NCJ Number
218765
Journal
Child Abuse & Neglect Volume: 31 Issue: 4 Dated: April 2007 Pages: 427-443
Date Published
April 2007
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This study evaluated the effect of caregiver vulnerabilities on the substantiation of child abuse and neglect.
Abstract
Results indicated that caregiver substance abuse was the most significant type of caregiver vulnerability in predicting maltreatment substantiation. Moreover, the presence of partner violence significantly increased the effect of caregiver vulnerability on child maltreatment substantiation. These findings highlight the importance of the interaction between personal and partner risk factors on child maltreatment. The authors suggest that the child welfare system cannot be approached as a child-only service system but must also act as a gateway for necessary adult service needs. Future research should explore how to best protect children when caregiver vulnerabilities and interparental violence are present. Data were drawn from the 1998 Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Maltreatment (CIS), which enabled the prediction of child protective service investigation substantiation versus non-substantiation from a range of caregiver vulnerability factors. The CIS data included research by child welfare workers on the child, primary caregiver, perpetrator, family characteristics, severity and type of maltreatment, services, and court outcome. Data analysis was conducted using hierarchical logistic regression analyses and included an examination of (1) demographic factors; (2) socioeconomic characteristics; (3) caregiver’s own history of maltreatment; (4) caregiver vulnerability factors; (5) involvement in partner violence; and (6) the interaction between caregiver vulnerability and partner violence. Table, figures, references