnerable Population?

Victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) and their children may be at an increased risk for negative health outcomes and may present to healthcare settings. The objective of the current study is to examine the profile of medical-referred child welfare investigations of exposure to IPV in Ontario, Canada. Data from the Ontario Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect 2018 were used. We compared medical-referred investigations with all other investigations of exposure to IPV. Descriptive and bivariate analyses as well as a logistic regression predicting transfers to ongoing services were conducted. Six percent of investigations of exposure to IPV conducted in Ontario in 2018 were referred by a medical source. Compared to other investigations of exposure to IPV, these investigations were more likely to involve younger children (p = 0.005), caregivers with mental health issues (p < 0.001) and few social supports (p = 0.004), and households noted to be overcrowded (p = 0.001). After controlling for clinical case characteristics, investigations of exposure to IPV referred by healthcare sources were 3.452 times as likely to be kept open for ongoing child welfare services compared to those referred by other sources (95% CI [2.024, 5.886]; p < 0.001). Children and their families who are identified in healthcare settings for concerns of exposure to IPV tend to receive extended child welfare intervention compared to those identified elsewhere. There is a clear difference in service provision in healthcare-originating investigations of exposure to IPV versus investigations originating from other sources. Further research into the services provided to victims of IPV and their children is needed.

Responding to social and emotional vulnerability: Child welfare investigations involving older adolescents

AbstractIn 2018, the child welfare system in Ontario, Canada, expanded the age of protection to include 16 and 17 year olds for the purpose of mitigating risk of harm for older adolescents. To date, there is little information regarding investigations of older adolescents, particularly in Ontario; this study will address this gap. Data used for this analysis were drawn from the Ontario Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect‐2018. The Ontario Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect‐2018 sample data were weighted to derive an annual incidence estimate of 155 649 maltreatment‐related investigations conducted in Ontario in 2018. Child, caregiver, household, and investigation characteristics were compared across three age groups: children (0–10), younger adolescents (11–15), and older adolescents (16–17). Characteristics and differences in the likelihood of a service response (referral to nonchild welfare services, transfer to ongoing child welfare services, or placement in out‐of‐home care during the investigation) were examined descriptively and using chi‐square automatic interaction detection. Half of investigations involving older adolescents received a service response, and they were more likely to receive a service response when there were concerns about future risk of harm, where there were concerns about the relationship between the adolescent and their caregivers, where internalizing or externalizing symptoms were noted, where caregivers had few social supports, and where the household experienced economic hardship. These findings suggest that older adolescents are being triaged for circumstances that reflect concerns about their vulnerability, including mental health needs, attachment concerns, and caregiver isolation.

Counts and child protection reports of diagnosed child maltreatment before and after the COVID-19 pandemic onset

BackgroundMechanisms for reporting child maltreatment (CM) were affected by changes in service provision immediately following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. ObjectiveTo examine changes in counts and CPS reporting of CM medical encounters before and after the onset of COVID-19. Participants and settingAll emergency department and inpatient medical encounters with at least one CM diagnosis during the study period at Rady Children's Hospital San Diego, the largest pediatric hospital in California between 2016 and November 2021. MethodsUsing linked medical record and CPS administrative data, interrupted time series models tested for changes in monthly counts and percentages of CM medical encounters reported to CPS with the onset of COVID-19. Logistic regression tested for the likelihood of a CPS report being associated with a CM encounter. ResultsCM medical encounters totaled 2528, including 793 after the onset of COVID-19. Interrupted time series models indicated with the onset of the pandemic, the counts of CM encounters increased 18 % (RR: 1.18, 95 % CI 1.03–1.34) and the percentages reported to CPS increased 10 % (RR: 1.10, 95 % CI: 1.05–1.17). CM encounters that occurred after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic had increased odds of a CPS report (fully adjusted model: OR: 1.08; 95 % CI: 1.05–1.12). ConclusionsThis study found increases in monthly counts and a higher percentage of CM medical encounters with CPS reports after the pandemic onset.

Contextual determinants of re-reporting for families receiving alternative response: A survival analysis in a Midwestern State

Differential response (DR) has been widely adopted in over 30 states to address shortcomings of the traditional approach to child maltreatment reports in complex family and case circumstances. However, despite continued evaluation efforts, evidence of the effectiveness of DR remains inconclusive. The current study aims to assess the impact of a DR program and potential predictors, including service match and number of family case workers, on maltreatment re-reports in a Midwestern state. The study utilized a randomized control trial and assigned eligible families to either the Alternative Response (AR) track or Traditional Response (TR) track. The enrollment was implemented in a phased rollout covering all counties in the state. Data were drawn from state child welfare administrative datasets and case worker surveys. The probability and time to re-reporting was calculated using survival analysis, while adjusting for case-level covariates. Prior ongoing case (HR = 3.24, p < 0.001), high risk level (HR = 1.43, p < 0.05), and having only one worker (HR = 1.92, p < 0.001) serve the case were strong predictors of re-reporting. The effect of service match within each level of prior ongoing case (No, Yes) was also a significant predictor of re-reporting (p < 0.05). AR had limited, but nonsignificant, impact on preventing re-reporting after adjusting for these factors, as there was no difference in terms of re-reporting between DR tracks. However, findings suggest that matching child welfare service with family needs is an important component of child welfare practice. Implications for DR policy and practice are discussed.

