Substantiating neglect of first nations and non-aboriginal children

First Nations (Native American) children are greatly overrepresented in the Canadian child welfare system, and disproportionality in the substantiation of maltreatment contributes to this overrepresentation. This study explores the factors driving disproportionality in the substantiation of maltreatment and, more specifically, neglect. Data from the Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (2008) are used in multivariate analyses which examine the relationship between the substantiation of maltreatment/neglect and worker assessments of case, child, household, and caregiver characteristics. These case factors fully explain disproportionality in maltreatment substantiation for First Nations and non-Aboriginal children; the disproportionality reflects underlying differences in the case, child, household and caregiver characteristics identified in First Nations and non-Aboriginal investigations. However, case factors do not fully explain disproportionality in substantiation of neglect-only investigations. Further analysis indicates that the weight that workers assigned to caregiver substance abuse, housing problems, and presence of a lone caregiver when substantiating neglect also differed for First Nations and non-Aboriginal children. Discussion of these findings explores possible explanations for these differences, and links to broader discussions around definitions of neglect and the role of substantiation in child welfare decision making processes.     

Determinants of maltreatment substantiation in a sample of infants involved with the child welfare system

Children under one year of age are highly vulnerable to child maltreatment, which can lead to serious immediate and long-term physical and mental health consequences. Child welfare workers encounter unique challenges when assessing allegations of maltreatment involving infants. This study identifies correlates of maltreatment substantiation in a sample of 793 infants less than one year of age investigated by child welfare. It is based on data from the 2003 Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (CIS-2003), a national study of reports of child maltreatment. The analysis consisted of two stages. First, bivariate analyses were conducted using unadjusted odds ratios and chi-square tests on variables known to be associated with substantiation. In the second stage, a logistic regression was performed to examine these associations in a multivariate model.Multivariate findings suggest that certain vulnerabilities present in the primary caregiver, such as substance abuse and few social supports, as well as the child's positive toxicology at birth are associated with substantiated infant maltreatment. Exposure to domestic violence, which is reported mostly by the police, and physical harm stemming from maltreatment are strongly associated with substantiation, whereas reports of physical abuse and neglect have an inverse relationship. The authors discuss these results and implications for policy and programs.     

Directions for developmental screening in child welfare based on the ages and stages questionnaires

Many young children investigated for maltreatment have developmental problems qualifying them for early intervention services, yet only a portion of these children receive such services. To address this gap, all children ages 0-3 with child welfare (CW) substantiated maltreatment in Pennsylvania are screened for developmental and socioemotional problems using the Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ). This study views screening results for over 500 children to address whether children's substantiation status, living situation, and administering worker as CW or early intervention (EI) predicts screening rates. Bivariate and logistic regression analyses were used. Results showed that 22% of children scored in the problem-range of at least one developmental area and 18% scored in the problem-range of social-emotional concerns warranting EI referral. Results of bivariate analyses showed that children who spent time in the NICU were more likely to have developmental concerns. Socioemotional concerns were related to child race, foster care living situation, child as the subject of the referral, and physical neglect. Older children and children whose referral involved lacking basic needs showed both developmental and socioemotional concerns. There were no significant differences in screening results of children with substantiated versus unsubstantiated maltreatment. Children whose screening was conducted by EI were more than three times as likely to show developmental concerns compared with those screened by CW. Child welfare workers need more support when conducting developmental screening, and policies that limit screening to children with substantiated maltreatment or to children in out-of-home care should be reconsidered.     

