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Longitudinal experiences of children remaining at home after a first-time investigation for suspected maltreatment

Kristine A Campbell1, Andrea M Thomas, Lawrence J Cook

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84158, USA. kristine.campbell@hsc.utah.edu

The Journal of Pediatrics
|April 7, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Children remaining at home after maltreatment investigations face persistent risks. While service referrals are infrequent, they show promise in reducing intimate partner violence, substance dependence, and child behavior issues.

Area of Science:

  • Child welfare research
  • Public health
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Children remaining at home after maltreatment investigations often experience persistent risk factors.
  • Understanding longitudinal changes in these risks is crucial for intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe longitudinal changes in risk factors for children remaining at home after a first-time maltreatment investigation.
  • To examine the impact of risk-specific service referrals on these changes.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective cohort study of a nationally representative sample of US children.
  • Longitudinal modeling of risk factors (poverty, social support, caregiver depression, IPV, substance dependence, corporal punishment, child behavior problems) at baseline, 18, and 36 months.
  • Analysis of associations between service referrals and risk factor changes.

Main Results:

  • High prevalence of risk factors (poverty, poor social support, caregiver depression, IPV, child behavior problems) persisted over 36 months.
  • 9.2% of children experienced out-of-home placement within 36 months.
  • Risk-specific service referrals, though uncommon, were linked to reduced IPV, substance dependence, and externalizing child behaviors.

Conclusions:

  • Children remaining at home post-investigation face ongoing risks for maltreatment.
  • Targeted service referrals, while underutilized, can lead to significant risk reduction.
  • Pediatricians and policymakers should prioritize appropriate service provision and referrals to improve family outcomes.
Abstract

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