Child Maltreatment最新文献

Studies show the protective power of informal support networks for parents, however, most research in this area is not specific to the child welfare context. With a sample of parents with children involved with the U.S. child welfare system due to substantiated child maltreatment (N = 118), latent profile analyses revealed three distinct profiles of parents' informal support networks including perceived support, received support, and network demands. The profiles were associated with differences in sociodemographic risks, ACEs, and symptoms of depression and stress. Parents with four or more ACEs were more likely to be classified in the very little support profile versus the profile of parents with some support. Parents who had high levels of informal network support and a manageable level of network demands had lower levels of depression and stress compared to parents with very little network support. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

A history of child maltreatment (CM) can lead to poorer perinatal mental health and early parenting outcomes. New fathers who experienced CM may have unique needs that could be addressed with trauma-specific fatherhood programs. This sequential mixed-methods study compares the intervention desires of fathers with and without a history of CM, explores trauma-specific considerations for intervention development, and identifies barriers to participating in perinatal fatherhood programs. We surveyed 371 first-time fathers of young children (birth - 30 months) online. One third (33%, n = 123) had a history of CM, and we interviewed 15 of them. Participants desired basic parenting skills programs with optional trauma-specific add-ons. Trauma-specific topics included managing relationships, sleep, and emotions like low mood, anger, or irritability. Many lacked positive fathering role models and sought connections with other fathers who had experienced CM. Trauma-specific perinatal interventions could support fathers with a history of CM in interrupting the intergenerational transmission of trauma.

In 2016, we summarized the state of trauma-informed care (TIC) in a special issue of Child Maltreatment by concluding that the practice and implementation of TIC had outpaced the conceptualization of and evidence for TIC. In the decade since, interest in TIC has continued to grow in systems, settings, and organizations that serve children and youth. This 10-year update and new special section was intended to identify promising new TIC research and to describe the current state of TIC. The four papers included in this special section were selected based on their clear definitions of TIC, rigorous evaluation, large-scale implementation of TIC, inclusion of youth/family outcomes, and/or their ability to advance the field of TIC research. These papers add to the slowly growing evidence-base for TIC across a range of child-serving settings. However, growth in TIC practice continues to outpace TIC research. Significant questions remain about the benefits of TIC on youth and families, including how to most effectively and efficently conceptualize and operationalize TIC broadly and in specific settings or for specific populations.

This study investigated predictors of reunification and reentry for children in Dutch out-of-home care. Case files of 340 children (aged 0-16) placed out of home in 2018 were coded and analyzed. Potential predictors were identified with bivariate correlations. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to predict the time until reunification, and a logistic regression to predict reentry. Within 6 years of placement, 42% of the children were reunified with their parents - of which 26% reentered out-of-home care. Professional support directed at the parents during placement more than doubled the likelihood of reunification. In contrast, multiple placement shifts, parental history of childhood maltreatment, limited parenting capacities, and parental intellectual disability decreased this likelihood. Among reunified children, parental childhood maltreatment, domestic violence, and placement in group care increased the risk of reentry in out-of-home care. Our findings underscore the importance of targeted professional support during and after the process of reunification.

Dimensional models of adversity are growing in popularity, but they have also been subjected to critique. For this analysis, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) data were drawn from a cohort of low-income adults to evaluate the Dimensional Model of Adversity and Psychopathology, which distinguishes experiences of threat and deprivation, and a recent extension of the life history model that differentiates three dimensions: (1) harshness/threat; (2) harshness/deprivation; (3) unpredictability. Confirmatory factor analyses of an expanded ACE assessment showed that both models fit the data well, though there were signs of low discriminant validity between dimensions. Harshness/threat was more strongly correlated with some physical and mental health outcomes and unpredictability was more strongly correlated with some indicators of risk behavior. Findings were largely consistent across models using latent measures and basic ACE scores. Further research is needed that compares dimensional models to cumulative risk models that are rudimentary but highly replicable.

