TY - JOUR
T1 - A Comparison of Child Fatalities by Physical Abuse Versus Neglect
T2 - Child, Family, Service, and Worker Characteristics
AU - Douglas, Emily M.
N1 - Funding Information:
The author gratefully acknowledges that this study/article was funded by the Bridgewater State University Presidential Fellows Program and the Bridgewater State University Center for the Advancement of Research and Scholarship.
PY - 2014/5
Y1 - 2014/5
N2 - In the field of child welfare, attention has been given to risk factors for child maltreatment fatalities with little attention to the difference between children who die from abuse versus neglect. As part of a larger study, child welfare workers (n = 104) from 14 different states responded to an anonymous online survey that described the child, family, and case characteristics before death and worker characteristics/experiences before and after death. Results supported that prior to death, neglectful families presented with less risk than abusive families, in the areas of parent-child attachment, child behavior problems, and changes in household composition while reporting that they received more services. With regard to child welfare practice, workers did not report any differences in how they handled cases before death nor did they report differences in their posttraumatic stress symptoms at the time of the survey. These findings can be used as a springboard for future research that focuses on fatal maltreatment.
AB - In the field of child welfare, attention has been given to risk factors for child maltreatment fatalities with little attention to the difference between children who die from abuse versus neglect. As part of a larger study, child welfare workers (n = 104) from 14 different states responded to an anonymous online survey that described the child, family, and case characteristics before death and worker characteristics/experiences before and after death. Results supported that prior to death, neglectful families presented with less risk than abusive families, in the areas of parent-child attachment, child behavior problems, and changes in household composition while reporting that they received more services. With regard to child welfare practice, workers did not report any differences in how they handled cases before death nor did they report differences in their posttraumatic stress symptoms at the time of the survey. These findings can be used as a springboard for future research that focuses on fatal maltreatment.
KW - Child maltreatment fatality
KW - fatal abuse
KW - fatal neglect
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84901191979&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/01488376.2014.893948
DO - 10.1080/01488376.2014.893948
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84901191979
SN - 0148-8376
VL - 40
SP - 259
EP - 273
JO - Journal of Social Service Research
JF - Journal of Social Service Research
IS - 3
ER -