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ABSTRACT In the United States, 37 states and 4 territories allow for the termination of parental rights (TPR) due to parental disability. Twenty‐eight of these states and all four of the territories specifically include parental intellectual developmental disability (IDD). Policies that call for the TPR based on factors outside of parental abuse or neglect have myriad negative effects on individuals, families and communities, including long‐term adverse health outcomes for children who have been removed from parental custody, delays in prenatal care for pregnant people whose stigmatized identities may result in involuntary TPR and an increased burden on already overtaxed child welfare systems. This paper analyses policies and proposes an alternative policy modelled after advocacy from other groups of parents with marginalized identities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Racism has resulted in significant disproportionality and disparity in the US child welfare system. Being Black is not an inherent risk factor for child abuse and neglect yet Black children are almost twice as likely to be victims of substantiated abuse and neglect claims compared to other racial groups. Addressing the disproportionality within the child welfare system due to systemic racism falls squarely under the purview of bioethics. In this paper, we briefly review the impact of racism on child welfare. We then discuss some ethical considerations that mandatory healthcare reporters should think through when determining whether to report potential abuse and neglect. Specifically, we discuss the need for a broader consideration of what constitutes harm. We then present a hypothetical composite case to illuminate where and how bias can enter the process of referral to child protective services (CPS). We encourage thoughtful reporting with consideration of social and historical context and alternative explanations for worrisome findings. We recommend using evidence, avoiding assumptions by seeking clarification from families and ensuring internal consistency. When contemplating CPS referral, medical providers should feel empowered to ask questions if there is concern for potential bias. The ultimate goal is to protect children from harm. If there are clear safety concerns—they must be addressed. However, in the many cases where the safety concern is less tangible, we need to expand our considerations of the harms that can befall children, especially children of color. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews interventions for preventing the occurrence and recurrence of major types of child maltreatment. We begin with an overview of the challenges of establishing evidence-based interventions to prevent child abuse and neglect in many countries, and underscore the importance of this need with child maltreatment incidence rates in the USA, and how much each type and subtype contribute to child out-of-home placement. Next, we identify the well-supported, supported and promising interventions for each child maltreatment type and subtype, according to their level of research evidence using an evidence-based clearing house. The paper closes with a discussion of the implications for practice, evaluation, policy and agency management, including intervention knowledge gaps that showcase areas that need additional practice research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mandatory reporting of child abuse and neglect has its origins in the USA, where model statutes for laws designed to introduce this process were first drafted in the early 1960s. Indeed, every state and the District of Columbia passed a child abuse reporting law between 1963 and 1967. Some 10 years later, in 1977, New South Wales was the first Australian state to pass comparable legislation. Mandatory reporting of suspected cases of child abuse and neglect is now in place in all Australian states and territories, with the exception of Western Australia. The question considered in this paper is: ‘What evidence is there that children are abused and neglected less in jurisdictions where mandatory reporting exists by comparison with jurisdictions where it does not exist?’ This question is examined by way of a comparison between two states, New South Wales and Western Australia. This paper also raises questions about the cost of mandatory reporting and the extent to which it diverts financial resources away from support services for families. There is also a question about the new New South Wales child protection legislation that extends mandatory reporting and possible negative consequences for ordinary families. The final question is about the role assigned to health care and education professionals under this legislation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents abstracts of papers published in the 1979 issue no. 2 of the "Journal of Social Issues." Regarding violence in the American families, one of the paper reviews current knowledge on violence between family members in the United States, including how and why family violence became a topic of interest after years of being masked by a public and professional perceptual blackout. It presents data from a nationally representative sample of 2,143 American families that measured the extent of child abuse, wife abuse, husband abuse, and violence between siblings. Regarding child abuse and family stress, one of the paper reviews sources of stress on the family, and especially considers infants as specific sources of stress within the family system. The problems of unrealistic expectations, use of physical punishment for child training and discipline, and the escalation from punishment to abuse are explored. Abuse cases are currently managed through mandatory reporting, official investigation, and disposition by authoritative bodies.

