[Child Protection Services caseworkers' assessment of child maltreatment severity]

The goals of this research were to explore accuracy and consistency in the assessment of child maltreatment severity in Spanish Child Protection Services (CPS) and the influence of caseworker's service, gender, professional discipline, degree of dedication to CPS, and years of experience on the accuracy of the assessment of maltreatment severity. Two studies were conducted with 515 and 168 caseworkers from two Spanish CPSs. Case vignettes were used. Caseworkers of both groups were asked to rate severity of the assigned case vignettes, applying the criteria used in their daily work. Caseworkers in both studies obtained low levels of accurate ratings. None of the total vignettes obtained a percentage higher than 80% of inter-rater agreement. No significant relationships were found between accuracy of ratings and caseworkers' service, gender, professional discipline, degree of dedication to CPS, and years of experience.