NCJ Number
163659
Journal
Protecting Children Volume: 12 Issue: 2 Dated: (1996) Pages: 24-31
Date Published
1996
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This article summarizes a wide range of observations concerning theoretical and practical problems in assessing the risk of child maltreatment in Canada.
Abstract
Risk is viewed as a complex concept that is composed of three interacting components: child vulnerability, likelihood that a maltreatment incident will reoccur, and probable severity of such an incident. To evaluate risk assessment in the Canadian context, data were obtained on child maltreatment types, family types, physical and sexual abuse, families with chronic maltreatment problems, and child fatalities. The largest single family type present in the analysis of data involved single women, and the presenting problem was usually neglect. Substance abuse was a prominent issue in child protection work. The existence of an addiction problem in combination with a belief structure characterized by little understanding of children's needs resulted in inadequate caregiving. Girls were more likely to be sexually abused than boys; the greater the relationship distance between an adult male caregiver and a female child, the greater the likelihood of sexual abuse. Most cases involved more than one incident of maltreatment, and the persistence of problems meant that reoccurrence was the normal experience rather than the anomaly. The authors conclude it is possible to predict the risk of child maltreatment reoccurrence and severity with a considerable degree of certainty. 33 references, 7 tables, and 3 figures