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Child neglect is a problem that presents many challenges to learning and teaching in schools. Children are unable to learn if their basic needs are not met. Neglect is the second most common reason for a child to be on a child protection plan in Wales. Given the universal nature of their provision within the community, and the prevalence of neglect, schools are well-placed to notice and intervene early and provide support to children that promotes their health and wellbeing. In fact, staff in schools have the opportunity to observe children's behaviours, and their interactions with other pupils and family members up to five days a week over an extended period of time. However, little is known about the specific ways in which staff in schools respond to neglect and what factors help them to provide effective school-based support to families. This paper presents findings from thirty interviews with staff in six mainstream primary and secondary schools in Wales. Findings identify three factors that support neglect-practice within the school-setting (i) a whole-school proactive approach to child neglect; (ii) a positive learning and development environment for staff members; and (iii) relationships between staff and the child(ren)'s family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child maltreatment crosses all socioeconomic, ethnic, religious, and educational boundaries; however, studies focusing on demographic characteristics of these children in Greece are scarce. Despite recent effort there is no national registry and the response system remains fragmented. Since the existing response system often includes hospital admission, this study aims to describe the characteristics of children up to 16 years of age with suspected maltreatment admitted to a tertiary children's hospital in Greece, as well as to describe the case management procedure and to calculate the length and baseline cost of hospitalization for this population of children. The socioeconomic factor most often recorded in the study participants was parental unemployment within the nuclear family structure. The main reason for referral to Social Services was neglect. The mean hospitalization duration was 28.5 days. The most frequent outcome was discharge to parental home under Social Services' supervision. The analysis of associations between gender, age, residence status and the referral reasons showed significant differences. Quantitative and qualitative descriptors of children with suspected maltreatment offer potential insights on the social determinants of health. Our findings have the potential of offering assistance to future interventions that aim to develop effective system responses and preventive strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program in the USA is designed to address poverty. Because of the link to poverty, it may indirectly affect child maltreatment outcomes. However, TANF spending by states, which differs by the state's racial composition, may moderate the effects. This study explores the relationship between states' TANF spending and child maltreatment outcomes with the states' Black population concentration as a moderator. The analysis used state-level data including TANF administrative data from the Office of Family Assistance (OFA), child maltreatment data from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS), and population data from the American Community Survey (ACS). The sample includes 50 states and District of Columbia from 2015 to 2017 (n = 153). The results from the multivariate regression models show that both TANF spending on family and marriage promotion and TANF spending on work activities were associated with decreases in neglect (7.5% decrease, p<.01 and 11% reduction, p<.05, respectively), but the size of the decreases depended on the states' Black population concentration. Findings suggest that TANF spending is linked to child maltreatment rates with consideration of states' Black population. This article has implications for anti-racist poverty policy and child abuse prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

University students routinely participate in research, including research on trauma and adversity, but the unique implications of trauma and adversity for educational and developmental outcomes for this group have received less attention. This study surveyed first year undergraduate students at an urban university located in the most ethnically diverse district in England, with the second highest poverty rate. Of 7,110 students, 858 responded; a response rate of 12%. The survey included thirteen questions about adverse events and circumstances before age 18. Four in five students (79%) reported at least one adversity, 51% reported three or more, and 20% reported at least six. Female students reported a higher mean number of adversities than men, but men were significantly more likely to report having been "attacked, stabbed, shot or robbed by threat." Where comparisons were possible, rates were higher than for the general population or for the only other UK university survey. A Latent Class Analysis produced four groupings. Besides the 'No adversity' (36%) and "Intermediate" (46%) classes, there were two "High adversity" groups, differentiated by high (12%) or moderate (6%) adversities related to cohabitation (parental separation, lived with depressed person, lived with alcohol/drug user, and lived with incarcerated person). Higher rates of adversities, and latent class membership, were related to predictions that one would not complete one's degree. Implications and next steps are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has found women who experience eight or more Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are 3.5 times as likely to be victims of adult IPV. This study examined the relationship between ACEs and IPV (physical violence, sexual violence, psychological violence, and stalking) among college students. This study was conducted among undergraduate students (N = 2,900) at two large, non-profit, public universities in the United States. Students completed a web-based survey addressing self-reported ACEs and violence that occurred within the current academic year. Chi-square tests and logistic regression models were used to evaluate the relationship between ACEs and violence. College students with higher ACE scores were more likely to experience violence. Students with ACE scores of four or higher were between 1.9-4.9 times more likely to experience violence. A dose response relationship was found between ACE score and experiences of violence. Campus violence prevention programs may benefit from incorporating discussion of ACEs into programing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]