Bias in child maltreatment self-reports using Interactive Voice Response

Few methods estimate the prevalence of child maltreatment in the general population due to concerns about socially desirable responding and mandated reporting laws. Innovative methods, such as Interactive Voice Response (IVR), may obtain better estimates that address these concerns. This study examined the utility of Interactive Voice Response (IVR) for child maltreatment behaviors by assessing differences between respondents who completed and did not complete a survey using IVR technology. A mixed-mode telephone survey was conducted in English and Spanish in 50 cities in California during 2009. Caregivers (n = 3,023) self-reported abusive and neglectful parenting behaviors for a focal child under the age of 13 using Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing and IVR. We used Hierarchical Generalized Linear Models to compare survey completion by caregivers nested within cities for the full sample and age-specific ranges. For demographic characteristics, caregivers born in the United States were more likely to complete the survey when controlling for covariates. Parenting stress, provision of physical needs, and provision of supervisory needs were not associated with survey completion in the full multivariate model. For caregivers of children 0 to 4 years (n = 838), those reporting they could often or always hear their child from another room had a higher likelihood of survey completion. The findings suggest IVR could prove to be useful for future surveys that aim to estimate abusive and/or neglectful parenting behaviors given the limited bias observed for demographic characteristics and problematic parenting behaviors. Further research should expand upon its utility to advance estimation rates

Using administrative data to monitor racial/ethnic disparities and disproportionality within child welfare agencies: process and preliminary outcomes

Child welfare administrative data are increasingly used to identify racial/ethnic disproportionality and disparities at various levels of aggregation. However, child welfare agencies typically face challenges in harnessing administrative data to examine racial/ethnic disproportionality and disparities at meaningful levels of analysis due to limited resources and/or tools for reporting. This article describes the process through which a multi-state workgroup designed and developed management reports to monitor racial/ethnic disparities and disproportionality using a web-based child welfare administrative data reporting system. The article provides an overview of the process, outcome, and challenges of the group’s work with the goal of offering a starting point for discussion to others who may be seeking to monitor racial/ethnic disparities and disproportionality, regardless of their reporting system

Inadequate child supervision: The role of alcohol outlet density, parent drinking behaviors, and social support

Supervisory neglect, or the failure of a caregiver to appropriately supervise a child, is one of the predominant types of neglectful behaviors, with alcohol use being considered a key antecedent to inadequate supervision of children. The current study builds on previous work by examining the role of parental drinking and alcohol outlet densities while controlling for caregiver and child characteristics. Data were obtained from 3,023 participants via a telephone survey from 50 cities throughout California. The telephone survey included items on neglectful parenting practices, drinking behaviors, and socio-demographic characteristics. Densities of alcohol outlets were measured for each of the 202 zip codes in the study. Multilevel Bernoulli models were used to analyze the relationship between four supervisory neglect parenting practices and individual-level and zip code-level variables. In our study, heavy drinking was only significantly related to one of our four outcome variables (leaving a child where he or she may not be safe). The density of on premise alcohol outlets was positively related to leaving a child home alone when an adult should be present. This study demonstrates that discrete relationships exist between alcohol related variables, social support, and specific supervisory neglect subtypes at the ecological and individual levels

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Preventing child neglect: the role of state discretion in child maltreatment statutes in the U.S.

Background A longstanding controversy in child protection concerns the range of conditions for which state child protective service (CPS) agencies should have responsibility among economically vulnerable children and families. States have substantial discretion in specifying a range of parental behaviors and conditions that define a child as neglected under the federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act. Currently, 36 U.S. states and territories explicitly exclude children from a CPS response when behaviors defined as neglect occur for financial reasons only. This form of gatekeeping at the point of CPS intake has multiple implications. On the one hand, states with restrictive definitions based on financial capability are able to prioritize limited resources for willfully or intentionally neglected children. On the other hand, children who otherwise meet definitions of neglect for reasons of poverty may not be able to access needed supports, thereby placing them at inordinate risk of harm when other community-based resources are unavailable. The purpose of this study was to estimate the effects of variation in state definitions based on financial capability on child neglect reports, the substantiation of neglect reports, and removals from home for reasons of neglect. Methods Child neglect variables were drawn from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) (2005-2015). Control variables included the presence of universal mandated reporting laws, which were drawn from the Children's Bureau (2016), and state population and poverty rates, which were drawn from the U.S. Census Current Population Surveys. The logarithm of child neglect and foster care cases were regressed on the log of population, the log of poverty, and year. Estimates were performed using STATA 14.2 and all standard errors were clustered on state. Results After adjusting for universal mandated reporting laws, population size, and state poverty rates, preliminary estimates indicate that states which exclude financial reasons from definitions of neglect have a large increase in the number of children placed in foster care for reasons of neglect. States with more nuanced definitions of neglect have more reports, victims, and more children placed in foster care. Thus, more specific maltreatment definitions that specify a range of conditions are associated with increased neglect caseloads and foster care placements. Implications This study contributes to the limited body of research that has examined the relationship of child maltreatment policy to child welfare outcomes using national data. Findings suggest that states with more restrictive definitions based on a caregiver’s financial capability serve more children in foster care when compared to other states, and states that specify a broader range of neglect conditions serve more children at multiple points along the child welfare continuum. Additional research is necessary to determine the impacts of neglect definitions on state CPS agencies and on economically vulnerable children, and the CPS trajectories of neglected children initially excluded from CPS responses for financial reasons

Changing definitions of child abuse and neglect in the US: a twelve-year retrospective