Describing the context and nature of emotional maltreatment reports in children

The circumstances leading to reports of emotional maltreatment are potentially unique from those of other abuse types. This study utilized data from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS), which is a federally sponsored effort requiring the submission of case-level data on all children who were subject to maltreatment investigations by state child welfare agencies. The central aims of this study were to examine case-level characteristics of sole occurrences of emotional maltreatment Child Protective Service (CPS) reports in an effort to address how caregiver and child risk correlates affect the substantiation of these allegations. A cluster analysis was performed to explore how the risk assessment factors grouped together; secondarily, the cluster groupings were examined in a logistic regression model to measure factors associated with substantiation of these abuse reports. Four unique clusters emerged, with one cluster absent any risk assessment factors entirely and another cluster solely composed of domestic violence. Caregiver risk factors with the highest odds of predicting report substantiation included caregiver substance abuse, domestic violence, and caregiver learning disabilities.     

What's so different about differential response? A multilevel and longitudinal analysis of child neglect investigations

Differential response (DR) is a system reform that allows child protective services (CPS) agencies to divert low-to-moderate risk families from an investigative track to an alternate track that does not require a maltreatment disposition or identification of an alleged perpetrator. Knowledge of how DR alters the flow of cases through CPS systems has been restricted by methodological limitations in prior research. This study uses cross-sectional and longitudinal data from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) child file to examine the extent to which DR implementation affects the number and demographic composition of cases investigated for neglect. Results from multivariate, multilevel cross-sectional analysis of 2010 data indicated that investigations were 2.4 times more likely to be substantiated in DR counties than in non-DR counties. Children with a previous substantiated report were also more likely to have a current report substantiated and this difference was significantly greater in DR counties than in non-DR counties. Child race and ethnicity did not predict substantiation decisions. Results from a mixed-effect longitudinal analysis of 997,512 cases from 269 counties between 2001 and 2010 suggest that the rate of investigations fell sharply nationwide within three years of DR implementation. However, substantiation rates did not change as a result of DR implementation. Instead, analysis indicated differences between DR and non-DR counties emerged before the launch of DR. The findings highlight the benefit of using “big data” and longitudinal analysis to assess large-scale policy changes.     

Child welfare supervised children's participation in center-based early care and education

Research suggests that early care and education (ECE) services, particularly center-based ECE, may help prevent child maltreatment and also mitigate some of the negative developmental outcomes associated with child maltreatment. There is also preliminary evidence to suggest that ECE could reduce the likelihood that maltreatment allegations will be substantiated by child welfare authorities and/or result in children being placed in out-of-home care. However, little is known about rates of ECE participation among children receiving child welfare services, nor the factors that determine ECE participation for this population. Data from the first wave of the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Wellbeing II, a nationally representative sample of children referred to the United States (U.S.) child welfare system (CWS) for suspected maltreatment, were used to measure the frequency with which 0–5 year olds participate in center-based ECE. Additionally, logistic regression analyses explored the effects of maltreatment type, substantiation, and children's living arrangements (i.e., with parents, relatives, or foster parents) on this outcome, controlling for a range of child and family covariates associated with ECE participation in the general population. Results indicate that less than a third of 0–5 year olds receiving child welfare services in the U.S. are participating in center-based ECE. Among the various categories of maltreatment type measured, being reported to the CWS for suspected physical abuse was associated with decreased odds of center-based ECE participation; however, other types of maltreatment, substantiation, and living arrangement were unrelated to center-based ECE participation. These findings suggest that, despite recent efforts by the U.S. federal government to promote ECE participation for CWS-supervised children, the vast majority of young children in the U.S. CWS are not receiving center-based ECE, and physically abused children are particularly disadvantaged when it comes to accessing these services.     

What criteria do child protective services investigators use to substantiate exposure to domestic violence?

The primary purpose of this study is to determine whether child protective services investigators apply a recognizable set of criteria to substantiate batterers and victims of battering for exposing their children to domestic violence. Although domestic violence occurred in 35% of the 1,248 substantiated incidents of child maltreatment, only 31 (7.1%) couples were investigated for exposing a child to domestic violence or failing to protect a child from domestic violence. All of the batterers investigated and in the caregiver role when their children were exposed to domestic violence were substantiated. The unsubstantiated victims of battering tended to use more protective behaviors (M=3.82) than the substantiated victims (M=2.00); yet, at the case level, using more than one protective behavior did not seem to be a criterion used to substantiate the victims. Instead, it appears that investigators were discriminating between those protective behaviors by the victims that ended contact between the batterers and the children--for a substantial amount of time--and those that did not in both the substantiation and removal decision. Key issues related to applying criteria in incidents involving domestic violence are discussed along with recommendations to further refine and document them.     

