Child Abuse and Neglect in Children Referred for Learning Evaluation (From Child Abuse, P 155-158, 1988 -- See NCJ-116992)

• NCJ Number: 117010
• Author(s): L E Frisch; F A Rhoads
• Date Published: 1988
• Length: 4 pages
• Sale Source: Phi Delta Kappa
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Reprinted from Journal of Learning Disabilities, V 15, N 10 (December 1982).

Annotation

During the 1977-1978 school year, 430 children from the Island of Oahu, Hawaii, were referred to a central school problem clinic for evaluation of learning problems.

Abstract

The proportion of these children (6.7 percent) who had been independently reported to the State child abuse agency was compared, after age adjustment, to the rate of such reporting for all children on the island. The 29 identified cases were 3.5 times the rate expected for the general population. The types of abuse and neglect reported for these children were similar to those reported for other island children. In 9 of 23 cases for which information was available, a diagnosis of specific learning disability was made, while in the other 14, learning problems were associated with emotional difficulties, low intelligence, or nonspecific underachievement. Despite some limitations, study findings strengthen the evidence for a link between learning disabilities and child maltreatment. This link may be attributable to abuse-related minor head trauma, unstimulating childhood environments and more fundamental socioeconomic stresses, or child hyperactivity and poor attention that may invite more abusive punishments. 3 tables and 10 references.