Racial and ethnic disparities in physical abuse reporting and child protective services interventions in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Minorities are more prevalent than the general population in the child protection system; however, racial/ ethnic disparities in physical abuse and child protective services interventions are not understood. METHODS: Bivariate and multivariate analyses evaluated racial/ethnic differences in reported and substantiated physical abuse, physical abuse deaths, and interventions provided in all reported maltreatment from the 2006 National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System. RESULTS: In bivariate analyses, African American (25%), Asian/ Pacific Islander (21%), and multiracial children (21%) have a higher prevalence of substantiated physical abuse than whites (20%). Native Americans (0.21%), African Americans (0.15%), Asians/Pacific Islanders (0.12%), and Latinos (0.11%) are more likely to die from physical abuse than whites (0.09%). African Americans have higher odds than whites of reported (odds ratio [OR], 1.13; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.11-1.14) and substantiated (OR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.23-1.31) physical abuse. Latinos have higher odds of reported physical abuse (OR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.16-1.20) and lower odds of substantiated physical abuse (OR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.90-0.96). Native Americans have lower odds (OR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.49-0.56) and Asian/Pacific Islanders higher odds (OR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.26-1.44) of reported physical abuse vs whites. Latinos have significantly lower odds than whites of receiving support services. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with whites, African Americans are at increased risk. Latino, Asian/Pacific Islander, and multiracial children have greater odds of reports, and Native Americans have lower odds of reports for physical abuse. Significant disparities exist in interventions provided to minority families. Understanding these disparities has the potential to improve reporting, prevention, and interventions.

Recidivism in the child protection system: identifying children at greatest risk of reabuse among those remaining in the home.

OBJECTIVE: To identify risk clusters that are associated with higher or lower risk of new abuse reports (rereports) and substantiated rereports (reabuse) in children who remain in the home after an abuse report. DESIGN: A 5-year prospective cohort study. SETTING: National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being. PARTICIPANTS: Children reported to the child protection system for child abuse. MAIN EXPOSURE: Remaining in the home after an abuse report. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Incidence of rereports and reabuse. RESULTS: A total of 2578 children remained in the home following an abuse report, and 44% were rereported within the follow-up period. In bivariate analyses, children with behavior problems (49% vs 38%), caregivers with an abuse history (33% vs 16%) or a child welfare history (38% vs 25%), and families with an annual income lower than $20 000 (70% vs 60%) were more likely to be rereported. Forty-five percent of rereports were substantiated reabuse, but 2 risk clusters had a higher incidence: (1) the cluster with a substantiated index report, having a caregiver without parenting class, non-African American race/ethnicity, and caregiver younger than 41.5 years (54%); and (2) the cluster with a substantiated index report, a caregiver with parenting class, and child age younger than 8.5 years (60%). The lowest risk group for reabuse had a substantiated index report, a caregiver without parenting class, non-African American race/ethnicity, and a caregiver 41.5 years or older (26%). CONCLUSIONS: Among children remaining in the home following an abuse report, specific risk groups have higher and lower incidence of rereports and reabuse. These risk-group categories may be useful to child protection services and others in identifying at-risk children and making decisions about placement and services.