Child abuse and neglect re-report rates for young children with developmental delays

The study objective was to examine the likelihood and magnitude of child abuse and neglect (CAN) re-reports for young children (0-71 months) with delays in cognitive, language, and adaptive development, compared to typically developing children. The National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW II), a nationally representative and longitudinal survey, was used to examine CAN re-reports at two follow-up waves, 18- and 36-months post baseline assessments. Logistic regression models were employed to determine the correlation between number of developmental delays and a CAN re-report at waves 2 and 3. Results indicate that children with three or more domains of delays had odds 4.73 times higher than children without developmental delays of re-report to CPS at wave 2 but not at wave 3. In this study, children with multiple developmental delays have elevated rates of CAN re-reports when compared to typically developing children. Allocation of child welfare resources should include strategies for preventing maltreatment risk among children with developmental delays.