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Child abuse and neglect re-reports: Combining and comparing data from two national sources

Author

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  • Dolan, Melissa
  • Casanueva, Cecilia
  • Smith, Keith
  • Day, Orin
  • Dowd, Kathryn

Abstract

This study compared child-level estimates of child maltreatment re-report and recurrence in two national sets of data on child maltreatment: state administrative data submitted to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) and caseworker interviews from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW). Maltreatment data from NCANDS and NSCAW were merged for 2230 children that had intersecting information from both sets. The percentage of child cases with at least one re-report of abuse or neglect over the study period differed depending on the data set. The NCANDS re-report estimate was 32.3% (95% CI 26.5%, 38.6%) whereas the estimate based on NSCAW caseworker interviews was 22.9% (95% CI 17.6%, 29.2%). More than a quarter of the children with observations from the union of the two data sets had a re-report identified by one source but not the other (set difference). Most often, the set difference in re-reports appeared in NCANDS, but was not reported by an NSCAW caseworker. When the set difference from NCANDS was added to the re-reports by NSCAW caseworkers, the resulting union of re-reports increased the point estimate in the NSCAW–NCANDS intersection to 40.9% (95% CI 34.3%, 47.8%). Restricting the comparisons to only substantiated re-reports (recurrence) narrowed the differences in absolute terms but the set difference in recurrence rates was proportionally similar. Potential explanations for non-intersecting re-reports and recurrence between the two data sets were examined. Findings illuminate methodological challenges that may arise when child maltreatment re-report and recurrence data from administrative and survey sources are merged, and the value of the union of state-level administrative data with national survey data for studies of safety and well-being of children reported for maltreatment.

Suggested Citation

  • Dolan, Melissa & Casanueva, Cecilia & Smith, Keith & Day, Orin & Dowd, Kathryn, 2014. "Child abuse and neglect re-reports: Combining and comparing data from two national sources," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 47(P3), pages 323-333.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:47:y:2014:i:p3:p:323-333
    DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2014.10.004
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jonson-Reid, Melissa & Chung, Sulki & Way, Ineke & Jolley, Jennifer, 2010. "Understanding service use and victim patterns associated with re-reports of alleged maltreatment perpetrators," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(6), pages 790-797, June.
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    4. Bae, Hwa-ok & Solomon, Phyllis L. & Gelles, Richard J., 2009. "Multiple child maltreatment recurrence relative to single recurrence and no recurrence," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(6), pages 617-624, June.
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