The Intersection of Child Maltreatment and Behaviour Problems: Implications for Child Welfare Service Providers

Evidence suggests that child maltreatment is associated with externalizing, antisocial, and criminal behaviour, although the mechanisms explaining this association remain poorly understood. The purpose of this thesis research is twofold: to deepen current understanding of the relationship between maltreatment and behaviour problems, and to understand the potential intervening role of child welfare services in influencing this relationship. With few Canadian studies in this area, an aim of this research is to provide a foundation from which future research can expand. Three academic papers comprise this research. The first paper entails a comprehensive analysis and application of relevant theories to understanding the association between maltreatment and behaviour problems. The second paper utilizes data from the Ontario Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (OIS-2013) to examine whether dimensions of maltreatment and cumulative risk explain why certain maltreated young people exhibit behaviour problems and others do not. The third paper uses OIS-2013 data to provide a snapshot of the child welfare services delivered to maltreated children and youth who exhibit aggressive and/or criminal behaviour. The findings indicate that the relationship between maltreatment and behaviour problems is complex and dependent on processes at every level of childrenâ s ecologies. Aggressive children were more likely to experience severe and co-occurring forms of maltreatment and to experience higher levels of cumulative child risks. In adolescence, youth exhibiting aggressive or criminal behaviour commonly experienced abandonment, a form of neglect in which caregivers are not willing or able to remain a caregiver. While aggression in younger children was not associated with an increased likelihood of receiving child welfare services, maltreated adolescents displaying aggressive behaviour were significantly more likely to be placed in out-of-home care, often in restrictive settings. These findings are discussed with respect to their implications for child welfare practitioners, policy makers, administrators, researchers, and educators.Ph.D.2018-11-10 00:00:0

Predictors of Early Childbirth Among Female Adolescents in Foster Care

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Elsevier in Journal of Adolescent Health in 2017. The published version is available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2017.02.014Placement into foster care is driven by a number of factors, many of which are associated with adolescent childbirth. Yet, there are few studies that identify the experiences and characteristics that predict adolescent childbirth among girls who spend time in foster care.Funding for this analysis was provided by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Institutional Grant (#72049421). Data linkages were funded through a grant received from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. Ongoing support for the California Child Welfare Indicators Project is provided by the California Department of Social Services. The authors would also like to acknowledge continued support and collaboration with the Children’s Data Network, School of Social Work, University of Southern California

An Examination of Delinquency in a National Canadian Sample of Child Maltreatment Related Investigations

Objectives: To examine factors associated with delinquency/youth justice system involvement in a national sample of child welfare investigations and explore whether delinquency/justice system involvement predict child welfare service provision. Methods: Secondary analysis was conducted using data from the Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect, 2008 (CIS-2008), specifically examining a weighted sample of 57,601 pre-adolescents (age 8-11), and 58,641 adolescents (age 12-15). Delinquency was examined in pre-adolescents and youth justice system involvement was examined in adolescents. Descriptive analysis was conducted and is reported as frequencies. After identifying significant bivariate relationships between delinquency/justice system involvement and youth, household, case, and service characteristics, logistic regressions were used to determine whether the presence of delinquency/justice system involvement predicted the investigation being transferred to ongoing child welfare services. Results: For pre-adolescents, delinquency increased the likelihood that a case would be transferred to ongoing child welfare services. For adolescents, youth justice system involvement did not increase the likelihood of case transfer. Conclusions and Implications: The results provide important information about delinquency/youth justice system involvement in a national sample of Canadian child welfare investigations. Implications: Future research should continue to explore this area to determine how to best meet the needs of vulnerable young people with both delinquency/justice system involvement and involvement in the child welfare system

An Examination of Delinquency in a National Canadian Sample of Child Maltreatment-Related Investigations

Objectives: To examine factors associated with delinquency/youth justice system involvement in a national sample of child welfare investigations and explore whether delinquency/justice system involvement predict child welfare service provision. Methods: Secondary analysis was conducted using data from the Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect, 2008 (CIS-2008), specifically examining a weighted sample of 57,601 pre-adolescents (age 8-11), and 58,641 adolescents (age 12-15). Delinquency was examined in pre-adolescents and youth justice system involvement was examined in adolescents. Descriptive analysis was conducted and is reported as frequencies. After identifying significant bivariate relationships between delinquency/justice system involvement and youth, household, case, and service characteristics, logistic regressions were used to determine whether the presence of delinquency/justice system involvement predicted the investigation being transferred to ongoing child welfare services. Results: For pre-adolescents, delinquency increased the likelihood that a case would be transferred to ongoing child welfare services. For adolescents, youth justice system involvement did not increase the likelihood of case transfer. Conclusions and Implications: The results provide important information about delinquency/youth justice system involvement in a national sample of Canadian child welfare investigations. Implications: Future research should continue to explore this area to determine how to best meet the needs of vulnerable young people with both delinquency/justice system involvement and involvement in the child welfare system

Examining the Relationship between Economic Hardship and Child Maltreatment Using Data from the Ontario Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect-2013 (OIS-2013)

