Canadian Incidence vs the U.S.

["Lisa fontes" <lfontes@xxxxxxx>]

I am grateful to Aron Shlonsky for reporting on the Canadian study to us
(message below), and am left with two questions/comments:

1) It appears to me that rates of substantiated emotional maltreatment
are higher in Canada than the U.S, as a proportion of total abuse, at
least (I don't know per capita). In the U.S. these are difficult cases
and are often coded as neglect. Does anyone know how the U.S. and Canada
differ in their reporting or defining or investigating or substantiating
that would account for this difference?

2) Also, his report notes:
"The most prevalent risk factors for female caregivers were domestic
violence (51%), lack of social supports (40%) and mental health issues
(27%). For male caregivers, lack of social supports (33%), alcohol abuse
(30%), and mental health issues (18%) were the most prevalent risk
factors."

There is a certain irony here, since Domestic Violence is NOT apparently
a risk factor for the male caregivers, yet the odds are male caregivers
are the perpetrators of the DV. So it appears that we are (mostly)
seeing a situation where women are being seen as the caregivers and are
found to be responsible for exposing a child to DV, even though she is
not the one perpetrating it. At least some of the time.

Anyone else see this a problematic?
Certainly, this is a problem we've seen elsewhere before, but it just
jumped out at me in this reporting of the data.

Lisa Fontes, Ph.D.
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-CHILD-MALTREATMENT-RESEARCH-L@cornell.edu
[mailto:owner-CHILD-MALTREATMENT-RESEARCH-L@cornell.edu] On Behalf Of
Aron Shlonsky
Sent: Tuesday, October 04, 2005 10:52 AM
To: Child Maltreatment Researchers
Subject: New Release - Canadian Incidence Study

CIS-2003 data shows increase in substantiated child maltreatment in
Canada

The second Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect
(CIS-2003), released on October 4, 2005, shows that the rate of
substantiated
maltreatment in Canada (excluding Quebec) increased 125%, from 9.64
substantiated cases per thousand children in 1998 to 21.71 in 2003.
This
increase may be explained by improved reporting and investigation
procedures,
including changes in case substantiation practices, more systematic
identification of victimized siblings, and greater awareness of
emotional
maltreatment and exposure to domestic violence.

Neglect (30%), exposure to domestic violence (28%), and physical abuse
(24%)
were the three primary categories of substantiated maltreatment.
Emotional
maltreatment accounted for another 15% of cases while sexual abuse cases
represented only 3% of all substantiated investigations.

Many children come to the attention of child welfare authorities for
preventative intervention before they have been severely harmed.
Physical harm
was noted in 10% of cases of substantiated maltreatment and was severe
enough to
require medical intervention in 3% of these cases.  Emotional harm was
noted in
20% of substantiated cases.  

Other highlights
•	Girls were more often victims of sexual abuse and boys were more
often victims
of physical abuse.  

•	Physical and sexual abuse is more prevalent among older
children, whereas
younger children are more often victims of exposure to domestic
violence.

•	Children living in two-parent families represented 52% of
substantiated cases. 

•	The most prevalent risk factors for female caregivers were
domestic violence
(51%), lack of social supports (40%) and mental health issues (27%). For
male
caregivers, lack of social supports (33%), alcohol abuse (30%), and
mental
health issues (18%) were the most prevalent risk factors.

•	The police (31%) and school personnel (21%) accounting for more
than half of
all referrals. 

•	Sixty-one percent of substantiated investigations involved
families known to
have had previous contact with child welfare services. 

•	Following investigation, 44% of substantiated cases were kept
open for ongoing
services.  

•	Eight percent of substantiated investigations led to a child
being placed in a
foster home, group home or a residential treatment centre. 

Centre of Excellence for Child Welfare (www.cecw-cepb.ca)
CIS-2003 Information Sheets

Physical abuse of children in Canada 

Sexual abuse of children in Canada 

Child neglect in Canada

Child abuse and neglect investigations in Canada: Comparing 1998 and
2003 data 

The full CIS report, Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse
and
Neglect–2003: Major Findings (2005) by Nico Trocmé, Barbara Fallon,
Bruce
MacLaurin, Joanne Daciuk, Caroline Felstiner, Tara Black, can be
downloaded from
Public Health Agency of Canada
(http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/cm-vee/csca-ecve/index.html)





Aron Shlonsky
Associate Professor
University of Toronto
Faculty of Social Work
246 Bloor St. W.
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A1
Canada
Phone: (416) 978-6718
Fax: (416) 978-7072
email: aron.shlonsky@utoronto.ca