In 2014, the United States saw a greater than 50% increase in the number of unaccompanied children from Mexico and Central America arriving at the U.S./Mexico border, and unaccompanied children continue to migrate to the United States in consistent numbers. The dramatic increase of 2014 exposed gaps in policies aimed at supporting unaccompanied children as they await legal adjudication. This paper begins with a historic review of immigration policies in the United States aimed at supporting unaccompanied migrant children. An analytic review is provided of existing immigration policies in the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of Refugee Resettlement, highlighting the competing paradigms created by missions of security‐focused policy versus child‐centred policy. A close examination of the values that influenced policy development in this area is included, along with a discussion of how social work practice can infuse elements of social justice into immigration policy reform. Areas for future research to reform immigration policy focused on supporting unaccompanied undocumented minors are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper reviews current knowledge on violence between family members in the United States, including how and why family violence became a topic of interest after years of being masked by a public and professional perceptual blackout. It presents data from a nationally representative sample of 2,143 American families that measured the extent of child abuse, wife abuse, husband abuse, and violence between siblings. The paper then reports differences in child abuse rates according to factors such as the age and sex of the child, family income, occupation, stress, unemployment, social isolation, and previous exposure or experience with violence. It is suggested that the roots of family violence lie in the organization of the family and in the implicit cultural norms tolerating or approving violence as a means for social control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of teachers in safeguarding the welfare of children is long acknowledged. However, recent research in Ireland found that the training provided to teachers on child protection issues was lacking (Buckley and McGarry, ). The frequent interactions that teachers have with children and their expertise in terms of typical child development place them in an ideal position for identifying possible signs of abuse. Yet despite this advantage, research indicates that schools fail to report a substantial proportion of suspected child abuse cases (Kenny, ). The oft-cited reasons for this may be conceptualised as: explicit reasons, such as a lack of knowledge about child abuse issues; and implicit reasons, such as the individual teacher's belief system about abuse. The current paper discusses implicit as well as explicit obstacles to teachers' 'engagement' with, and consequent barriers to their responding to, child protection issues. The current changes in initial teacher education and the introduction of mandatory reporting for professionals in Ireland, offer an opportune time to raise this issue and highlight the need for holistic education in child protection for teachers. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Key Practitioner Messages Teachers need comprehensive education on child protection issues in order to fulfil their role as mandated reporters., Both implicit and explicit barriers impede teacher's reporting of abuse and neglect., Education must go beyond policies and procedures and be holistic in addressing an implicit belief system in relation to child protection., Education must also aim to reduce interagency conflict, oft cited as a deterrent to reporting, perhaps through increased contact between child protection and education professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considerable clinical and empirical evidence has accumulated over the past decades indicating that there is a strong association between childhood maltreatment and heavy episodic drinking in adolescence, but there is a paucity of empirically based knowledge about the processes linking the association. The aim of this paper is to examine mechanisms that might account for the association between childhood maltreatment and heavy episodic drinking in adolescence. Using a nationally representative sample of adolescents (ages ranging 12-21; N = 6,337), this study examined the role of individual self-regulatory processes in the associations, controlling for age, gender, race/ethnicity, peer substance use, parental alcoholism, and parent-child conflict. Factor analyses were used to test the measurement structure of self-regulatory processes. Findings confirmed the association between childhood maltreatment and heavy episodic drinking in adolescence. Structural modeling analyses indicated indirect effects for childhood maltreatment primarily through poor self-regulatory processes and peer substance use. Implications for future research are discussed., (Copyright © American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry.)

The paper articulates three models of collaboration between child protection services and law enforcement agencies on investigations of child maltreatment, and examines the relative impact of each model on child removals and short-term foster care placements. An extensive review of the research literature is used to derive lessons for jurisdictions using the different models. Promising strategies from several jurisdictions are described as they relate to collaborative investigations, child removal and short-term placements. Finally, we provide recommendations to improve child protection investigations and reduce the use of short-term foster care placements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Child welfare has long been a concern for American Indians, so much so that Congress passed the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) in 1978. The ICWA was intended to address was the large number of children placed out of home as a result of abuse and/or neglect, and the corresponding lack of tribal and community input regarding their removal and placement. This paper focuses on one group of American Indian people, the Lakota, whose children are overrepresented in the child welfare system. As a promising practice, shared decision-making will be offered as a culturally appropriate model to build dialogue and cooperation between social workers and their Lakota clients. Shared decision-making holds promise to help address the important social justice issues identified by Congress and by the Lakota people in the 1970s and which remain largely unresolved some 40 years later. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has documented a relationship between child sexual abuse and alcohol dependence. This paper extends that work by providing a comprehensive description of past year and lifetime alcohol consumption patterns, consequences, and dependence among women reporting either physical and sexual abuse in a national sample. This study used survey data from 3,680 women who participated in the 2005 U.S. National Alcohol Survey. Information on physical and sexual child abuse and its characteristics were assessed in relation to 8 past year and lifetime alcohol consumption measures. Child physical or sexual abuse was significantly associated with past year and lifetime alcohol consumption measures. In multivariate analyses, controlling for age, marital status, employment status, education, ethnicity, and parental alcoholism or problem drinking, women reporting child sexual abuse vs. no abuse were more likely to report past year heavy episodic drinking (OR = 1.7; 95% CI 1.0 to 2.9), alcohol dependence (OR = 7.2; 95% CI 3.2 to 16.5), and alcohol consequences (OR = 3.6; 95% CI 1.8 to 7.3). Sexual abuse (vs. no abuse) was associated with a greater number of past year drinks (124 vs. 74 drinks, respectively, p = 0.002). Sexual child abuse was also associated with lifetime alcohol-related consequences (OR = 3.5; 95% CI 2.6 to 4.8) and dependence (OR = 3.7; 95% CI 2.6 to 5.3). Physical child abuse was associated with 4 of 8 alcohol measures in multivariate models. Both physical and sexual child abuse were associated with getting into fights, health, legal, work, and family alcohol-related consequences. Alcohol-related consequences and dependence were more common for women reporting sexual abuse compared to physical abuse, 2 or more physical abuse perpetrators, nonparental and nonfamily physical abuse perpetrators, and women reporting injury related to the abuse. Both child physical and sexual abuse were associated with many alcohol outcomes in adult women, even when controlling for parental alcohol problems. The study results point to the need to screen for and treat underlying issues related to child abuse, particularly in an alcohol treatment setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Child neglect is the most common type of child maltreatment in the United States. However, services provided to families who neglect often fail to address and treat the primary concerns associated with child neglect. The information provided in this paper identifies the primary problems contributing to child neglect, and some promising practices in child welfare casework that address these problems and show positive outcomes for the children and families who experience child neglect. Knowledge pertaining to assessment skills, treatment abilities, and model programmes is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The section introduces a series of articles regarding the identification and assessment of child abuse, raising the issue of the contribution of such assessments in deciding on an appropriate level of response form the child welfare system. In England and Wales, the Children Act, 1989, introduced a system intended to promote and safeguard the welfare of children with three main identifiable levels of response. In Great Britain, there is often an implicit assumption that the levels of response simply reflect thresholds on a single continuum of need and risk. However, these are different concepts and operational definitions are dependant on a range of contextual as well as presentational factors which together with social policy influence the breadth of each level of the system, concepts of need and harm to children, and normative concepts of appropriate parenting and care of children. Data on children within the system used to be pretty sparse. Up until the late 1980's child protection statistics were dependent in England. In the U.S., there is a similar phenomenon with the continued use of the concept of substantiation rather than an assessment of future risk that is the basis of child protection interventions.

