McGill Quick Links
McGill.CA / Centre for Research on Children & Families / Projects

Research Watch

Research Watch, a periodical review of research articles published in the leading child welfare journals, is a joint initiative of the CECW and the CRCF. Faculty and graduate students from the Universities of McGill and Toronto meet on a monthly basis to review recently published child welfare studies. The most relevant and well designed studies are summarized and disseminated through the CECW's list of over 2500 subscribers across Canada.

For any PhD student potentially interested in joining the Research Watch team or to receive more information, please contact jules [dot] lajoie [at] gmail [dot] com (Jules Lajoie). You can also send him a notice if you want your e-mail to be added to the distribution list.

Latest Release

The articles listed below can be accessed through the corresponding journal website or accessed at a local library or university.

27 April 2012

Home-based intervention for high-risk rural families: A randomized clinical trial

Source: Silovsky, J., Bard, D., Chaffin, M., Hecht, D., Burris, L., Owora, A. et al. (2011). Prevention of child maltreatment in high-risk rural families: A randomized clinical trial with child welfare outcomes. Children and Youth Services Review, 33(8), 1435-1444.

Reviewed by: Kristen Lwin

There has been little research in the area of child maltreatment prevention within high-risk rural populations. Rural caregivers struggling with substance use, intimate partner violence (IPV), and depression may be at high risk for perpetrating child maltreatment, yet few home-based prevention programs are customized for this population. SafeCare (SC) is a skills-based model designed to alter parenting behaviours related to child maltreatment and delivered by trained home based service providers. For the purposes of this study, the SC method was adapted for high-risk rural communities (SC+) enhanced with Motivational Interviewing and compared to a standard home-based mental health service (SAU). It was hypothesized that families who received SC+ (n=48), as compared to SAU (n=57), would have: 1) enhanced engagement in services; 2) lower rates of out-of-home placements; and 3) greater improvement of risk factors (i.e., depression, substance misuse, IPV) and parenting skills (e.g., dealing with child health and home hazards).

Families randomized to SC+ were significantly more likely than SAU participants to complete the initial intake meeting where home visitors obtain demographic information and a needs assessment of the family. Providers of SC+ were more likely to refer and connect families to additional services, compared to SAU service providers. Further, SC+ participants were much more likely to be satisfied with the service they received. Caregiver self-reports indicated participants randomized to SC+ were better able to address child health and home hazards, as well as prevent child behaviour problems. Ten participants (21%) of SC+ and 18 participants (32%) of SAU had a future referral to child welfare services. Amongst families with additional child welfare referrals the median length until a first report was 103 days for SAU participants and 200.5 days for those receiving SC+. Differences in re-referral rates and time were not statistically significant. Although preliminary results suggest engagement and satisfaction with SC+ service, further examination with a larger sample size is required for more rigorous results.

Methodological notes:

One hundred and five parents of children 5 years or less who had identifiable risk of depression, IPV, or substance abuse were randomized to SC+ or SAU. There were no significant differences between the two groups with respect to demographic characteristics (i.e., age, gender, ethnicity, marital status, education, pregnancy and employment status). The average age of caregivers was 27 years (SD=9), and families had an average of two children. Both African American and First Nation populations were overrepresented compared to their rates in the general population in the United States.

This study was limited by drop out over time, although all analyses are based on results for the full randomized samples. The sample size was also quite small, which may explain the lack of significance on some outcome measures.

Click here to view the Research Watch archive.

Please feel free to distribute this enewsletter broadly within your organization.

Canadian Child Welfare Research Portal
info [at] cwrp [dot] ca
www.cwrp.ca

Quick links:
Information sheets
About CWRP
Canadian child welfare researchers database
Subscribe to Research Watch

13 March 2012

Major Findings from the Fourth National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect (NIS)

Source: Sedlak, A.J., Mettenburg, J., Basena, M., Petta, I., McPherson, K., Greene, A., and Li, S. (2010). Fourth National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect (NIS–4): Report to Congress. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Ma

The National Incidence Study (NIS) examines the incidence of child abuse and neglect in the United States. The Fourth National Incidence Study (NIS-4) collected data from a representative sample of 122 counties across 126 Child Protection Service (CPS) agencies. The NIS-4 examines children who are maltreated including those investigated by CPS agencies and others not reported to CPS or screened out by CPS without investigation but recognized as maltreated by community professionals. The findings of the NIS-4 demonstrate a general decrease in the incidence of maltreatment since the Third National Incidence Study (NIS-3), with decreases in particular maltreatment categories and increases in others. Further analyses of the data need to be completed to understand the observed changes in the incidence of maltreatment.

