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Date: April 30, 2024 Tue
Time: 2:03 am
Time: 2:03 am
Results for child maltreatment (u.s.)
2 results foundAuthor: U.S. Government Accountability Office Title: Child Maltreatment: Strengthening National Data on Child Fatalities Could Aid in Prevention Summary: Children's deaths from maltreatment are especially distressing because they involve a failure on the part of adults who were responsible for protecting them. Questions have been raised as to whether the federal National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS), which is based on voluntary state reports to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), fully captures the number or circumstances of child fatalities from maltreatment. GAO was asked to examine (1) the extent to which HHS collects and reports comprehensive information on child fatalities from maltreatment, (2) the challenges states face in collecting and reporting this information to HHS, and (3) the assistance HHS provides to states in collecting and reporting data on child maltreatment fatalities. GAO analyzed 2009 NCANDS data--the latest data available--conducted a nationwide Web-based survey of state child welfare administrators, visited three states, interviewed HHS and other officials, and reviewed research and relevant federal laws and regulations. More children have likely died from maltreatment than are counted in NCANDS, and HHS does not take full advantage of available information on the circumstances surrounding child maltreatment deaths. NCANDS estimated that 1,770 children in the United States died from maltreatment in fiscal year 2009. According to GAO's survey, nearly half of states included data only from child welfare agencies in reporting child maltreatment fatalities to NCANDS, yet not all children who die from maltreatment have had contact with these agencies, possibly leading to incomplete counts. HHS also collects but does not report some information on the circumstances surrounding child maltreatment fatalities that could be useful for prevention, such as perpetrators' previous maltreatment of children. The National Center for Child Death Review (NCCDR), a nongovernmental organization funded by HHS, collects more detailed data on circumstances from 39 states, but these data on child maltreatment deaths have not yet been synthesized or published. States face numerous challenges in collecting child maltreatment fatality data and reporting to NCANDS. At the local level, lack of evidence and inconsistent interpretations of maltreatment challenge investigators--such as law enforcement, medical examiners, and child welfare officials--in determining whether a child's death was caused by maltreatment. Without medical evidence, it can be difficult to determine that a child's death was caused by abuse or neglect, such as in cases of shaken baby syndrome, when external injuries may not be readily visible. At the state level, limited coordination among jurisdictions and state agencies, in part due to confidentiality or privacy constraints, poses challenges for reporting data to NCANDS. HHS provides assistance to help states report child maltreatment fatalities, although states would like additional help. For example, HHS hosts an annual NCANDS technical assistance conference, provides individual state assistance, and, through NCCDR, has developed resources to help states collect information on child deaths. However, there has been limited collaboration between HHS and NCCDR on child maltreatment fatality information or prevention strategies to date. State officials indicated a need for additional information on how to coordinate across state agencies to collect more complete information on child maltreatment fatalities. States are also increasingly interested in collecting and using information on near fatalities from maltreatment. GAO recommends that the Secretary of HHS take steps to further strengthen data quality, expand available information on child fatalities, improve information sharing, and estimate the costs and benefits of collecting national data on near fatalities. In its comments, HHS agreed with GAO's findings and recommendations and provided technical comments, which GAO incorporated as appropriate. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Government Accountability Office, 2011. 57p. Source: Internet Resource: GAO-11-599; Accessed July 13, 2011 at: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d11599.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d11599.pdf Shelf Number: 122043 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild Maltreatment (U.S.)Child Sexual AbuseChild Welfare |
Author: George, Thomas P. Title: School Engagement and Juvenile Offending Among Maltreated Youth Who Vary by Race/Ethnicity, Gender, and Type of Child Maltreatment Summary: Child maltreatment is a pervasive social problem affecting millions of children and their families every year. While past research has documented the short and long-term deleterious outcomes of abused and neglected children, variations in outcomes based on type of maltreatment, race/ethnicity, and gender are not well understood. This study explored the interrelationships of these variables on youths’ school engagement and juvenile criminal offending in a large, diverse sample followed prospectively from the time of maltreatment until youths’ sixteenth birthday. Results indicated that maltreated boys were 2.7 – 3.5 times more likely than non-maltreated boys to exhibit poor school engagement (odds ratios = 3.7 – 5.3), and maltreated girls were 3.4 – 4.2 times more likely than non-maltreated girls (odds ratios = 5.3 – 6.9). The increased risk was even greater in relation to juvenile offending. Maltreated boys were 3.3 – 9.2 times more likely to have committed a misdemeanor, felony, or violent felony by the age of 16 (odds ratios = 4.5 – 9.4), and maltreated girls were 3.8 – 12.0 times more likely (odds ratios = 4.4 – 11.7). With respect to race/ethnicity, American Indian, Black, and Hispanic boys and girls tended to have poorer outcomes than Asian and White youths regardless of maltreatment status. Regarding type of abuse, physical abuse was related to suspensions/expulsions and criminal offending for both genders. However, sexual abuse among boys had the strongest relationship to violent felony offending with a rate 17.6 times higher than non-maltreated boys (8.8% vs .5%, OR = 9.5), and significantly higher than physically abused or neglected boys. Details: Olympia, WA: Washington State Center for Court Research, Administrative Office of the Courts, 2012. 31p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 28, 2012 at: http://www.ofm.wa.gov/sac/nchip/gender_racial_differences_in_outcomes.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.ofm.wa.gov/sac/nchip/gender_racial_differences_in_outcomes.pdf Shelf Number: 125376 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild Maltreatment (U.S.)Cycle of ViolenceEducational PerformanceRacial Disparities |