Using Theory to Examine Fatal Child Maltreatment Among a Sample of Children Known to Child Protective Services

The purpose of this study was to use theory to test different models to predict fatal maltreatment: parental psychopathology, social/economic stress, and ecological theory. These models were tested using a subsample of children who were identified as “prior victims” in the National Child Abuse & Neglect Data Set from 2008 to 2012. At the multivariate level, the analyses suggest a statistically significant relationship between social/economic stress variables, including partner violence, inadequate housing, and financial problems. Repeated reports to child protective services and interactions between the age of child and financial problems often acted as protective factors. Implications for research and the child welfare field are discussed.