A Multi-method Assessment of Risk and Protective Factors in Family Violence: Comparing Italian and Migrant Families

Abstract

Child maltreatment is a major public health issue, which threatens psychophysical well-being of almost 100,000 minors in Italy. The prevalence and social burden of this issue clearly indicate the need for preventive efforts, early identification of victimized children, and a rapid risk assessment of families referred to Child Protection Services (CPS). The present chapter proposes an evidence-based multi-method assessment system, specific for highlighting risk and protective factors in family functioning. The assessment system is comprised of six modules: One in-depth protocol for identifying proximal and distal risk and protective factors of maltreatment and recidivism against children. One exploratory tool for assessing the residual social capital in an at-risk family. Four screening surveys for assessing parenting stress, parental child abuse potential, parents’ resilience, and traumatic symptoms in children. In our proposal, distal risk factors imply a condition of vulnerability but exert an indirect influence on the child’s developmental trajectory, while proximal factors, both risk and protective, exert a direct influence on the adaptation of the child. Research foundations of the assessment system lie on several studies carried out from 2008 to present: the chapter proposes a brief review of main outcomes, focusing especially on risk and protective factors assessed using the in-depth protocol (Di Blasio, P. (Ed.). (2005). Tra rischio e protezione: La valutazione delle competenze parentali. Milano, Italy: Unicopli). A better comprehension of risk and protective factors in family violence may inform and guide preventive interventions, and our assessment system is meant to assist professionals in both decision-making and protection of children in all of these levels.

Prenatal Sociodemographic Factors Predicting Maltreatment of Children up to 3 Years Old: A Prospective Cohort Study Using Administrative Data in Japan

“…It should be noted that not all maltreatment cases are detected and registered with RCCRC, with research revealing that official records underestimate the prevalence of child maltreatment [ 4 , 37 , 38 ]. Moreover, some groups, such as unmarried and young mothers, may be overrepresented among RCCRC registration cases due to social class bias or social disadvantages [ 39 , 40 ], especially with a lack of fixed standards for RCCRC registration [ 41 ]. On the other hand, these mothers might actually have a higher risk for child maltreatment, as some previous studies suggested [ 39 , 42 ].…”

The CPS Workers’ Child Removal Decision in Cases of Domestic and Witnessed Violence

“…This study constitutes a second-level analysis of a larger project about the assessment of parents referred for child maltreatment (Milani, Miragoli, Grumi, & Di Blasio, 2020). This is especially focused on families where witnessed violence was detected; therefore, analyses were run on this specific subsample.…”