During the past 30 years in both the United Kingdom and the United States there has been an increasing emphasis on the need for the agencies, disciplines and professions who are involved in investigating child abuse allegations and in protecting children from abuse to work together, to cooperate with each other and to coordinate their responses. (See Besharov, 1990; British Paediatric Association, 1966; Kempe and Helfer, 1972; London Borough of Brent, 1985; London Borough of Greenwich, 1987). One way of achieving this has been through the use of multi-disciplinary groups. This paper will describe the initial findings from a study which aimed to examine and compare the working of two such groups, namely, case conferences in the UK and multi-disciplinary teams in one state in the United States, New Jersey. The findings from the study show that while there are some similarities between the two types of multi-disciplinary groups, there are also significant differences in functions, membership, structure of meetings and chairing. However, the major difference that emerges is the more prominent role of representatives from the legal system in New Jersey's multi-disciplinary teams compared with UK case conferences. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Michigan Children's Trust Fund (MCTF) funds child abuse and neglect prevention programs and consults with community and clinical psychologists to oversee its research efforts. This paper highlights the role of community psychologists in this capacity and documents the effectiveness of this relationship through an example of the work they are asked to perform. The primary source of funding for MCTF is a voluntary donation line on Michigan's state income tax form. Because even modest changes in the percentage donating have bearing on funding, MCTF sought a greater understanding of forces affecting donations. Given that one half of all tax forms in Michigan are prepared professionally, an exploratory survey of preparers was undertaken. Results found preparers approved of raising money via the check off and were aware of MCTF, although they confused it with other social programs. Differences were found in knowledge and practices toward MCTF based on degree of approval of use of the tax check off, and the age, parental status, and gender of the preparer. These findings were important to MCTF in directing efforts to educate a segment of the population that has influence over the major source of their funding, and may be relevant to other organizations that depend on tax check offs for their income. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conclusion by child protection services that a child has been abused and the decision to make a formal record of that conclusion involves a process called ‘registration’ in both the United Kingdom and the United States. This is an administrative process rather than a judicial one and is instituted by public officials not lawyers, but it can have as significant an effect on the families involved as the findings of a court. Yet, despite this significance, families have found it very difficult to challenge the decision to register a case of abuse, particularly in the UK. This papers offers a critique of registration processes in the UK and in the USA and suggests ways in which these processes might be improved to protect individual rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes programs developed in response to the dramatic rise in adolescent pregnancies and births during the past 15 years. In the main, these programs are targeted to reduce pregnancies among the teen population, as well as to teach teen mothers positive parenting and health care practices. The emphasis on parenting skills arose due to the fact that low-birth-weight and premature children tend to occur in large numbers in teen populations and that these children are at risk for child abuse and neglect. Primary prevention programs are designed, e.g., within school clinics that dispense contraceptives, and are among the most successful of the newer movements in the field. Greater attention currently is given to the teen father. An ideal program is presented and recommended for widespread adoption because the United States continues to experience large numbers of adolescent pregnancies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Between 1983 and 1991, over 100 day care centres across America were investigated for satanic ritual abuse of children. These bizarre cases were widely reported in Great Britain as well as other countries around the world, where American experts played a significant role in disseminating material about the cases in workshops and seminars. Using news articles, investigative reports, interview transcripts, legal briefs and court transcripts, this paper analyses a sample of 12 of those cases. It examines the nature of the allegations, the victims, the perpetrators, the criminal trials and the outcome of the cases. The major finding of this analysis is that these day care cases actually contribute little to the debate about whether satanic ritual abuse is real or rumour, but they do set an agenda for the international child abuse professional community for research, practice and discussion. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the highlights of the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN) Ninth International Congress, held in Chicago, Illinois from August 30 to September 2, 1992. The congress theme was An International Commitment to Prevent Child Abuse. The host organization was the National Committee for Prevention of Child Abuse based in Chicago. The congress had over 1700 participants from nearly 80 different countries including over 40 developing countries. A majority of participants were from outside the U.S. and for many this was their first experience of an international congress. Rather than attempt to summarize the contents of a congress than in addition to plenary sessions included over 450 papers, a masterclass, research briefings, discussion groups, an exhibition, theatrical productions and social events, three individuals share with us some of their impressions of Chicago 1992. The ISPCAN 9th International Congress was preceded by a Pre-Congress Seminar which was held on the four days prior to the congress. About 100 participants attended at the University of Chicago's campus.

