The challenges associated with determining causes of fatal child maltreatment have been documented by multiple professional fields and by the US government. This study explored these challenges, as well as the relative lethality of determinations of general neglect, medical neglect and physical abuse. Existing sources of information were used for this study: (1) data from the US National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) data set extracted from annual Child Maltreatment reports published by the US Department of Health and Human Services; and (2) information published in recent state‐level child death review team (CDRT) reports. Results from the NCANDS data set indicated that more children died from general neglect (x̅ = 70.9%) than abuse (x̅ = 44.8%) or medical neglect (x̅ = 8.2%). Children who experienced medical neglect died at the highest rate (6.82 per 1000 medical neglect victims), making it the most lethal, followed by physical abuse and general neglect. The findings from CDRT reports were inconsistent, with some states indicating that more children died from abuse than neglect, which is in direct contrast to national statistics. The inconsistent and confusing use of language and constructs from CDRTs has important implications for multiple child‐serving fields.Key Practitioner Messages
Professional child‐serving fields struggle with making accurate determinations of abuse or neglect‐related fatalities.
Most child maltreatment fatalities are related to neglect. In terms of lethality, medical neglect appears to be most lethal, followed by physical abuse, and then general neglect.
US‐state CDRT reports are not consistent in their use of terms and confuse constructs such as ‘neglect’ and ‘accident’. This makes it challenging to use their reviews as reliable sources of information.
We recommend the adoption of consistency in the use and understanding of terms related to child maltreatment deaths, at a minimum across all jurisdictions in the USA, if not across all nations.
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious social and public health problem in the United States. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and alcohol use have been found to be associated with IPV perpetration; however, limited studies have examined the interrelationships of these variables among Black men. This is the first known study to systematically review and synthesize studies on the interrelationships of ACEs, alcohol use, and IPV perpetration among Black men. Comprehensive literature searches were conducted in PubMed and six EBSCOhost databases by a research librarian and two researchers. Twenty studies met inclusion criteria: empirical; available in English; included ACEs, alcohol use/substance abuse, and IPV perpetration variables in the analyses; and samples included Black/African American male IPV perpetrators aged ≥ 18 years. ACEs were found to be associated with IPV perpetration among Black men, but findings were mixed regarding the role of alcohol in relation to ACEs and IPV. Numerous ACE factors (1–6) were used across studies. However, findings regarding the co-occurrence of ACE factors are inconclusive because none of the studies examined the cumulative effects of exposure to more than one type of ACE on subsequent IPV perpetration. Implications for policy, practice, and research related to the interrelationships of ACEs, alcohol use, and IPV perpetration are provided. Future work is needed to better explicate the interrelationships among these constructs.
This study aims to examine the (a) prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) among children in kinship care; (b) relationships between the number and type of ACEs and children’s internalizing and externalizing problems; and (c) moderating role of kinship caregivers’ mental health on the relationships between ACEs and children’s internalizing and externalizing problems. A sample of children in kinship care ( N = 224) obtained from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being II was used. Ordinary least squares regression models were conducted. Results indicated that neglect followed by parental substance abuse were found to be the most prevalent ACEs. Child neglect, sexual and emotional abuse, and parental substance abuse were significantly associated with child internalizing problems, whereas sexual and emotional abuse were significantly associated with child externalizing problems. The total number of ACEs and experiencing three or more ACEs were significantly associated with child externalizing problems. Kinship caregivers’ mental health significantly moderated the relationships between neglect, sexual abuse, and child internalizing problems. Caregiver’s mental health also moderated the relationships between emotional and sexual abuse, neglect, and children’s externalizing problems. Findings suggest the importance of addressing ACEs and the need for mental health services to both kinship caregivers and children in kinship care.
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