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Social outrage and organizational behavior: A national study of child protective service decisions

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  • Jagannathan, Radha
  • Camasso, Michael J.

Abstract

In this paper, we extend to CPS, a risk model commonly employed in the fields of environmental science, food safety and chemical engineering, where risk is conceptualized as a function of both technical hazard and social outrage. Much as Jagannathan and Camasso (2011, 2013) did, we argue that child fatalities resulting from maltreatment and the social outrage they often engender serve to influence CPS operations by altering CPS worker and child welfare organizational decision rules. In our empirical analyses, we test for an independent effect of social outrage (captured by child fatalities) on worker decisions while controlling for hazard and other relevant determinants. We also test whether this relationship is mediated by child welfare reform measures undertaken via judicial interventions or class action litigation. Using data from NCANDS (n=1122 state-year observations over a 22year time period across all 50 states and District of Columbia) and panel regression methods we show that social outrage caused by child fatalities significantly and directly influence child welfare worker decisions to: accept a referral of alleged maltreatment for investigation, substantiate reports of maltreatment, and place children out-of-home.

Suggested Citation

  • Jagannathan, Radha & Camasso, Michael J., 2017. "Social outrage and organizational behavior: A national study of child protective service decisions," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 153-163.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:77:y:2017:i:c:p:153-163
    DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.03.015
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Baumann, Donald J. & Grigsby, Charles & Sheets, Janess & Reid, Grant & Graham, J. Christopher & Robinson, David & Holoubek, Jason & Farris, James & Jeffries, Victoria & Wang, Eugene, 2011. "Concept guided risk assessment: Promoting prediction and understanding," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(9), pages 1648-1657, September.
    2. Christina Paxson & Jane Waldfogel, 2003. "Welfare reforms, family resources, and child maltreatment," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 22(1), pages 85-113.
    3. Gary Klein, 2009. "Streetlights and Shadows: Searching for the Keys to Adaptive Decision Making," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262013398, December.
    4. Graham, J. Christopher & Stepura, Kelly & Baumann, Donald J. & Kern, Homer, 2010. "Predicting child fatalities among less-severe CPS investigations," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 274-280, February.
    5. Christina Paxson & Jane Waldfogel, 2002. "Work, Welfare, and Child Maltreatment," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 20(3), pages 435-474, July.
    6. Neeraj Kaushal & Robert Kaestner, 2001. "From Welfare to Work: Has Welfare Reform Worked?," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 20(4), pages 699-719.
    7. Regehr, Cheryl & Chau, Shirley & Leslie, Bruce & Howe, Phillip, 2002. "Inquiries into Deaths of Children in Care: The Impact on Child Welfare Workers and their Organization," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 24(12), pages 885-902, December.
    8. Whitt-Woosley, Adrienne & Sprang, Ginny & Gustman, Brian D., 2014. "Lives at risk: Uncovering factors associated with fatal child maltreatment," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 47(P3), pages 307-313.
    9. Bradley R. Schiller, 1999. "State Welfare‐Reform Impacts: Content And Enforcement Effects," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 17(2), pages 210-222, April.
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    Cited by:

    1. Camasso, Michael J. & Jagannathan, Radha, 2019. "Conceptualizing and testing the vicious cycle in child protective services: The critical role played by child maltreatment fatalities," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 178-189.
    2. Elizabeth Weigensberg & Derekh Cornwell & Lindsey Leininger & Matthew Stagner & Sarah LeBarron & Jonathan Gellar & Sophie MacIntyre & Richard Chapman & Erin J. Maher & Peter J. Pecora & Kirk O’Brien, "undated". "Superutilization of Child Welfare, Medicaid, and Other Services," Mathematica Policy Research Reports caaff77fa722452aa241ace4b, Mathematica Policy Research.

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