Sexual abuse, the fasters growing type of abuse complaint, often raises issues concerning the credibility of individual allegations. This paper discusses historical, developmental, and societal factors affecting children's credibility and recommended assessment methods that maximize a child's capacity to relate his or her experience. Clinical factors leading to false allegations are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prior to the COVID‐19 pandemic, nearly 60% of children under 5 years of age were cared for in out‐of‐home child care arrangements in the United States. Thus, child care provides an opportunity to identify and address potential child maltreatment. However, during the pandemic, rates of reporting child maltreatment decreased—likely because children spent less time in the presence of mandated reporters. As children return to child care, states must have regulations in place to help child care providers prevent, recognize and report child maltreatment. However, little is known about the extent to which state regulations address child maltreatment. Therefore, the purpose of this cross‐sectional study was to assess state regulations related to child maltreatment and compare them to national standards. Method: We reviewed state regulations for all 50 states and the District of Columbia for child care centres ('centres') and family child care homes ('homes') through 31 July 2021 and compared these regulations to eight national health and safety standards on child maltreatment. We coded regulations as either not meeting, partially meeting or fully meeting each standard. Results: Three states (Colorado, Utah and Washington) had regulations for centres, and one state (Washington) had regulations for homes that at least partially met all eight national standards. Nearly all states had regulations consistent with the standards requiring that caregivers and teachers are mandated reporters of child maltreatment and requiring that they be trained in preventing, recognizing and reporting child maltreatment. One state (Hawaii) did not have regulations consistent with any of the national standards for either centres or homes. Conclusions: Generally, states lacked regulations related to the prevention, recognition and reporting of child maltreatment for both centres and homes. Encouraging states to adopt regulations that meet national standards and further exploring their impact on child welfare are important next steps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In May 2021, a reauthorization of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) was introduced in the U.S. Senate. This reauthorization substantially amends provisions concerning infants affected by prenatal substance exposure (PSE) and decidedly shifts the policy from a child safety‐ to a public health‐focused approach to achieve the larger goals of healthy and safe child development and caregiver recovery from substance use disorder. Despite its honourable aspirations, no research has tested whether CAPTA "works." To advance scholarship on this policy, we summarize the service needs for this population and clarify how the CAPTA reauthorization aims to address these needs. We then apply a health utilization theory to understanding the mechanisms of effect on maternal‐child outcomes. Based on this theoretical analysis, we discuss directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abuse is a frequent cause of infant subdural haemorrhages, retinal haemorrhages and neurological dysfunction. Confessed shaking, without impact, is one reported injury cause. However, this remains legally controversial. We evaluated whether witnessed shaking alone can cause typical abusive head trauma (AHT). Cases were collected by Helfer Society list‐serve solicitation for infants who developed signs and symptoms of AHT after independently witnessed shaking. We also reviewed a cross‐sectional observational, multi‐centre study (Examining Siblings to Recognize Abuse (ExSTRA)) of 2890 children evaluated for abuse between January 2010 and April 2011 who experienced independently witnessed shaking. Four children identified by the Helfer Society experienced witnessed shaking and developed clinical and radiological evidence of AHT, including subdural and retinal haemorrhages. Another two had neurological symptoms, but normal imaging. Nineteen (0.7%) ExSTRA subjects experienced witnessed shaking without impact injuries. Among them, one (5.9%) of the 17 subjects who were neuroimaged had AHT findings and additional abusive injuries. Three had neurologic symptoms but normal neuroimaging. Although shaking is rarely witnessed, these cases support that shaking alone can cause typical AHT injuries, including, but not limited to, acute neurological impairment, subdural haemorrhages and retinal haemorrhages. This information is important to the legal management of abused children. Key Practitioner Messages: Confessions document that infant shaking can cause abusive head trauma (AHT); however, this is disputed in courtrooms and by some physicians.Ten infants developed clinical neurologic symptoms with or without radiologic findings of AHT after independently witnessed shaking. None had a history of cranial impacts, and all lacked physical findings suggesting impacts. They provide support for isolated shaking as a cause of AHT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on child protective intervention in the context of welfare reform in the U.S. Effects of changes in family welfare receipt and employment on child maltreatment; Historic overlap between public welfare and child welfare systems; Need for the assessment of child maltreatment outcomes associated with low income and welfare-eligible families.

