USING REPORT DATA IN DEFINING THE COMMUNITY CONTEXT OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT (FROM CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT ISSUES ON INNOVATION AND IMPLEMENTATION - V 1, 1978, BY MICHAEL L LAUDERDALE, ET AL - SEE NCJ-59268)

• NCJ Number: 59281
• Author(s): J GARBARINO
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 8 pages
• Corporate Author: US Dept of Health and Human Services
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

GENERAL ISSUES RELATED TO COLLECTING AND USING CHILD ABUSE REPORT DATA TO ANALYZE THE COMMUNITY CONTEXT OF CHILD MALTREATMENT ARE DISCUSSED, AND THE COLLECTION AND USE OF SUCH DATA ARE DESCRIBED FOR DOUGLAS COUNTY (NEB.)

Abstract

REPORT DATA ON CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT CASES HAVE GREAT POTENTIAL FOR THE CHILD PROTECTION SERVICE AGENCY ATTEMPTING TO SERVE ITS AREA OF JURISDICTION. GIVEN THAT REPORTING OCCURS AT A VALID AND RELIABLE LEVEL ACROSS SUBUNITS IN THE AREA OF JURISDICTION, THE AGENCY CAN MAKE USE OF THE INFORMATION. MOVING BEYOND MERELY ESTIMATING INCIDENCE, USEFUL RESEARCH IS NEEDED ON THE ECOLOGY OF CHILD MALTREATMENT--THE COMPLEX INTERPLAY BETWEEN INDIVIDUAL, SOCIAL, AND INSTITUTIONAL DYNAMICS OPERATING IN A COMMUNITY. USING REPORT DATA AND SUPPLEMENTAL CENSUS AND LOCAL STATISTICS, AN AGENCY CAN PERFORM REGRESSION ANALYSES TO SCREEN NEIGHBORHOODS FOR AREAS OF HIGH OR LOW RISK IN CHILD MALTREATMENT, EXPLORE THE SOURCES OF REPORTING, AND RESEARCH THE DIFFERING ECOLOGIES OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT AS THEY OCCUR IN THE AREA. THIS APPROACH WILL ALLOW SERVICE AND POLICY GROUPS TO WORK DIRECTLY WITH THE RESEARCH COMMUNITY TO DEVELOP MORE EFFECTIVE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT. THE COLLECTION AND USE OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT REPORTING DATA IN DOUGLAS COUNTY, NEBRASKA, ARE DESCRIBED AS AN ILLUSTRATIVE CASE STUDY. 'SCREENING NEIGHBORHOODS FOR INTERVENTION' IS A PROJECT WHICH HAS AIMED AT PINPOINTING HIGH RISK AND LOW RISK NEIGHBORHOODS, USING ACTUAL AND PREDICTED RATES OF CHILD MALTREATMENT. THE GOAL OF THE STUDIES WAS THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MULTIVARIATE MODEL OF THE CORRELATES OF CHILD MALTREATMENT. THE RELIABILITY OF THE DATA COLLECTED AND THE USES TO WHICH IT IS AND MAY BE PUT ARE DISCUSSED. TABULAR AND GRAPHIC DATA FROM THE DOUGLAS COUNTY PROJECT ARE REPORTED, AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)