There is strong evidence that poverty and economic disadvantage are associated with child maltreatment; however, research in this area is underdeveloped in Canada. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between economic hardship and maltreatment for families and children identified to the Ontario child protection system for a maltreatment concern. Secondary analyses of the Ontario Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect-2013 (OIS-2013) were conducted. The OIS-2013 examines the incidence of reported maltreatment and the characteristics of children and families investigated by child welfare authorities in Ontario in 2013. Descriptive and bivariate chi-square analyses were conducted in addition to a logistic regression predicting the substantiation of maltreatment. In 9% of investigations, the household had run out of money for food, housing, and/or utilities in the past 6 months. Children in these households were more likely to have developmental concerns, academic difficulties, and caregivers with mental health concerns and substance use issues. Controlling for key clinical and case characteristics, children living in families facing economic hardship were almost 2 times more likely to be involved in a substantiated maltreatment investigation (OR = 1.91, p < 0.001). The implications in regard to future research and promoting resilience are discussed.Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (#950- 231186)

The Best Kept Secret in Social Work: Empirical Support for Contemporary Psychodynamic Social Work Practice

Psychoanalysis is a theoretical and practice discipline that has produced an extensive body of literature over the past 100 years. Psychodynamic psychotherapy developed from psychoanalytic thought and has been studied using both qualitative and quantitative methods including experimental studies, content analyses and case studies. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the relevance of psychodynamic theories to social work and to review evidence that supports psychodynamic social work practice. We first provide a brief introduction to several relevant psychodynamic theories, including self psychology, intersubjectivity theory and relational theory. Next, we discuss the debates and controversies surrounding the study of psychodynamic psychotherapy. A review of existing evidence for psychodynamic practice with adults, children and adolescents is presented, including systematic reviews and meta-analyses, literature reviews and other research. We conclude with a discussion of the importance of further research on psychodynamic and other forms of social work practice and the benefit of promoting psychodynamic theories in social work education

A Profile of Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence Investigations in the Canadian Child Welfare System: An Examination Using the 2008 Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (CIS-2008)

Objectives: To provide a profile of the incidence and characteristics of substantiated exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) investigations in Canada in 2008. Methods: Bivariate analyses were conducted examining four types of substantiated investigations in order to better understand the response of the child welfare system to IPV investigations: (i) investigations in which exposure to IPV was the single substantiated form of maltreatment; (ii) investigations in which another type of maltreatment (physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, or emotional maltreatment) was the single substantiated form of maltreatment; (iii) investigations in which exposure to IPV co-occurred with at least one other form of maltreatment; (iv) investigations in which there were co-occurring forms of maltreatment that did not include IPV. Results: 41% of substantiated investigations involved exposure to IPV, with 31% of investigations involving single form IPV and 10% of investigations involving IPV that co-occurred with another form of maltreatment. A total of 51% of investigations were substantiated for a single form of other maltreatment (physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect or emotional maltreatment) and 8% of investigations were substantiated for cooccurring forms of these four types of maltreatment. The investigations were compared on family, child, case, and service characteristics. Conclusions and Implications: Exposure to IPV is a complex issue and demands an equally complex response that includes cross sector collaboration. Child welfare agencies receiving referrals regarding intimate partner violence should aim to identify opportunities to prevent recurrence and support the victims identified in the investigation

Non-English/non-French Speaking Caregivers Involved with the Canadian Child Welfare System: Findings from the Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (CIS-2008)

Objective: The objective is to provide a profile of non-English/non-French speaking families investigated by child welfare, with primary caregiver language acting as a proxy for immigration. This analysis examines the impact of language on service disposition. Methods: Multivariate analysis was conducted to determine whether primary caregiver language impacts the decision to transfer a case to ongoing services at the conclusion of the investigation, after controlling for clinical factors. Results: Investigations involving non-English/non-French speaking caregivers were more likely to identify physical abuse as the primary maltreatment form, more likely to indicate the caregiver has few social supports and is a victim of domestic violence, and more likely to report no primary source of income than investigations involving non-immigrant caregivers. When controlling for clinical factors, investigations involving these caregivers were significantly less likely to be transferred to ongoing services. However, when controlling for language and clinical factors, investigations of physical abuse were significantly less likely to be opened for ongoing services than investigations of all other maltreatment types. Conclusions and Implications: The findings suggest that there is an interaction between primary caregiver language and maltreatment type in predicting transfers to ongoing services. Given the lower risk profiles of non-English/non-French speaking families, although concerns of social isolation and domestic violence were more likely to be noted, a possible explanation is that these families are overrepresented in investigations of physical abuse. The potential utility of parenting education programs tailored immigrant families as one avenue to address the problem of abusive discipline, merits research attention

Intergenerational Transmission of Child Abuse and Neglect: A Transdisciplinary Analysis

Parents who experienced maltreatment in childhood may be at an increased risk of presenting abusive or neglectful behavior toward their own children. Research suggests reoccurring patterns of abuse and neglect across generations, but the factors that influence these behavioral patterns are complex and poorly understood. Although abusive or neglectful parenting styles undoubtedly are strongly influenced by social factors (ie, “nurture”), there might be underlying biological components to perpetuating behavioral patterns (ie, “nature”). Importantly, nature and nurture are known to interact in shaping developmental outcomes, and as such should not be considered in isolation. In this review, we examine the evidence regarding the inheritance of abusive and/or neglectful parenting behavior using a transdisciplinary approach. We integrate knowledge of the social and biological science fields on the continuance of abusive and neglectful behavior, as well as the methodological challenges that complicate the interpretation of existing research. Finally, we stress the importance of considering contextual factors of both social and biological research findings concerning the intergenerational inheritance of child abuse and neglect and discuss the potential for early social intervention to disrupt harmful intergenerational patterns