This paper describes a model for forensic family evaluations (FFE) that arise from issues of child custody and maltreatment. FFEs are comprehensive assessments that utilize a variety of data collection methods. The FFE has three basic stages: beginning the evaluation, collecting data, and presenting the evaluation findings. In each stage there are a number of professional and administrative stations. Each stage of the FFE presents unique challenges: maintaining internal and external independence, managing issues of convergent validity, and monitoring written and verbal output. Each of these stages, stations, and challenges is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The idea of a dramatic rise in child abuse is one of the main myths which clouds the clear perception and understanding of the problem of child abuse and neglect in America. Inaccuracies concern facets of the problem such as what is child abuse, how much abuse is there, what is the cause of abuse, and what is the impact of prevention and treatment programs which are being instituted? This paper will address these "myths" in order to demythologize the issue of child abuse and facilitate a clearer and more accurate understanding of this phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Each year, numerous children testify in the United States in either criminal, civil, or juvenile court cases. Typically, children who testify are alleged victims of sexual or physical abuse or neglect, witnesses to violent crime, or subjects in custodial hearings in civil court. As more maltreatment cases are prosecuted and child custody is contested, an increasing number of children are being called as witnesses in court. Many of these children have already been traumatized by the experiences that led to their need to testify, and participation in the court process can have additional negative effects. This article describes the development and recent formative evaluation of a court preparation program that provides psychoeducation and utilizes components of evidence‐based trauma treatment approaches, such as relaxation and in vivo exposure, to support child witnesses and reduce the risk of retraumatization. Children and adolescents participating in the program attend group sessions conducted by mental health clinicians and complete a court‐related anxiety measure before and after each session. Results from 175 participants are reported. Findings indicated significant decreases in court‐related anxiety with large program effects. Challenges encountered by the program and future directions are discussed. The title for this Special Section is APPLIED AND TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH ON TRAUMA‐RESPONSIVE PROGRAMS AND POLICY edited by Todd Herrenkohl, Joshua Mersky, James Topitzes, Nicole Allen Highlights Children's testimony is often necessary for the successful prosecution and resolution of criminal, civil, or juvenile court cases.We describe the development and evaluation of a trauma‐informed, comprehensive model for court preparation and education.The program incorporates trauma‐focused treatment aspects into the court preparation process and provides court‐related psychoeducation to children and their caregivers.Results indicated significant decreases in children's court‐related anxiety with large program effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the dynamics and treatment of child abuse. The problem of child abuse and maltreatment is presently a major social and psychological problem in the United States. In attempt to cope with this serious problem it appears that the practitioners have put the proverbial cart before the horse and tried to provide services to abusive families, but failed to study the research conducted by their esteemed colleagues, the comparative psychologists. Not only did these monkeys avoid their own infants and fail to nurse them and provide them with adequate mothering, but frequent instances of abusive maternal behavior were noted.

Using data from age 3 of the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, the current study explores the complex relationships between U.S. childcare subsidies and neglect. Specifically, the study examines two research questions: (i) Are U.S. childcare subsidies associated with self‐reported neglect among low‐income mothers? (ii) What individual types of self‐reported neglect are significantly reduced by receipt of childcare subsidy? Using negative binomial regression examining the relationships among mothers who were income‐eligible for childcare subsidy, we found that childcare subsidy was associated with lower levels of supervisory neglect, indicating an important role of subsidy in the lives of low‐income families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child abuse and neglect are strongly associated with many subsequent mental health problems. This review summarizes the research on how adult mental health services respond when child abuse or neglect become known. MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Scopus were searched for studies with rates of responding in various ways to child abuse and neglect by mental health professionals. Thirteen studies were identified: seven case note reviews, three surveys of staff, and three sets of interviews with service users. Rates of inclusion of abuse or neglect in treatment plans ranged from 12% to 44%. Rates of referral to abuse-related therapy ranged from 8% to 23%. Rates were lower for neglect than for abuse and were also lower for men and people with a diagnosis of psychosis. Two per cent or less of all cases were referred to legal authorities. The studies varied in focus and methodology, but all indicated inadequate clinical practice. The rates of abused or neglected people referred for therapy are actually lower than indicated by this review because most users of adult mental health services are not asked about abuse or neglect in the first place. The barriers to good practice, and the need for traumainformed services, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Policies regarding alcohol use during pregnancy continue to be enacted and debated in the United States. However, no study to date has examined whether these policies are related to birth outcomes--the outcomes they ultimately aim to improve. Here, we assessed whether state-level policies targeting alcohol use during pregnancy are related to birth outcomes, which has not been done comprehensively before. Methods: The study involved secondary analyses of birth certificate data from 148,048,208 U.S. singleton births between 1972 and 2013. Exposures were indicators of whether the following 8 policies were in effect during gestation: Mandatory Warning Signs (MWS), Priority Treatment for Pregnant Women, Priority Treatment for Pregnant Women/Women with Children, Reporting Requirements for Data and Treatment Purposes, Prohibitions Against Criminal Prosecution, Civil Commitment, Reporting Requirements for Child Protective Services Purposes, and Child Abuse/Child Neglect. Outcomes were low birthweight (<2,500 g), premature birth (<37 weeks), any prenatal care utilization (PCU), late PCU, inadequate PCU, and normal (≥7) APGAR score. Multivariable