Are father surrogates a risk factor for child maltreatment?
Most research on the effect of father figures in the home on the incidence of child maltreatment has been cross-sectional and has focused on sexual abuse. This prospective study's purpose is to determine if the presence of a father surrogate in the home affects the risk of a subsequent child maltreatment report. In a longitudinal sample of at-risk children, North Carolina's Central Registry for Child Abuse and Neglect was used to determine the maltreatment history of children from birth to age 8 years. Children who had a father surrogate living in the home were twice as likely to be reported for maltreatment after his entry into the home than those with either a biological father (odds ratio = 2.6, 95 % confidence interval = 1.4-4.7) or no father figure in the home (odds ratio = 2.0, 95% confidence interval = 1.1-3.5).
Radhakrishna
A
A
Department of Maternal and Child Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA.
Bou-Saada
I E
IE
Hunter
W M
WM
Catellier
D J
DJ
Kotch
J B
JB
D000328:Adult; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008425:Maternal Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D009657:North Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010332:Paternal Behavior; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012042:Registries; D012307:Risk Factors; D020954:Single-Parent Family / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*