IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i13p8213-d855973.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Typology and Topography of Child Abuse and Neglect: The Experience of a Tertiary Children’s Centre

Author

Listed:
  • Geoff Debelle

    (Birmingham & Solihull NHS Clinical Commissioning Group, Birmingham B4 6AR, UK)

  • Nikolaos Efstathiou

    (School of Nursing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK)

  • Rafiyah Khan

    (School of Nursing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK)

  • Annette Williamson

    (Birmingham Women and Children’s Hospital Foundation NHS Trust, Birmingham B15 2TG, UK)

  • Manjit Summan

    (Birmingham Women and Children’s Hospital Foundation NHS Trust, Birmingham B15 2TG, UK)

  • Julie Taylor

    (School of Nursing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
    Birmingham Women and Children’s Hospital Foundation NHS Trust, Birmingham B15 2TG, UK)

Abstract

Effective child protection systems and processes require reliable and accurate data. The aim of this study was to determine what data could be extracted from hospital records in a single site that reflected a child’s journey from admission with suspected abuse to the decisions regarding substantiation made by the multidisciplinary child protection team. A retrospective study of the case records of 452 children referred to a major UK children’s tertiary centre for suspected child maltreatment was undertaken. Child maltreatment was substantiated in 65% of referred cases, with the majority of referrals coming from children living in the most deprived neighbourhoods in the country. Domestic violence and abuse and the child’s previous involvement with statutory bodies were associated with case substantiation. Physical abuse predominated, with soft tissue injuries, including dog bites and burns, most frequent. Burns were related almost exclusively to supervisory neglect. There were also cases of medical neglect. Emotional abuse was associated with exposure to domestic violence and abuse and to self-harm. The strengths and limitations for single-centre data systems were explored, concluding with a recommendation to establish an agreed national and international minimum data set to protect children from maltreatment.

Suggested Citation

  • Geoff Debelle & Nikolaos Efstathiou & Rafiyah Khan & Annette Williamson & Manjit Summan & Julie Taylor, 2022. "The Typology and Topography of Child Abuse and Neglect: The Experience of a Tertiary Children’s Centre," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-17, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:13:p:8213-:d:855973
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/13/8213/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/13/8213/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Cheng, Tyrone C. & Lo, Celia C., 2013. "Racial disparity in risk factors for substantiation of child maltreatment," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(12), pages 1962-1969.
    2. Dettlaff, Alan J. & Rivaux, Stephanie L. & Baumann, Donald J. & Fluke, John D. & Rycraft, Joan R. & James, Joyce, 2011. "Disentangling substantiation: The influence of race, income, and risk on the substantiation decision in child welfare," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(9), pages 1630-1637, September.
    3. 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.
    4. Featherstone, Brid & Morris, Kate & Daniel, Brigid & Bywaters, Paul & Brady, Geraldine & Bunting, Lisa & Mason, Will & Mirza, Nughmana, 2019. "Poverty, inequality, child abuse and neglect: Changing the conversation across the UK in child protection?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 127-133.
    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.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kahn, Nicholas E. & Hansen, Mary Eschelbach, 2017. "Measuring racial disparities in foster care placement: A case study of Texas," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 213-226.
    2. Robichaud, Marie-Joëlle & Pullen Sansfaçon, Annie & Poirier, Marie-Andrée, 2020. "Decision making at substantiation in cases involving racialized families: Child protection workers’ perceptions of influential factors," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    3. 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.
    4. Esposito, Tonino & Chabot, Martin & Caldwell, Johanna & Webb, Calum & Delaye, Ashleigh & Fluke, John D. & Trocmé, Nico & Bywaters, Paul, 2022. "The differential association of socioeconomic vulnerabilities and neglect-related child protection involvement across geographies: Multilevel structural equation modeling," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    5. Sarri, Rosemary C. & Stoffregen, Elizabeth & Ryan, Joseph P., 2016. "Running away from child welfare placements: Justice system entry risk," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 191-197.
    6. Simon, James David & D'Andrade, Amy & Hsu, Hsun-Ta, 2021. "The intersection of child welfare services and public assistance: An analysis of dual-system involvement and successful family preservation completion on a maltreatment re-report," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    7. Emily Keddell, 2022. "Mechanisms of Inequity: The Impact of Instrumental Biases in the Child Protection System," Societies, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-19, May.
    8. Boatswain-Kyte, Alicia & Esposito, Tonino & Trocmé, Nico & Boatswain-Kyte, Alicia, 2020. "A longitudinal jurisdictional study of Black children reported to child protection services in Quebec, Canada," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    9. Cénat, Jude Mary & McIntee, Sara-Emilie & Mukunzi, Joana N. & Noorishad, Pari-Gole, 2021. "Overrepresentation of Black children in the child welfare system: A systematic review to understand and better act," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    10. McLaughlin, Michael & Jonson-Reid, Melissa, 2017. "The relationship between child welfare financing, screening, and substantiation," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 407-412.
    11. Ma, Julie & Han, Yoonsun, 2023. "Heterogeneous effects of spanking on child protective services involvement in early childhood: A propensity score stratification analysis," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    12. 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.
    13. Lee, Bong Joo & Jeong, Haerynn, 2022. "An evaluation of the comprehensive child protection support services in South Korea: Focusing on preventing maltreatment recurrence and improving safety," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    14. Fix, Rebecca L. & Nair, Reshmi, 2020. "Racial/ethnic and gender disparities in substantiation of child physical and sexual abuse: Influences of caregiver and child characteristics," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    15. Adjei, Paul Banahene & Minka, Eric, 2018. "Black parents ask for a second look: Parenting under ‘White’ Child Protection rules in Canada," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 511-524.
    16. Storhaug, Anita Skårstad, 2023. "The decision-making ecology of child welfare emergency placements," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    17. Cheng, Tyrone C. & Lo, Celia C., 2020. "Mental health services receipt among caregivers in the child welfare system: A longitudinal analysis," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    18. Davies, Kate & Ross, Nicola & Cocks, Jessica & Foote, Wendy, 2023. "Family inclusion in child protection: Knowledge, power and resistance," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
    19. Powell, Robyn M. & Mitra, Monika & Nicholson, Joanne & Parish, Susan L., 2020. "Perceived community-based needs of low-income parents with psychiatric disabilities who experienced legal challenges to their parenting rights," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 112(C).
    20. Smith, Brenda D. & Pressley, Tracy D., 2019. "Do surprisingly low child maltreatment rates in rural southern counties reflect lower rates of substantiation?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:13:p:8213-:d:855973. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.