Citation

Knudsen DD. Violence Vict. 1988; 3(2): 129-144.

Affiliation

Department of Sociology, Purdue University.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1988, Springer Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

3154175

Abstract

The increasing reports of child maltreatment during the last two decades have precipitated discussions about the degree to which these figures represent an increase in reporting or a true growth of child abuse and neglect. Using reports to child protection agencies over a 20-year period in an Indiana county, analyses suggest that there is a stability in characteristics of alleged perpetrators and victims and in the patterns of mistreatment. Shifts in the substantiation rates offer little insight for this issue, but it may be argued that the growth in reports reflects a genuine increase of abusive and neglectful behavior. Implications for abuse and neglect rates are explored.

Language: en