Persistent substance use during the transition into adulthood increases risk for long-term mental and physical health problems. Participants (N = 483) and their caregivers were recruited at age 4 years due to exposure to (or high risk for) child abuse and/or neglect. Data on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) were collected prospectively during participant ages 0-18 years between the 1990s and early 2000s. In 2012, participants reported past 12-month substance use at a follow-up online survey in young adulthood (M_age = 23.8). A latent class analysis using nine dichotomous substance use indicators was fit to the data. Comparative fit indices favored a 4-class solution characterized by (1) high rates of tobacco and cannabis use (n = 66), (2) high rates of heroin/non-prescription opioid and non-prescription tranquilizer/sedative use (n = 21), (3) high rates of poly-substance use (n = 21), and (4) low rates of substance use (n = 375). Abstainers generally experienced fewer childhood adversities and adult IPV exposure relative to other classes and tended to report less substance use as adolescents. This work reinforces the prospective association between childhood adversity and problematic patterns of substance use observed in young adulthood, and offers key implications for providers, researchers, and policymakers.

Child sexual abuse (CSA) in early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings is sometimes perceived as rare or the subject of a "moral panic". Recent high-profile cases challenge this characterisation, exposing systemic failures within contemporary childcare environments that enable the sexual abuse of very young children. This article examines six prosecuted CSA cases from high-income countries involving serial offending against children under the age of five to explore how such severe abuse can persist despite regulation and apparent safeguards, and contrary to persistent scholarly claims that child sex offenders do not target ECEC settings. Using gendered organisational theory, our analysis reveals how organisational cultures, gendered power dynamics, and failures in accountability contribute to the occurrence and concealment of abuse. By situating these cases within broader patriarchal structural contexts, the article offers a critical rethinking of institutional responsibility and proposes reforms to strengthen child protection in ECEC settings.

Using administrative data from the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) from 2017 to 2019, this study examined child welfare involvement among Asian American subgroups, addressing gaps in research through disaggregated data analysis. Findings revealed significant racial and ethnic disparities in child welfare outcomes, including differences in prior referrals, re-referrals, and case durations. While certain Asian subgroups-such as Chinese families-experienced shorter case durations, lower odds of prior referrals and recurrence compared to White families, others, including Filipino, Cambodian, Hmong, and Laotian families, showed limited or inconsistent differences from their White counterparts across these outcomes. These findings challenge the model minority stereotype, highlighting the diverse experiences of Asian American families in the child welfare system. Addressing these disparities requires disaggregated data collection and culturally responsive policies that improve service accessibility, ensure timely interventions, and better support the unique needs of Asian American subgroups.

Emotional neglect (EN) is severely underrepresented in child maltreatment research. The current study addressed this gap by estimating the prevalence and psychosocial consequences of EN in a sample of 1,926 low-income women who received home visiting services. Results indicated that 22% to 57% endured EN depending on the operational criteria, exceeding general population estimates. Rates of endorsement differed across racial/ethnic groups, underscoring the need to explore the extent to which prevalence varies along with sampling and measurement approaches. Regression analyses showed that EN was associated with mental health and relationship difficulties in adulthood, including higher depression, anxiety, and PTSD scores; lower levels of social support and relationship satisfaction; and an increased risk of intimate partner violence. Controlling for demographics and other adverse childhood experiences, EN was associated with small but robust effects on adult mental health and social relationships at two time points four years apart. Taken together, the findings confirm EN deserves greater attention from researchers and practitioners.

This study examined interviews with 53 4 to 15-year-old children recanting sexual abuse to determine whether they were forthcoming about potential influences and pressures that could have led them to recant. The great majority (87%) of children mentioned one or more influences or pressures. With respect to influences, about half of children mentioned their positive feelings for the suspect, and about a third mentioned negative consequences for the suspect. About 30% disclosed that their immediate family missed the suspect. About half mentioned concerns about separation from their family, and almost 30% discussed negative consequences for their mother. Pressures from others were mentioned by about half of children. They rarely mentioned pressures from the suspect, but over a third disclosed family pressures, most often the lack of maternal support. Over two-thirds of children described feeling guilty and other internal influences. The results provide preliminary support for questioning recanting children about influences and pressures.