Prevalence of children with disabilities in the child welfare system and out of home placement: An examination of administrative records

This article explores the prevalence and characteristics of children with disabilities within the child welfare system using administrative data from the State of Minnesota. This study finds that more than a fifth (22%) of children with substantiated maltreatment are labeled in administrative records as having a disability, and more than one quarter of children (27.9%) over age five. The most common type of disability among children with substantiated maltreatment was emotional disturbance, while other common disabilities included intellectual and developmental disabilities and learning disabilities. Using logistic regression, this study finds that children with substantiated maltreatment with disabilities were about two times more likely to be in out of home placement than children with substantiated maltreatment without disabilities.     

Allegations of maltreatment and delinquency: Does risk of juvenile arrest vary substantiation status?

There exists a healthy debate about the process and value of substantiation in child welfare. Much of this debate focuses on understanding whether substantiated and unsubstantiated allegations of maltreatment share equal risk of recurrence. In the current study we seek to advance this debate by extending the analyses to focus specifically on the risk of juvenile delinquency. We also seek to determine whether the relationship between substantiation and delinquency varies by race and gender. Our sample includes 38,223 youth between 5 and 16 years of age from Los Angeles County. We use propensity score matching to create relatively equivalent groups and use Cox Regression to model the risk of juvenile arrest. The results indicate that the relative risk ratio of arrest is 2.2 times greater for youth associated with a substantiated report of maltreatment as compared with similar youth associated with an unsubstantiated report of maltreatment. Older youth, and African American youth are also at an increased risk of juvenile arrest. These findings indicate that the process of substantiation is not without merit - as investigators and supervisors are clearly able to distinguish cases based on individual risks and strengths.     

Are children safer with kin? A comparison of maltreatment risk in out-of-home care

Safety, or the absence of maltreatment, is the primary mandate of the child protection services (CPS) system, both for children living at home and those living away from home. Yet, few research studies have examined maltreatment in out-of-home care due to the low incidence rate and data limitations. This study used statewide administrative data to estimate the association between placement type and experiencing a maltreatment investigation or substantiation in out-of-home care. Over 6% of informal TANF-funded kinship placements experienced an investigation alleging maltreatment by an out-of-home caregiver, compared with just over 3% for formal kinship care and non-relative foster care. However, the monthly risk of maltreatment was lowest in informal kinship care because these placements tended to endure longer before maltreatment occurred. Substantiated maltreatment during an out-of-home placement was rare across all placement types. For both investigated and substantiated maltreatment, risk was highest in the first 3 months.     

Types and timing of child maltreatment and early school success: A population-based investigation

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of types of child maltreatment and co-occurring risks in an entire county population of children in public education and to examine the unique relations of the child maltreatment types and timing on children's early academic success while accounting for the children's multiple-risk context. A cohort of 11,835 second grade students who were born in the county and attended the public school district served as participants. Information on first reported experiences of substantiated physical abuse, neglect, unsubstantiated child maltreatment reports, health, maternal, and social risks, and academic and behavioral outcomes was obtained and linked through a county-wide integrated data system. Results indicated that after controlling for demographics and the set of other risks, substantiated child neglect and unsubstantiated reports were associated with poorer outcomes than physical abuse. Also, first substantiated child maltreatment and unsubstantiated reports prior to kindergarten were related to a more comprehensive set of poor outcomes than post-kindergarten first reports. The differential patterns that emerged for the association between age of first reported maltreatment by type and educational outcomes were discussed with implications for future research and policy.     