Background and Purpose In the U.S., the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) sets forth a federal minimum definition of child abuse and neglect. This act has been amended several times and was last reauthorized on December 20, 2010 by the CAPTA Reauthorization Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-320). However, states have wide discretion in determining specific abuse and neglect definitions. How maltreatment is defined and consequently reported, screened and investigated has significant implications for children, families, and local communities. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which states have narrowed or expanded child abuse and neglect definitions over time. Using public health law research methods, we analyzed changes in state definitions using publicly available data from 2005-2016. Methods State definitions of child abuse and neglect were gathered from the Child Welfare Information Gateway’s series “Definitions of Child Abuse and Neglect: State Statutes” for the following available time periods: 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014, and 2016. Following empirical research standards for statutory law and regulation measurement as described by Anderson et al. (2012), data were coded to capture changes in descriptions of abuse and neglect types, exemptions to definitions, and standards for reporting maltreatment. Initially, a single researcher thematically coded and quantified changes in the definitions. Two additional researchers independently coded the definitions a second time. Interrater reliability was established at 100%. Results Between 2005 to 2016, 50 states and the District of Columbia (D.C.) (n=51) made 132 changes that expanded definitions, and 40 states and D.C. (n=41) made 58 changes that narrowed them. Analyses revealed common patterns and also important differences in the type, direction, and number of changes across years. For example, in 2005 and 2007 the majority of states expanded standards for reporting and added additional maltreatment types such as abandonment to neglect definitions. Several states also began narrowing their definitions by introducing exemptions such as poverty. Between 2009 and 2016, the majority of changes involved redefining specific maltreatment types including the substantial redefinition of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, and the addition of parental substance use. Some of these trends correlate with specific amendments to CAPTA that were made during this time through the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 and the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016. Although evolving CAPTA requirements are reflected in some trends in definition changes, qualitative comparisons of individual state changes suggest variation that appears to go beyond CAPTA requirements. Conclusions and Implications Evolving state definitions reflect responses to changes in CAPTA as well responses to local child maltreatment dynamics. Multiple changes in the same year were noted for certain states; therefore, future research is needed to further distinguish the relationship between types of changes, trends within and across states, and the subsequent impact of these changes on child maltreatment reporting and outcomes

Associations Between Proactive and Reactive Subtypes of Aggression and Lifetime Substance Use in a Sample of Predominantly Hispanic Adolescents

The current study evaluated the link between proactive (goal-oriented) and reactive (behavior in response to a perceived threat) aggression and lifetime alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use in a sample of 152 predominantly Hispanic (94.7%) high school students. Furthermore, the impact of neighborhood violence and gender invariance on these associations were examined. Findings suggested unique associations between proactive, not reactive, aggression and use of all three substances. No significant interactions between the aggression subtypes and neighborhood violence were evident, and no gender differences emerged. Findings suggest targeting proactive aggression for the prevention of substance use for both males and females

Engagement Measures in Maltreatment Prevention Studies: A Scoping Review

Engagement Measures in Maltreatment Prevention Studies: A Scoping Review Authors Deborah Moon1 C. Bailey Nichols1 Aimee Sgourakis2 Amanda Cruce1 Yiran Zhang3 Hanna Haran3 Michelle Johnson-Motoyama3 1) University of Pittsburgh, School of Social Work 2) University of Pittsburgh, University Library System 3) Ohio State University, College of Social Work Objective: The objective of this scoping review is to investigate how family engagement is operationalized and measured in the studies of the interventions designed to prevent maltreatment and/or promote positive parenting. Introduction: The child welfare system is making an important shift toward prevention. It is crucial to understand how to engage potential beneficiaries in timely services to maximize the benefits of the transition. Family engagement is a complex and multidimensional construct with varied definitions and inconsistent emphasis on specific domains. The first step toward developing effective engagement strategies should begin with the effort to better operationalize and measure the construct. Previous reviews of engagement measures focus on those engaged in psychotherapy (Tetley et al., 2011) and families with identified needs such as those with issues related to mental health (Haine-Schlagel & Walsh, 2015) or substance use (Hock et al., 2015). A comprehensive overview of the existing measures of family engagement will point to areas which need further development and thereby contribute to the knowledge of engagement in maltreatment prevention research. Inclusion criteria: This study will examine quantitative and mixed methods studies in which multiple dimensions of family (parent) engagement are measured, including behavioural (i.e., attendance, dosage, service completion, etc.), attitudinal (cognitive and emotional) or relational engagement in interventions designed to prevent child maltreatment and/or promote positive parenting among parents within the United States. Studies focusing on interventions that target parents who are currently involved with the child welfare system due to maltreatment issues will be excluded. Qualitative or conceptual studies will be excluded. Additionally, studies which primarily target health, mental health, substance abuse, or other psychosocial outcomes without a focus on maltreatment prevention or positive parenting will be excluded. Methods: This review will include studies selected from Pubmed, CINAHL, ERIC, PsychInfo, Social Work Abstracts, Academic Search Premier, and Web of Science. We will include studies published in English after the year 2000. Google Scholar was used to identify an initial sample of studies to be included in the review. We will also conduct a backward search of all included articles to search for additional articles. Search results will be imported into Pico Portal software for screening. Two authors will screen titles and abstracts prior to a full text screen. Interrater reliability will be calculated throughout the screening process. After the full text screen, data from each study will be extracted by two reviewers and included in an Excel spreadsheet and any differences between reviewers will be resolved. A summary chart of extracted information will be included in the final manuscript alongside discussion of the findings. Review Question: How is family engagement operationalized and measured in studies of maltreatment prevention and/or positive parenting interventions?   Keywords: engagement, maltreatment, parenting, participation, prevention Start Date: February 1, 2022 Anticipated Completion Date: July 31, 202