Citation

King B, Lawson J, Putnam-Hornstein E. Child Maltreat. 2013; 18(4): 232-244.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1077559513508001

PMID

24121416

Abstract

Using linked administrative data from child protection and birth records in California, this study examined whether the mandated status and type of reporter are independent predictors of substantiation among infants and young children across maltreatment types and after adjusting for characteristics of the child and family. Of the 59,413 children reported and investigated for maltreatment in 2002 and before the age of 5 years, 26% were substantiated. Reports originating from mandated sources were 2.5 times as likely (95% confidence interval, CI [2.40, 2.60]) to be substantiated as those from nonmandated reporters. Findings demonstrated that children whose allegations were reported by law enforcement, medical professionals, and workers in public agencies were consistently substantiated at higher rates than allegations from other mandated reporters. Results also indicated that the relationship between reporter type and the likelihood of substantiation varied by maltreatment type. Children reported by law enforcement for physical abuse were 6.3 times as likely (95% CI [4.86, 8.03]) to be substantiated as those reported by nonmandated sources.

Language: en