RE: child maltreatment and economic hard times

["E. Christopher Lloyd" <eclloyd22@xxxxxxxxx>]

Is the question only about reporting of maltreatment?
Assuming the fairly well-established link between
poverty and maltreatment, then reporting should
increase in times of economic hardship. But reporting
maltreatment is only part of the process. CPS
organizations might experience an increase in reports,
but due to resource limitations exacerbated by
economic hardship they might be narrowing criteria of
what reports are deemed worthy of investigation and 
in need of services as well as amount (and type) of
services provided.

-Chris

--- "Brodowski, Melissa (ACF)"
<melissa.brodowski@acf.hhs.gov> wrote:

> Hi everyone - 
>  
> I have a couple of related questions to Tom Hanna's
> posting.  Our CAPTA Title II state prevention
> grantee from Colorado is working on a project
> examining increases in violence (child maltreatment,
> sexual assault, suicide and unintentional injury)
> during hard economic times -- quite timely right
> now.
>  
> We know there's data and research showing the
> linkages between poverty and child maltreatment (and
> being at-risk).  The National Incidence Study-3
> findings demonstrate that family income was
> significantly related to incidence rates in nearly
> every category of maltreatment. Compared to children
> whose families earned $30,000 per year or more,
> those in families with annual incomes below $15,000
> per year were more than 22 times more likely to
> experience some form of maltreatment under the Harm
> Standard (and over 25 times more likely to suffer
> maltreatment of some type using the Endangerment
> Standard).  This is consistent with the findings of
> many different studies that children do not fare
> well in poorer families compared to nonpoor
> families.  For more information on NIS-3 visit:
>
http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/statsinfo/nis3.cfm#family
>
<http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/statsinfo/nis3.cfm#family>
>   (and NIS-4 should be coming out soon to update
> this information)
>  
> I also emailed Ying-Ying Yuan who manages the
> technical assistance contract for our National Child
> Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS).  She
> reminded me that in Beyond Common Sense, they showed
> that in poorer counties, there were higher rates of
> maltreatment. She added that since CPS decisions
> about maltreatment are related to reporting, it is
> highly likely that increases in maltreatment will be
> found due to poverty IF reporting increases. In
> periods of economic stress, reporting may increase
> or it may decrease.   
>  
> So-- the questions I wanted to pose to the listserve
> are:
> 
> *	
> 	Are you aware of any resources/research linking
> economic hard times and increases in child
> maltreatment? Are there studies that show any
> shifts/ trends in the incidence/ prevalence over
> time?
> *	
> 	Do you have thoughts about whether there might be a
> decrease in the reporting rates and/or child
> victimization rates because families being diverted
> to other services or because of differential
> response systems for CPS that have developed in many
> places across the country? Are there studies that
> have examined this?
> 
> Thanks for your help with this.
> 
> Melissa
> 
> Melissa Lim Brodowski, MSW, MPH
> Office on Child Abuse and Neglect
> Children's Bureau, ACYF, ACF, HHS
> 1250 Maryland Avenue SW
> Portals Building, 8th Floor #8127
> Washington, DC 20024
> phone:  202-205-2629
> fax:  202-260-9345
> email: melissa.brodowski@acf.hhs.gov
>  
>  
> 
> ________________________________
> 
> From: bounce-3361204-6833993@list.cornell.edu on
> behalf of Tom Hanna
> Sent: Thu 12/4/2008 7:08 PM
> To: child-maltreatment-research-l@cornell.edu
> Subject: What do Today's Neglect Cases Look Like?
> 
> 
> 
> Dear Colleagues:
> 
> I have some anecdotal reports that child neglect has
> recently become
> a bigger issue in some populations, and that the
> nature of the new
> neglect patterns may relate to "modern" stressors. 
> Nothing specific,
> but I am wondering -- what neglect issues are you
> seeing or hearing
> about now, and are they any different than what you
> saw 5 years ago?
> 
> Are there any key papers I should be consulting?
> Especially on shifts
> in incidence patterns, or in proven prevention
> strategies in direct
> service and/or in public awareness campaigns?
> 
> I am hoping to apply what I learn to public
> awareness campaigns in
> the next few months -- and maybe this will be of use
> to all of us in
> developing research strategies on both the
> intervention and
> prevention sides of the neglect picture.
> 
> Any input appreciated.
> 
> --Thanks
> --Tom
> 
> --
> --
> Tom Hanna, Director
> Child Abuse Prevention Network
> www.child-abuse.com
> tom@child-abuse.com
> tph3@cornell.edu
> off 607.275.9360
> cel 607.227.4524
> fax: 415.962.0510
> --
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 



E. Christopher Lloyd, PhD, LCSW,
Assistant Professor
School of Social Work
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
2801 South University Avenue
Little Rock, AR 72204
501.569.8486