fixed-effect logistic regressions controlling for both maternal- and state-level covariates were used for statistical analyses. Results: Of the 8 policies, 6 were significantly related to worse outcomes and 2 were not significantly related to any outcomes. The policy requiringMWS was related to the most outcomes: specifically, living in a state withMWS was related to 7% higher odds of low birthweight (p < 0.001); 4% higher odds of premature birth (p < 0.004); 18%lower odds of any PCU (p < 0.001); 12%higher odds of late PCU (p < 0.002); and 10% lower odds of a normal APGAR score (p < 0.001) compared to living in a state withoutMWS. Conclusions: Most policies targeting alcohol use during pregnancy do not have their intended effects and are related to worse birth outcomes and less PCU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study examines the effect of negative publicity that arose from public notices of child abuse allegations in the Catholic Church on the enrollment share and number of Catholic schools in the United States. Method: Fitting least square regressions using diocese‐level panel data of Catholic school enrollment share and number of Catholic schools. Results: I show that the reports of abuse prior to 2002 had no effect on enrollment. Yet, reports since 2002 have had a negative and long‐lasting effect and explain about two‐thirds of the decline in Catholic schooling. These are substantially larger declines than suggested in previous studies. Conclusion: I argue that the differing responses to the public notices of child abuse between these two periods are derived from the availability heuristic. This is driven from a fundamental difference in media coverage of the scandal prior to 2002 and afterward. Allegations of child abuse in the Catholic Church received emphatic coverage only after 2002. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Differential response (DR) first emerged as one component of a child welfare paradigm that emphasized the need to engage communities in supporting families and children. However, the role of community in differential response has received little attention in recent literature. We examine the intellectual history of these ideas, tracing changes in the framing of community engagement in relation to DR over time. We find that attention to community has been sidelined by an increasingly narrow definition of DR that focuses on the existence of an alternative approach to engaging with screened in families, rather than the building of community support networks. There is currently no clear and explicit theoretical framework connecting community engagement to DR. We find that the absence of such a framework has given rise to a series of conceptual debates about the definition and purpose of DR. The development of a literature that elucidates the topic of community engagement in DR may serve to resolve some of these debates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract With government's response to child abuse and neglect seen as one of the most daunting challenges for public policy and law, legislative reform on this issue struggles to adequately protect children while preserving the integrity of family. The authors utilize the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act ( CAPTA) as an example of the funding and policy challenges in reforming federal child welfare law, as well as a lens through which advocates can locate both conventional and unconventional tools to move forward. CAPTA is examined as an important but weak and flawed federal statute. Authors present an array of opportunities to improve CAPTA during the next reauthorization cycle. Noting exemplary successes, in other recent and related legislation reforms, are suggested for CAPTA to more effectively address ongoing challenges of child welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: People with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) experience disparities in health. An important but overlooked risk factor for health disparities in the ASD population is adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence of ACEs among families of children with and without ASD, using a population-based sample.Method: Data from the 2011 to 2012 National Survey of Child Health were analyzed to estimate prevalence of ACEs among families of children with and without ASD, age 3 to 17 years (ASD=1611; estimated population=1 165 34). The child's ASD status was obtained from parent report; ACEs were assessed with the modified Adverse Childhood Experiences Scale. Bivariate and multinomial logistic regression analyses were utilized to investigate the relationship between ACEs and childhood ASD status.Results: ASD status among children was significantly and independently associated with higher probability of reporting one to three ACEs (adjusted relative risk ratio [aRRR] 1.53; 95% CI: 1.16-2.0; p<0.010) and four or more ACEs (aRRR 1.99; 95% CI: 1.35-2.91; p<0.010).Interpretation: Children with ASD may experience a greater number of family and neighborhood adversities, potentially compromising their chances for optimal physical and behavioral health outcomes. Assessment and reduction of ACEs among families of young people with ASD could potentially contribute to the reduction of population health disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The perceptions and judgments of social workers who interview the child and family are especially significant factors in child abuse assessment process. The current study describes and compares child protection workers' assessment processes in Korea and the USA through the use of case vignettes and in-depth interview. The responses from social workers in these two countries were compared and discussed in the areas of: risk assessment; perception of the main problems; tolerance of corporal punishment; and judgments about appropriateness of interventions. Most revealing was that Korean social workers determined abuse based on their child abuse definition and the US Army FAP social workers determined abuse based on their definition, which was affected by legal standards and cultural differences. Korean social workers are more likely to remove a child from the home, even in mild cases, but US FAP social workers would recommend child removal from the home as a last option. The social workers that participated in this survey play a vital role in the safety of children in child protective services. Both countries can benefit from sharing information to improve the child protection services delivered. Social workers' professional judgment leads to objective and consistent outcomes and are less likely to compromise child safety in the decision making process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to a growing number of requests to help reunify parents and children separated by allegations of child abuse, we developed a model for intervention informed by clinical experience, feedback from clients and professionals, and insights from a growing body of interdisciplinary literature. This article presents a retrospective analysis of 29 intrafamilial cases describing the intervention, outcomes, and problems presented by these challenging