부모의 자녀학대를 발견한 어린이집 보육교직원의 아동학대 신고과정 경험연구

Objectives This study aimed to investigate the experience of childcare center staff in the process of reporting child abuse after identifying parent-to-child abuse.&#x0D; Methods The directors and staff at three childcare centers in Seoul, South Korea, who had experience discovering and reporting parent-to-child abuse were interviewed individually. The experience and process of child abuse reporting were analyzed inductively according to the steps of the Grounded Theory of Strauss &amp; Corbin (1998).&#x0D; Results The open coding of the childcare center staff experience and process of child abuse reporting resulted in six categories: ‘factors of child abuse reporting’, ‘situational context leading to child abuse reporting’, ‘challenges in child abuse reporting’, ‘reporting of child abuse by childcare center staff', ‘response strategy: internal vs. external’ , ‘result of child abuse reporting’. The axial coding enabled the construction of a paradigm model and a step-by-step reporting process. The selective coding enabled the integration and development of all categories based on the core category of conflict and change.&#x0D; Conclusions The process of reporting child abuse by daycare center employees went through stages of shock, anger, conflict, compensation and regret, and change after reporting. Recognizing the significance of reporting to prevent child abuse and the need for institutional devices, this study discussed efficient support measures for mandatory child abuse reporters in the childcare sector.

Variables affecting the attitudes of teachers and school principals in reporting child abuse: An analysis of demographic characteristics, awareness, and self-efficacy

BackgroundTeachers and school principals have an important role in the lives of children because they spend so much time with them, creating trusting relationships that make it easier to disclose abuse events. As a result, it's critical to look at the factors that influence teachers' and principals' attitudes towards reporting child abuse. ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to look at the factors that influence preschool teachers, primary school teachers, and school principals (N = 432) attitudes towards reporting child abuse in a Turkish sample. Participants and settingThe study comprised 432 participants, including preschool teachers, primary school teachers, and school principals. Seniority, educational levels, knowledge of abuse, awareness of abuse, and self-efficacy were among the criteria considered while analysing the participants. MethodsThe study employed a survey model to assess the attitudes of the participants. Seniority, educational levels, knowledge of abuse, awareness of abuse, and self-efficacy were all considered predictors of attitudes towards reporting abuse. ResultsThe investigation found that elementary school teachers were more likely than other participants to report abuse. The branch of education, awareness of sexual abuse, and self-efficacy were found to be important predictors of attitudes towards reporting abuse in a hierarchical analysis. The complete study report will include specific effect sizes and their statistical significance. ConclusionsThe findings of this study contribute to a better understanding of the factors influencing teachers' and principals' attitudes towards reporting child abuse in Turkey. Primary school teachers had more favourable attitudes, with the education branch, awareness of sexual abuse, and self-efficacy emerging as important predictors.

Who makes the call? Examining the relationship between child maltreatment referral sources and case outcomes in the United States, 2008-2018

BackgroundResearch shows general increases in child maltreatment reports in the U.S. However, less is understood about how reporting varies across states and changes over time, from a perspective of referral sources. While recent studies during COVID-19 reported a reduction in maltreatment referrals, predominantly school referrals, little research has examined changes in maltreatment referrals by referral sources before the pandemic and how different referral sources are associated with case outcomes, particularly out-of-home placement. ObjectivesThis study examined 1) variations across states and changes over time in maltreatment reporting by referral source and 2) the relationship between referral sources type and two case outcomes: substantiated maltreatment and out-of-home placement. Participants and settingWe used 2008–2018 data (N = 24,349,293) from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System. MethodsWe used descriptive trend analysis and pooled, fixed effects binary logistic regression. ResultsWe found gradual increases in reporting during 2008–2018, with substantial variations across states and referral sources. States rely differently on certain reporter types, while we see the largest increase in education referrals and a small decrease in social services referrals. Regression results showed that education referrals were less likely to result in out-of-home placement; law enforcement referrals were most likely to be substantiated, while social service referrals were most likely to result in out-of-home placement. ConclusionThis study makes unique contributions to literature by expanding our knowledge of referral sources and examining the likelihood of substantiation and out-of-home placement by referral source type. We provide child welfare policy and practice implications.