FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

Q1 Where can I find the latest statistics and current information about child abuse and neglect?
Q2 What is the difference between data, dataset and findings?
Q3 What is secondary data analysis?
Q4 How do I join the National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect US mailing list?
Q5 What is the Child Maltreatment Research Listserv?
Q6 How do I join the Child Maltreatment Research Listserv?
Q7 How do I end my subscription to the Child Maltreatment Research Listserv?
Q8 How much does a dataset cost?
Q9 How long does it take to get a dataset?
Q10 How can I find out more about NDACAN's datasets?
Q11 What is the proper format for acknowledging NDACAN in a publication from a dataset?
Q12 Who can order data from NDACAN?

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Q1: Where can I find the latest statistics and current information about child abuse and neglect?

A.  NDACAN disseminates datasets of archived research for secondary analysis with statistical software such as SPSS or SAS. We do NOT maintain statistics on child abuse and neglect or provide reports of research findings.

Although NDACAN does not have summary statistics of research findings, the U.S. Children's Bureau Web site has this type of information for download and viewing. Here is a list of important reports which may be relevant to your research:

Child Maltreatment Reports
One source of data by state is known as the NCANDS (National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System). You can access the NCANDS Child Maltreatment reports by going to this web site:
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/stats_research/index.htm

Child Welfare Outcomes
Another source of findings by state, which includes child maltreatment and foster care information, is known as the Child Welfare Outcomes Annual Report. You can access it here:
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/stats_research/index.htm

AFCARS Reports
Information about the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) is available on the Web. AFCARS was designed to address policy development and program management issues at both the state and federal levels. The data are also useful for researchers interested in
analyzing aspects of the United States' foster care and adoption programs. Tables and other reports summarizing the AFCARS data are available from the Children's Bureau Web page:
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/stats_research/index.htm

Here are other sources for child welfare statistics and summary information:

Child Welfare Information Gateway
Formerly the National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information and the National Adoption Information Clearinghouse, Child Welfare Information Gateway provides access to information and resources to help protect children and strengthen families. A service of the Children's Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:
http://www.childwelfare.gov/

ChildStats
The Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics (the Forum) is a collection of 20 Federal government agencies involved in research and activities related to children and families. The Forum's annual report, America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, summarizes national indicators of child well-being and monitors changes in these indicators over time.
www.childstats.gov


Chapin Hall Center for Children
Centered at the University of Chicago, the Chapin Hall Center studies and reports on economic programs for youth and families, child welfare services, community resources for child and youth development, community development strategies, and education. Chapin Hall has three publication series: Chapin Hall Reports lay the conceptual foundation for innovative thinking and action in child, family, and community policy or present results from large-scale documentation and evaluation projects; Chapin Hall Discussion Papers are timely and topical treatments of subjects on Chapin Hall?s research agenda; Chapin Hall Working Papers provide access to early work in a line of inquiry and research designed for a highly targeted audience. All Chapin Hall publications are distributed in printed form and most are also available electronically free of charge.
www.chapinhall.org

Crimes Against Children Research Center (CCRC)
Based at the University of New Hampshire, CCRC provides research and statistics to the public, policy makers, law enforcement personnel, and other child welfare practitioners. CCRC is concerned with research about the nature of crimes including child abduction, homicide, rape, assault, and physical and sexual abuse as well as their impact.
www.unh.edu/ccrc/

Q2. What is the difference between data, dataset and findings?

A. In this context, data refers to the organized observations of a study (e.g. survey responses) in electronic form. A dataset prepared by NDACAN includes the data in SPSS or SAS format, a data codebook and a brief guide which addresses secondary analysis issues concerning that study. Findings summarize the outcome of a study and are described in a study's final report and other publications, such as journal articles.
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Q3. What is secondary data analysis?

A. Secondary data analysis means re-examining a study in order to replicate the findings or to test a new hypothesis. It generally involves using statistical software such as SAS or SPSS to conduct statistical analyses.
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Q4. How do I join the National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect mailing list for receiving announcements?

A. You can sign up on-line here.
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Q5. What is the Child Maltreatment Research List Serve?

A. The Child Maltreatment Research Listserv is an E-mail based discussion group. Subscribers can post and receive messages on the subject of child maltreatment research. Postings are approved or rejected (no edits) by a moderator based on the relevance of the message to the list's purpose. The purpose of the list is to facilitate information exchange and networking among researchers in the field of child abuse and neglect. The scope of the list includes all areas of CAN research (e.g., epidemiology, etiology, prevention, consequences, intervention, and treatment) and the full range of research issues (e.g., measurement, instrumentation, statistical analysis, ethics). The list is not open to discussions of program-related or clinical issues except as they relate to evaluation research.
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Q6. How do I join the Child Maltreatment Research e-list?

A. To join (also called subscribing), e-mail the following word to child-maltreatment-research-l-request@cornell.edu with nothing else in the body of the message (no signatures):

join

Important:
* You must send this message from the e-mail address where you want to receive the e-list's messages.
* The message must be sent in plain text, that is, no formatting, font styles, or HTML code.

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Q7. How do I end my subscription to the Child Maltreatment Research e-list?

A. To leave the list, e-mail the following word to child-maltreatment-research-l-request@cornell.edu with nothing else in the body of the message (no signatures):

leave


Important:
* The message must be sent in plain text, that is, no formatting, font styles, or HTML code. (How do I send plain text?)
* You should send this message from the e-mail address where you want to stop receiving the e-list's messages. If you cannot send mail from that address, or if you have other problems leaving a list, contact the list's administrators. Send a message (be sure to tell the admins what address you want removed) to owner-child-maltreatment-research-l@cornell.edu
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Q8. How much does a dataset cost?

A.  Datasets are free with the exception of NSCAW Restricted Release ($500).

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Q9. How long does it take to get a dataset?

A. Please allow 3-6 weeks for delivery.  
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Q10. How can I find out more about NDACAN's datasets?

A. The Datasets button on the left takes you to the NDACAN list of datasets. You can browse the abstracts for the studies by clicking on Details. Documentation for most datasets is available there as well. If the documentation does not answer your question, please contact us.
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Q11. What is the proper format for acknowledging NDACAN in a publication from a dataset?

All manuscripts which use data made available through the National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect should acknowledge that fact as well as identify the original collector of the data. Users of these data are urged to follow some adaptation of the following statement with the parentheses indicating items to be filled in appropriately or deleted by the individual user.

"The data (and tabulations) utilized in this (publication) were made available (in part) by the National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect, Cornell University, Ithaca New York. The data from the Substantiation of Child Abuse And Neglect Reports Project were originally collected by John Doris and John Eckenrode. Funding support for preparing the data for public distribution was provided by a contract (90-CA-1370) between the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect and Cornell University. Neither the collector of the original data, funding agency, nor the National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect bears any responsibility for the analyses or interpretations presented here."

In order to provide funding agencies with essential information about the use of archival resources and to facilitate the exchange of information about research
activities among Archive participants, each user of these facilities is expected to send two copies of each completed manuscript, thesis abstract, or reprint to the National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect, Cornell University, Family Life Development Center, Beebe Hall, Ithaca, New York 14853.
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Q12. Who can order data from NDACAN?

Researchers in the U.S. and territories may order datasets from NDACAN. Access to some datasets in our holdings requires affiliation with an institution that has an Institutional Review Board (IRB). Requests for data from users outside of the U.S. and territories are handled on a case-by-case basis.
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