@article{ref1,
title="The impact of housing instability on child maltreatment: a causal investigation",
journal="Journal of family social work",
year="2018",
author="Marcal, Katherine E.",
volume="21",
number="4-5",
pages="331-347",
abstract="More than a half million children are confirmed as victims of maltreatment by the child welfare system each year. Children from unstably housed families are over-represented in child mal-treatment reports, and a growing body of evidence links housing problems to maltreatment and Child Protective Services (CPS); investigation. The present study applies two propensity score analysis approaches-greedy matching and propensity score weighting-to data from the Fragile Families and Child Well-being Study to move toward a causal explanation of child mal-treatment behaviors among mothers in low-income households. Utilizing two separate methods to correct for overt selection bias, the present study finds that housing instability leads to a small increase in maltreatment behaviors, yet this small positive net impact on child maltreatment does not fully explain the over-representation of unstably housed families in the child welfare system. Families experiencing housing problems likely have a range of needs that require earlier, targeted intervention to mitigate consequences of poverty, domestic violence, and maternal depression. Child welfare services should invest resources in housing assistance programs in-house as well as through partnerships with local public housing authorities to stabilize families, reduce housing-related strain on caregivers, and promote family preservation.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1052-2158",
doi="10.1080/10522158.2018.1469563",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10522158.2018.1469563"
}