IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jscscx/v12y2023i4p234-d1123955.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Multidimensional Aspects of Social Networks: Implications for CPS Recurrence

Author

Listed:
  • Reiko Boyd

    (Graduate College of Social Work, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA)

  • Abigail Williams-Butler

    (School of Social Work, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-2019, USA)

  • Katarina Ploch

    (Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA)

  • Kristen Slack

    (Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA)

Abstract

This study examines the social network characteristics of 670 mothers reported to and investigated by the child protection system (CPS) in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin in 2016. Specifically, having a recurrent CPS investigation within one year of an index investigation that did not result in an ongoing CPS case is assessed as a function of positive social network ties, negative social network ties, and perceived neighborhood support. Few studies have explored these aspects of social networks comparatively and simultaneously in relation to CPS outcomes, or within this population. We used cluster analysis to identify particular combinations of network characteristics among mothers with recent investigations and then examined whether different cluster types are predictive of recurrent CPS involvement within one year. Clusters differed on the perceived levels of both positive and negative interpersonal ties as well as perceived neighborhood support and were associated with different levels of known child maltreatment risk factors. Clusters with lower levels of perceived neighborhood support were more likely to be associated with future CPS investigations, but this association becomes statistically insignificant when controlling for mothers’ depressive symptoms. The results of this study suggest that a more multi-faceted view of social networks can be helpful to understand the social contexts of mothers as they experience contact with CPS and raises questions about how these contexts interact with parental mental health in relation to CPS recurrence.

Suggested Citation

  • Reiko Boyd & Abigail Williams-Butler & Katarina Ploch & Kristen Slack, 2023. "Multidimensional Aspects of Social Networks: Implications for CPS Recurrence," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-20, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jscscx:v:12:y:2023:i:4:p:234-:d:1123955
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/12/4/234/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/12/4/234/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kristen Shook Slack & Jane L. Holl & Bong Joo Lee & Marla McDaniel & Lisa Altenbernd & Amy Bush Stevens, 2003. "Child protective intervention in the context of welfare reform: The effects of work and welfare on maltreatment reports," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 22(4), pages 517-536.
    2. Merritt, Darcey H., 2009. "Child abuse potential: Correlates with child maltreatment rates and structural measures of neighborhoods," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(8), pages 927-934, August.
    3. Lawrence M. Berger & Jane Waldfogel, 2011. "Economic Determinants and Consequences of Child Maltreatment," OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers 111, OECD Publishing.
    4. Lawrence M. Berger & Sarah A. Font & Kristen S. Slack & Jane Waldfogel, 2017. "Income and child maltreatment in unmarried families: evidence from the earned income tax credit," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 15(4), pages 1345-1372, December.
    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. Jason T. Newsom & Karen S. Rook & Masami Nishishiba & Dara H. Sorkin & Tyrae L. Mahan, 2005. "Understanding the Relative Importance of Positive and Negative Social Exchanges: Examining Specific Domains and Appraisals," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 60(6), pages 304-312.
    7. Shook, Kristen, 1999. "Does the loss of welfare income increase the risk of involvement with the child welfare system?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 21(9-10), pages 781-814.
    8. Font, Sarah A. & Warren, Emily J., 2013. "Inadequate housing and the child protection system response," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(11), pages 1809-1815.
    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. Raissian, Kerri M. & Bullinger, Lindsey Rose, 2017. "Money matters: Does the minimum wage affect child maltreatment rates?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 60-70.
    2. Malte Sandner & Stephan L. Thomsen & Libertad González Luna, 2020. "Preventing child maltreatment: Beneficial side effects of public childcare provision," Economics Working Papers 1744, Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra.
    3. Elisabetta De Cao, 2017. "The Impact of Unemployment on Child Maltreatment in the United States," Economics Series Working Papers 837, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    4. Dan Brown & Elisabetta De Cao, 2017. "The Impact of Unemployment on Child Maltreatment in the United States," Economics Papers 2017-W04, Economics Group, Nuffield College, University of Oxford.
    5. Cai, Julie Yixia, 2021. "Earnings instability and child protection: Evidence from state administrative data," SocArXiv y825p, Center for Open Science.
    6. Beimers, David & Coulton, Claudia J., 2011. "Do employment and type of exit influence child maltreatment among families leaving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(7), pages 1112-1119, July.
    7. Sandner, Malte & Thomsen, Stephan L., 2018. "The Effects of Universal Public Childcare Provision on Cases of Child Neglect and Abuse," IZA Discussion Papers 11687, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    8. Rostad, Whitney L. & Rogers, Tia McGill & Chaffin, Mark J., 2017. "The influence of concrete support on child welfare program engagement, progress, and recurrence," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 26-33.
    9. William Schneider & Lindsey Rose Bullinger & Kerri M. Raissian, 2022. "How does the minimum wage affect child maltreatment and parenting behaviors? An analysis of the mechanisms," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 20(4), pages 1119-1154, December.
    10. Lawrence M. Berger & Sarah A. Font & Kristen S. Slack & Jane Waldfogel, 2017. "Income and child maltreatment in unmarried families: evidence from the earned income tax credit," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 15(4), pages 1345-1372, December.
    11. Amelia M. Biehl & Brian Hill, 2018. "Foster care and the earned income tax credit," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 16(3), pages 661-680, September.
    12. 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).
    13. 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).
    14. Warren, Emily J. & Drazen, Yonah N. & Curtis, Marah A., 2017. "Public housing agency preferences for the homeless as a policy lever: Examining county-level housing subsidy receipt and maltreatment rates," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 81-88.
    15. Millett, Lina & Lanier, Paul & Drake, Brett, 2011. "Are economic trends associated with child maltreatment? Preliminary results from the recent recession using state level data," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(7), pages 1280-1287, July.
    16. Wells, Kathleen & Guo, Shenyang, 2006. "Welfare reform and child welfare outcomes: A multiple-cohort study," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(8), pages 941-960, August.
    17. Berger, Lawrence M., 2004. "Income, family structure, and child maltreatment risk," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 26(8), pages 725-748, August.
    18. Conrad-Hiebner, Aislinn & Paschall, Katherine W., 2017. "Determining risk for child physical harm through the classification of economic insecurity," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 161-169.
    19. Cancian, Maria & Cook, Steven T. & Seki, Mai & Wimer, Lynn, 2017. "Making parents pay: The unintended consequences of charging parents for foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 100-110.
    20. Kristen S. Slack & Sarah Font & Kathryn Maguire-Jack & Lawrence M. Berger, 2017. "Predicting Child Protective Services (CPS) Involvement among Low-Income U.S. Families with Young Children Receiving Nutritional Assistance," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-11, October.

    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:jscscx:v:12:y:2023:i:4:p:234-:d:1123955. 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.