Exploring Gender Differences on Internalizing and Externalizing Behavior Among Maltreated Youth: Implications for Social Work Action

This purpose of this study was to explore the moderating influence of gender on the relationship between child maltreatment and internalizing symptoms (e.g., affective and somatic problems) and externalizing behavior (e.g., rule breaking behavior and aggression) among children aged 7–12 years old. Using a longitudinal comparison group design and a sample of 300 youth of which 56% (n = 168) had substantiated cases of child maltreatment, results of a structural equation modeling revealed that internalizing symptoms exerted a mediating influence that was conditioned by gender. Only girls’ internalizing symptoms were found to mediate the link between child maltreatment and externalizing behavior while a direct relationship between maltreatment and externalizing behavior was found among boys. These findings provide evidence for gender differences in the pathways between being child maltreatment and maladaptive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Thus, adapting evidence-based strategies that target gender specific internalizing behaviors and externalizing behaviors among maltreated youth may significantly reduce the risk of short and long-term maladaptive behavior.     

An exploratory study of drug-exposed infants: case substantiation and subsequent child maltreatment

This study explores factors related to drug-exposed infants' case substantiation and subsequent child maltreatment. Child protective services computerized administrative data (from January 1998 to October 2001) were obtained from an urban Nevada county. The data included 457 drug-exposed infant cases. Chi-square, t-test, one-way ANOVA, and logistic regression were used to analyze the data. Results indicate that: (1) drug-exposed infant case substantiation was related to the type of drug exposure and the unit to which the case was assigned, but not to the mother's ethnicity; and (2) subsequent maltreatment among drug-exposed infants was related to the mother's age and prior parental alcohol abuse, but not to the type of drug exposure, nor to the initial drug-exposed infant status of case substantiation. Implications for child welfare practice and research are discussed.     

Child maltreatment dynamics among immigrant and U.S. born Latino children: Findings from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being (NSCAW)

Latino children are the largest and fastest growing ethnic minority group in the United States, and the proportion of child maltreatment victims who are of Latino ethnicity has been growing since 2000. However, our knowledge of the characteristics, maltreatment patterns, and risk factors associated with maltreatment among immigrant and U.S. born Latino children and their families has been incomplete. The goals of this study are to establish the national prevalence of immigrant and U.S. born Latino children who come to the attention of child welfare systems in the United States; to expand our knowledge regarding the role of nativity in child maltreatment patterns among Latinos; and to determine if disparities in child maltreatment patterns and risks exist among Latino families using data from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being. Despite considerable risks, data indicate that immigrant Latino children are slightly underrepresented among children who present to child welfare systems when compared to the general population. Moreover, no significant differences were observed between immigrant children and U.S. born children with regard to substantiation patterns. However, significant differences emerged between the two groups in risk factors and maltreatment type, warranting further investigation.     

Ecological Correlates of Child Maltreatment: Similarities and Differences Between Child Fatality and Nonfatality Cases

The rate of fatal child maltreatment is increasing, and differentiating between risk factors for fatal as opposed to nonfatal maltreatment is essential to developing prevention programs. This exploratory retrospective study utilizes case record analysis to examine four categories of correlates for child maltreatment: 1) parent/caregiver factors, 2) child factors, 3) environmental/situational factors, and 4) maltreatment incident factors. Thirty-eight fatality cases are compared to a matched group of nonfatality cases to determine which factors are related to fatality in a large Southwestern metropolitan area. The results provide a profile of characteristics that may place a child at higher risk of fatal maltreatment.     

