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Substantiating neglect of first nations and non-aboriginal children

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  • Sinha, Vandna
  • Ellenbogen, Stephen
  • Trocmé, Nico

Abstract

First Nations (Native American) children are greatly overrepresented in the Canadian child welfare system, and disproportionality in the substantiation of maltreatment contributes to this overrepresentation. This study explores the factors driving disproportionality in the substantiation of maltreatment and, more specifically, neglect. Data from the Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (2008) are used in multivariate analyses which examine the relationship between the substantiation of maltreatment/neglect and worker assessments of case, child, household, and caregiver characteristics. These case factors fully explain disproportionality in maltreatment substantiation for First Nations and non-Aboriginal children; the disproportionality reflects underlying differences in the case, child, household and caregiver characteristics identified in First Nations and non-Aboriginal investigations. However, case factors do not fully explain disproportionality in substantiation of neglect-only investigations. Further analysis indicates that the weight that workers assigned to caregiver substance abuse, housing problems, and presence of a lone caregiver when substantiating neglect also differed for First Nations and non-Aboriginal children. Discussion of these findings explores possible explanations for these differences, and links to broader discussions around definitions of neglect and the role of substantiation in child welfare decision making processes.

Suggested Citation

  • Sinha, Vandna & Ellenbogen, Stephen & Trocmé, Nico, 2013. "Substantiating neglect of first nations and non-aboriginal children," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(12), pages 2080-2090.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:35:y:2013:i:12:p:2080-2090
    DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2013.10.007
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. King, Bryn & Fallon, Barbara & Filippelli, Joanne & Black, Tara & O'Connor, Carolyn, 2018. "Troubled teens and challenged caregivers: Characteristics associated with the decision to provide child welfare services to adolescents in Ontario, Canada," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 205-215.
    3. Barnes, Anthony R. & Constantine Brown, Jodi L. & McCarty-Caplan, David, 2019. "The unintended consequence of the Indian Child Welfare Act: American Indian trust in public child welfare," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 221-227.
    4. Cheung, Kristene & Taillieu, Tamara & Tonmyr, Lil & Sareen, Jitender & Afifi, Tracie O., 2020. "Previous reports of child maltreatment from the Canadian Incidence Study (CIS) 2008 of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect: An examination of recurrent substantiation and functional impairment," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    5. Stoddart, J.K. & Fallon, B. & Trocmé, N. & Fluke, J., 2018. "Substantiated Child Maltreatment: Which factors do workers focus on when making this critical decision?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 1-8.
    6. Tonino Esposito & Johanna Caldwell & Martin Chabot & Anne Blumenthal & Nico Trocmé & Barbara Fallon & Sonia Hélie & Tracie O. Afifi, 2022. "Childhood Prevalence of Involvement with the Child Protection System in Quebec: A Longitudinal Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(1), pages 1-15, December.
    7. King, Bryn & Parada, Henry & Fallon, Barbara & Escobar Olivo, Veronica & Best, Laura M. & Filippelli, Joanne, 2024. "Latin American children in Ontario child welfare: An examination of investigation disparities," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    8. Johanna Caldwell & Vandna Sinha, 2020. "(Re) Conceptualizing Neglect: Considering the Overrepresentation of Indigenous Children in Child Welfare Systems in Canada," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 13(2), pages 481-512, April.

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