situations. The safety and protection of the child was the paramount consideration in determining success, whether or not reunification was achieved. Using informal follow-up data, 24 of the 29 cases were categorized as successful, 21 resulted in full or partial reunification, and 3 cases resulted in the voluntary or court-ordered withdrawal of an accused father believed to pose a risk to the child. In 5 cases, the nonaccused parent thwarted efforts at reunification, and the case returned to the court of relevant jurisdiction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the evidence on maltreatment in foster care, drawing on a critical review of research published in the USA, the UK and Australia. Few studies have reported on the extent of maltreatment in this setting and the evidence that does exist is inconclusive. The limited available evidence suggests that maltreatment may be reported for up to two per cent of children in foster care in any one year, but much depends on the definitions used and on local variation in thresholds for investigation. The article discusses the perpetrators and nature of this maltreatment and problems with substantiation, and highlights important gaps in the existing research. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Key Practitioner Messages: It is important to distinguish allegations of maltreatment from those concerning poor standards of care. However, the boundary between the two may sometimes be unclear., Poor assessment and supervision of foster carers may increase the risk of maltreatment., Precipitate responses to allegations of poor standards of care, without a proper assessment of the balance of risks, may themselves be harmful to children's emotional wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child maltreatment fatalities have increasingly received attention over the past three decades and yet there is a dearth of information concerning case, service and family/household factors associated with maltreatment fatalities. This is a US multi-state study of 135 child welfare workers who experienced the death of a child on their caseload. They reported on the case, service and family/household characteristics of a child who died on their caseload. Results indicate that workers had seen victims one week prior to their death and were closely monitoring families. The most frequently mentioned family characteristics included: parental unemployment, parental mental health, experiencing a major life event and parents' inappropriate age expectations of the child. Parental alcohol and substance use were more common among infant victims; and parental perceptions of the child being 'difficult' were more common among older victims. The results are discussed with regard to future research and prevention for the field. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Key Practitioner Messages: The primary findings of this study indicate that: Workers have regular contact with children leading up to the time of their death., Children die even when they are being closely monitored and have had a full-risk assessment., Families where children died were not using very many services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Adopted children have a higher risk of developmental, mental, behavioural and social problems compared with non-adopted children, and their use of postadoption support services is of interest. Little attention has been given to the impact of preadoption abuse on the use of these services, and therefore this study examines whether or not adoptive parents' suspicion of preadoption abuse has a significant impact on the use of support services by adopted children. Methods Data from the National Survey of Adoptive Parents, a US nationally representative survey of adopted children, were used to examine parents' suspicion of preadoption abuse and its effects on the use of postadoption support services by children aged 6-17 years ( n= 1411). Statistical analyses were used to examine the relationship between suspected abuse and the use of support services while controlling for characteristics of the adopted child and adoptive parents/household. Results Seven out of 10 adopted children have used some form of support service, and a larger percentage of 6- to 12-year-old children suspected of experiencing preadoption abuse used a support service compared with children not suspected of experiencing abuse. Significant relationships existed between various types of suspected preadoption abuse and the use of different types of postadoption support services. These relationships may go unaccounted for when only examining if any preadoption abuse occurred, or if any support service was used. Conclusions The type of preadoption abuse suspected appears to play a modest role in predicting the type of postadoption support services used by an adopted child. Giving further attention to understanding the relationship between different types of preadoption abuse and types of postadoption support services may help better understand the problems and difficulties experienced by adopted children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When is lack of supervision neglect? 
 HymelK.P. & The Committee on Child Abuse and Neglect (2006) Pediatrics , 118 , 1296 – 1298. 
 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2006‐1780. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historically, data concerning children reported for abuse or neglect in the US have been compiled by child protective service agencies and analysed independently from other sources of information. Yet these data suffer from the notable limitations of being both narrow in scope (i.e. containing a limited set of variables) and narrow in coverage (i.e. capturing data for only those children who are reported). In order to extend an understanding of children reported for maltreatment, the California Department of Social Services, in partnership with the University of California at Berkeley, is pursuing a ‘public health’ oriented approach to the surveillance of child maltreatment through linkages between child protective service records and population‐based sources of data. As an example of the information that can be generated through linked records, this article reports results from child‐level matches completed between the state’s child protective service records and vital birth records. The cumulative percentage of children reported for abuse or neglect before the age of five is examined based on maternal and child characteristics at birth. This is followed by a discussion of record linkages as a means of furthering a public health approach to child maltreatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports developments related the issue of child and adolescent behavior in the U.S. According to the data presented at the 2006 Annual Meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies, pediatricians specializing in child abuse may not always screen for domestic violence. A survey revealed that nearly 26 percent of underage drinkers meet clinical trial criteria for alcohol abuse and addiction. Moreover, a new screening measure for obsessive-compulsive disorder in youth has been developed.