The NIS-4 collected 6,208 forms from community professionals and 10,677 forms on the investigation outcomes from participating CPS agencies over a three-month period. National estimates were derived from the collected data to reflect the numbers of abused and neglected children in the United States. The NIS uses standard definitions of abuse and neglect therefore the incidence rates of maltreated children are standardized across various CPS and community agencies and NIS cycles. Abuse includes physical abuse, sexual abuse, and emotional abuse. Neglect includes physical neglect, emotional neglect, and educational neglect. The NIS-4 further defines maltreatment by employing two definitional standards: the Harm Standard and the Endangerment Standard. The Harm Standard identifies abuse or neglect as situations where an act or omission results in substantiated harm. The strength of the Harm Standard is its objectivity while its limitation is its rigidity in the inclusion of children who are maltreated. Conversely, the Endangerment Standard includes all children who meet the Harm Standard in addition to children who have not yet been harmed by abuse or neglect if a professional deemed that the maltreatment endangered the child or if a CPS investigation substantiated their maltreatment.

Under the Harm Standard category, more than 1.25 million children (an estimated 1,256,000 children or a rate of 17.1 children victimized per 1,000 children) experienced maltreatment during the NIS-4 study year (2005-2006). The NIS categorizes children in every applicable type of abuse or neglect; as such the portions may amount to more than 100%. An estimated total of 553,300 children were abused (44%) while 771,700 children were neglected (61%). Most of the abused children were physically abused (58% or an estimated 323,000 children), approximately a quarter experienced sexual abuse (24% or an estimated 135,500 children) while more than quarter experienced emotional abuse (27% or an estimated 148,500 children). Almost half of the neglected children experienced educational neglect (47% or an estimated 360,500 children), more than a third were physically neglected (38% or an estimated 295,300 children) and a quarter were emotionally neglected (25% or an estimated193,300 children). Overall, the incidence rate of Harm Standard maltreatment in the NIS-4 declined by 19% since the NIS-3. The number of children who experienced Harm Standard abuse decreased significantly by 26% (an estimated 743,200 children in the NIS-3 to an estimated 553,300 children in the NIS-4). There are no statistically significant changes from the incidence of Harm Standard neglect since the NIS-3.

Under the Endangerment Standard category, more than 2.9 million children (an estimated 2,905,800 children or a rate of 39.5 children victimized per 1,000 children) experienced maltreatment during the NIS-4 study year. An estimated total of 835,000 children were abused (29%) while an estimated 2,251,600 children (77%) were neglected. Most of the abused children were physically abused (57% or an estimated 476,600 children) while approximately a third (36% or an estimated 302,600 children) were emotionally abused and less than a quarter (22% or an estimated 180,500 children) were sexually abused. More than half of the neglected children experienced physical neglect (53% or an estimated 1,192,200 children). Almost half were emotionally neglected (52% or an estimated 1,173,800) and 16% (an estimated 360,500 children) were educationally neglected. A statistically significant change was not observed in the overall incidence rate of Endangerment Standard maltreatment in the NIS-4 from the NIS-3. Nevertheless, there was a significant 32% decrease in the number of children who experienced Endangerment Standard abuse (an estimated 217,700 children in the NIS-3 to an estimated 135,300 in the NIS-4). There were no statistically significant changes from the incidence of Endangerment Standard neglect since the NIS-3.

Click here to view the Research Watch archive.

Please feel free to distribute this enewsletter broadly within your organization.

Canadian Child Welfare Research Portal
info [at] cwrp [dot] ca
www.cwrp.ca

Quick links:
Information sheets
About CWRP
Canadian child welfare researchers database
Subscribe to Research Watch

Classified as
Updated on Tue, 2012-04-24 10:48
top of page