Dosage matters: The relationship between participation in the Nurturing Parenting Program for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers and subsequent child maltreatment

This article uses statewide data on caregivers of young children referred to the Nurturing Parenting Program (NPP) for allegations of abuse and neglect to examine the relationship between program dosage and subsequent maltreatment. At six months after participating in the program, caregivers who attended more sessions were significantly less likely to be reported for child maltreatment, holding other factors constant. At two years after participating, caregivers attending more sessions were significantly less likely to have a substantiated maltreatment incidence, controlling for other characteristics of families associated with maltreatment. These findings demonstrate the program is associated with preventing short-term allegations and longer-term substantiated incidences of maltreatment for a child welfare population. By demonstrating the importance of participation in the NPP, we increase the evidence about effective parent education programs for this population.     

Do youth with substantiated child maltreatment investigations have distinct patterns of delinquent behaviors?

Delinquency studies often use substantiation as a proxy for child maltreatment, but may underestimate maltreatment involved in unsubstantiated reports. This study assesses whether youth with unsubstantiated investigations have distinct subtypes of delinquency as compared to youth with substantiated reports. We conclude that while the subtypes of delinquency are similar, some differences between the two groups underscore the need to study the larger population of unsubstantiated investigations, which comprise 81.5% of investigations. To compare the groups we used two-group latent class analysis, and then regressed covariates onto the resulting subtypes. The sample consisted of 432 11–17 year old participants in Wave 1 of the second National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW II) with no prior investigations; 191 youth had unsubstantiated investigations and 241 youth had substantiated investigations. We identified three similar subtypes for both groups: delinquency, petty theft, and normative. We found two differences: First, more unsubstantiated youth were normative subtype members and fewer were in the petty theft and delinquency subtypes. Second, delinquency subtype youth with unsubstantiated investigations were more likely to attack with a weapon, steal or try to steal things worth between $50 and $100, and shoplift. In contrast, substantiated youth were more likely to carry a hidden weapon. When covariates were included we found that being male reduced the likelihood of being in the petty theft subtype. For substantiated cases, being older or male increased the likelihood of being in the delinquency subtype. Our findings of high probabilities of marijuana and inhalant use among delinquency subtype youth for both groups is a target for interventions.     

The within poverty differences in the occurrence of physical neglect

This secondary data analysis examined the risk and protective factor(s) associated with physical neglect within a sample of impoverished children. We conducted a multivariate logistic regression analysis to examine the associations among maternal age, child gender, caregiver depression, caregiver history of maltreatment, income-to-needs ratio, number of children in the home, marital status, neighborhood quality, and physical neglect. Social support was explored as a potential moderator. Among this impoverished sample, children whose caregivers had depression were 2.03 times as likely to experience physical neglect as children whose caregivers were not depressed (95% CI 1.25, 3.30; p = 0.004). Children whose caregivers reported experiencing child maltreatment were 1.81 times as likely to experience physical neglect as children whose caregivers did not experience maltreatment as a child (95% CI 1.17, 2.81; p = 0.008). Children who live in higher quality neighborhoods were 0.74 times as likely to experience physical neglect as children who live in lower quality neighborhoods (95% CI 0.57, 0.96; p = 0.03). No other significant relationships were found.     

Mental Health and Behavioral Outcomes of Sexual and Nonsexual Child Maltreatment Among Child Welfare-Involved Youth

Our research team used the nationally representative National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being II to explore the differences in mental health and behavioral outcomes between children who enter the child welfare system with substantiated sexual abuse and those who enter with exclusively nonsexual maltreatment. The sample included 380 children between the ages of 8 to 17.5 who were substantiated for maltreatment (sexual and nonsexual) and had the same caregivers at both wave 1 and 2 (n = 380). Results show that the average age of children in the sample was 11 years old, and the results corroborate literature that has indicated children and youth with histories of childhood sexual abuse experience significantly more post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms than children with histories of nonsexual maltreatment. This finding held after controlling for baseline trauma symptoms and all covariates, including race, age, placement type, and caregiver characteristics. Childhood sexual abuse was not significantly related to an increase in behavioral symptoms after controlling for covariates. Implications for research and practice are offered.