An event history analysis of recurrent child maltreatment reports in Florida

The purpose of this study was to (a) describe the timing of maltreatment recurrence and (b) measure associations between child demographics and characteristics of initial reports with recurrent maltreatment.

Using administrative data from the Florida Department of Children and Families, case histories of 189,375 children with an initial maltreatment report in 1998 or 1999 were examined using event history techniques, also known as survival analysis, to assess the relationship between predictor variables and the likelihood and timing of recurrence. Specifically, data were analyzed using descriptive and multivariate analytic methods, including life-table analysis and logistic regression analysis.

Over 26% of the sample had a maltreatment recurrence during the 2-year follow-up period, and the risk of recurrence was greatest in the first 4 months after the initial incident. Results also suggest the presence of unique associations between recurrence and a child's race/ethnicity and age, as well as indication level, maltreatment type, and service disposition as specified in the initial report.

Results indicate that recurrent reports are more likely for young and White children whose first report resulted in a substantiation of neglect and the provision of in-home preventive services. This research highlights the importance of further investigating the relationship between chronic maltreatment and other influential variables.