Methodological issues in child maltreatment research

Howing, Phyllis T.; Wodarski, John S.; Kurtz, P. David; Gaudin, James M.

doi:10.1093/swra/25.3.3

Cited by 18 publications

(6 citation statements)

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“…We matched controls to victims on race, age at first assessment, and SES. We chose these variables because they are related to both maltreatment and persistent serious delinquency (Howing, Wodarsky, Kurtz, & Gaudin, 1989;Karon & Kupper, 1982). Furthermore, they are unchangeable and thus cannot be a target for intervention.…”

Section: Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Which Family and Demographic Factors Are Related to Both Maltreatment and Persistent Serious Juvenile Delinquency?

Stouthamer‐Loeber¹,

Wei²,

Homish³

et al. 2002

Children's Services

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Section: Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Which Family and Demographic Factors Are Related to Both Maltreatment and Persistent Serious Juvenile Delinquency?

Stouthamer‐Loeber¹,

Wei²,

Homish³

et al. 2002

Children's Services

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“…For example: What is the relationship between study response rates and prevalence estimates? Previous reviews (Howing et al, 1989;Peters, Wyatt, & Finkelhor, 1986;Wyatt & Peters, 1986a;1986b) and an independent study (Haugaard & Emery, 1989) have hypothesized or merely described the potentially confounding influence of selective participation or response bias, as well as other methodological variables (e.g., the diverse array of child abuse definitions represented in the extant literature) on prevalence estimation, but have not directly assessed the extent of such bias. The present study, an integrative review, will address these methodological concerns.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The prevalence of child sexual abuse: Integrative review adjustment for potential response and measurement biases

Gorey

Leslie

1997

Child Abuse & Neglect

349

186

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This integrative review synthesizes the finding of 16 cross-sectional surveys (25 hypotheses) on the prevalence of child abuse among nonclinical, North American samples. It is essentially a research literature on sexual abuse; only one of the studies assessed physical abuse, and there has not yet been a single study of prevalent child emotional abuse nor neglect. The following summative inferences were made: (1) response rates diminished significantly over time, M = 68% prior to 1985 and M = 49% for more recent surveys, p < .05; (2) unadjusted estimates of the prevalent experience among women and men of childhood sexual abuse was 22.3% and 8.5%, respectively; (3) study response rates and child abuse operational definitions together accounted for half of the observed variability in their abuse prevalence estimates, R2 = .500, p < .05; (4) female and male child sexual abuse prevalence estimates adjusted for response rates (60% or more) were respectively, 16.8% and 7.9%, and adjusted for operational definitions (excluding the broadest, noncontact category) they were 14.5% and 7.2%; (5) after adjustment for response rates and definitions, the prevalence of child sexual abuse was not found to vary significantly over the three decades reviewed. Given the large human costs, both personal and social, of child abuse, and the identified gap in the requisite knowledge needed to steer effective preventive and treatment interventions, it is time to invest in a large, methodologically rigorous, population-based study of child abuse which, if it does nothing else, spares no expense in ensuring very high participation.

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“…When applied to risk assessment, researchers have argued that maltreatment occurrence and recurrence may be best predicted by risk item combinations that identify unique population subgroups similarly at risk for recurrence (Howing, Wodarski, Kurtz, & Gaudin, 1989;McDonald & Marks, 1991;National Research Council, 1993;Pecora, 1991). For example, one family may be categorized as high risk due to poor parenting skills and ability whereas another family may be considered high risk due to poor housing conditions and a child's developmental disability.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Use of Risk Assessment to Predict Recurrent Maltreatment: A Classification and Regression Tree Analysis (CART)

et al. 2008

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Research has suggested that recurrent maltreatment may be best predicted by a combination of factors that vary across families. The present study set out to determine whether a pattern-centered analytic approach would better predict families at high risk for recurrence when compared to logistic regression methods. Archival data from substantiated investigations during 2003 were collected from a Connecticut Department of Children and Families county branch. Families (n=244) with a substantiated index case were followed for 18 months to identify the presence of additional substantiated cases within the CPS system. Classification and Regression Tree (CART) analyses revealed that prior CPS involvement was the best predictor of recurrent maltreatment. Further, risk items that were associated with recurrence were different for families with and without previous CPS investigations. Families with only prior unsubstantiated CPS investigations and poor child visibility within the community were at high risk for recurrence. Families without prior CPS involvement that were not actively involved in case planning and had a history of domestic violence were at high risk for recurrence. These findings suggest that pattern-centered analyses may be a useful approach to informing site-specific predictors of maltreatment recurrence by creating clear decision points that delineate high risk subgroups.Keywords child abuse and neglect; recurrent maltreatment; risk assessment; classification and regression tree analysis The primary goal of child protective services (CPS) is to reduce the likelihood of child maltreatment and its recurrence by providing appropriate services to families (Brookes & Webster, 1999); however, approximately 1/3 to 1/2 of families will have a recurret episode of maltreatment with subsequent reentry into the CPS system (DePanfilis & Zuravin, 1998;DePanfilis & Zuravin, 1999; Fluke, Shusterman, Hollinshead, & Yuan, 2005;Inkelas & Halfon, 1997). Risk assessment instruments were developed to aid caseworkers in identifying children who were at high risk for future abuse and neglect (Cash, 2001;Jagannathan & Camasso, 1996;Johnson & L'Esperance, 1984;Pecora, 1991). Although these assessments are now routinely administered during CPS investigations in 42 states (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2003); there remains no standard risk assessment model that clearly informs caseworker case planning and management (Schwalbe, 2004 Camasso & Jagannathan, 1995; Fluke et al., 2005;Hindley, Ramchandani, & Jones, 2006;Johnson & L'Esperance, 1984;Marks & McDonald, 1989;McDonald & Marks, 1991). Families are classified as low, moderate, or high risk for recurrence based on caseworker ratings of these items. An early review comparing eight risk assessment instruments (McDonald & Marks, 1991) found that perpetrator access predicted recurrent maltreatment in three prospective studies (Baird, 1988;Johnson & L'Esperance, 1984; Weedon, Torti, & Zunder, 1988) and a large family size predicted reabuse in two prospective ...

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Methodological issues in child maltreatment research

Cited by 18 publications

References 0 publications

Which Family and Demographic Factors Are Related to Both Maltreatment and Persistent Serious Juvenile Delinquency?

Which Family and Demographic Factors Are Related to Both Maltreatment and Persistent Serious Juvenile Delinquency?

The prevalence of child sexual abuse: Integrative review adjustment for potential response and measurement biases

The Use of Risk Assessment to Predict Recurrent Maltreatment: A Classification and Regression Tree Analysis (CART)

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