This study examined Family Group Decision Making (FGDM) among a nationally representative sample of African-American and White children investigated for maltreatment in the US. While FGDM was developed for work with ethnic minority families, there is no research on how this is being carried out in the US, where African-American children are overrepresented in child welfare services. The study views racial differences in child, caregiver and maltreatment characteristics related to FGDM; composition of FGDM meetings; service referrals and receipt; and service satisfaction. Data are from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being (NSCAW), a study of 5501 children ages 0–14. Current analyses include African-American and White children ( n= 4129). Stratified, bivariate and multivariate regression analyses were used. Results showed that while race was not related FGDM receipt, different characteristics lead to FGDM among African-American and White families. Surprisingly, caregivers report feeling no more involved in decision-making in association with FGDM. FGDM is provided at low rates overall (10%) and less frequently among White caseworkers. Child access to mental health services increases in relation to FGDM. Implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child maltreatment (CM) is a major health problem in U.S. society, with 872,000 substantiated cases reported in 2004 and unofficial rates ranging from 2 to 10 million cases per year. Depending on the severity, CM can negatively affect a child's physical, emotional, and psychological functioning and development immediately following an abuse incident or incidents; in severe cases, it can affect adult functioning. The author examines the empirically supported research related to the incidence, consequences, treatment effectiveness, and models of treatment for CM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acknowledging the rapid growth of child sexual abuse in the United States, this Note advocates for the recognition of a limited exception to the blanket-hearsay ban on out-of-court statements made by unavailable declarants set out by the Supreme Court in Crawford v. Washington. In order to protect a criminal defendant's Sixth Amendment confrontation right, Crawford requires that hearsay evidence that is “testimonial” in nature be deemed inadmissible if the witness is unavailable and the defendant does not have a prior opportunity to cross-examine the witness against him. However, Crawford noted that, where nontestimonial hearsay is at issue, cross-examination may not be necessary. Accordingly, where a child sexual abuse victim makes statements during a structured or semi-structured forensic interview to a member of a multidisciplinary team, these statements should be deemed nontestimonial and thus admitted into evidence, without requiring cross-examination of the child. Allowing for this exception to the general hearsay ban in Crawford is not only consistent with current precedent, but it is also warranted to promote public policy and to curb the negative impact such abuse has on society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multidisciplinary child fatality review teams (CFRT) have existed in the United States (US) for almost 30 years; the products of the review process, however, remain unexamined. This study reviewed reports from CFRT throughout the US to compile and evaluate the identification of problems and recommendations by professionals concerning child maltreatment fatalities. Team- and state-level data were also used for analysis to better understand the context in which recommendations are made. Over 300 recommendations for change from CFRT were grouped into 11 macro categories. The frequency of each type of recommendation and examples from each category are provided. The authors provide recommendations of their own for improvements in CFRT outputs. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the victim rates and severity of child maltreatment in US Army families by the sex of the child and parent from 1990–2004. Neglect rates decreased from a high point in 1991 to a low in 2000, but by 2004 the rates had increased to about the 1991 level. During two large-scale deployments of the US Army to the Middle East (1991 and 2002–2004), the rates of neglect increased. Neglect rates were highest for the youngest children and decreased as age increased. Physical abuse rates decreased from 1990–2004, but the decline was slowed during 2001–04. Physical abuse was more severe by male offenders. Emotional abuse showed wide fluctuations in rates. Emotional abuse rates were similar for boys and girls up to age 11, but the rates for older girls were higher. Sexual abuse had the lowest rates throughout the time of this report, decreasing from about 0.5/1000 to about 0.1/1000. The rates of physical abuse and neglect were generally higher for boys than for girls up to the teenage years when the rates reversed. Male offenders were more likely to maltreat children (even excluding sexual abuse) than were female offenders and offenders of both sexes were more likely to abuse male children. We provide suggestions for practice, prevention and research in child maltreatment. Published in 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimates of developmental delay in children in out-of-home foster care range from 13–62%. Overlooked in these studies are comparisons of developmental delay differentiated by a child's initial placement type (i.e., biological parent, kinship care, or nonrelative foster care) following evaluation for possible abuse and/or neglect. The developmental status of children residing in these different placement types warrants further scrutiny by clinicians and policy makers, especially due to the recent trend towards family preservation efforts and the growing use of kinship care. Data were collected on 798 children, ages 3–36 months, who were admitted to San Diego's sole emergency shelter/receiving facility from April 1, 1998 through June 30, 1999 for investigation of alleged maltreatment. Children admitted received a physical exam and developmental screening using the Denver Developmental Screening Test (Denver-II). Sixty two percent of children (491) scored “suspect” on the Denver Developmental Screening Test II (Denver-II). Of these children, 73% received a developmental evaluation using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development II (Bayley-II). Over 34% of these children evaluated scored more than 2 standard deviations below the mean on at least one component of the Bayley-II regardless of placement type. Although children with “suspect” scores on the Denver-II were more likely to be placed in nonrelative foster care (p < .013), there was no difference between placement types for children with delay on the Bayley-II. Results for children released to their biological parent(s) should be viewed as preliminary, because these children were less likely to receive an evaluation compared to other children. However, results suggest that young children placed in kinship care are as likely to be developmentally delayed, based on the Bayley-II, as those children placed in nonrelative foster care. Given concerns in the literature that children in kinship care receive fewer services than children in nonrelative foster care, this finding bears further investigation. ©2002 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]