Elevated risk of child maltreatment in families with stepparents but not with adoptive parents.
Does child maltreatment occur more often in adoptive and stepfamilies than in biological families? Data were collected from all 17 Dutch child protective services (CPS) agencies on 13,538 cases of certified child maltreatment in 2005. Family composition of the maltreated children was compared to a large national representative sample of the Netherlands Kinship Panel Study (NKPS). Larger families, one-parent families, and families with a stepparent showed elevated risks for child maltreatment. Adoptive families, however, showed significantly less child maltreatment than expected. The findings are discussed in the context of parental investment theory that seems to be applicable to stepparents but not to adoptive parents.
van Ijzendoorn
Marinus H
MH
Centre for Child and Family Studies, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands. vanijzen@fsw.leidenuniv.nl
Euser
Eveline M
EM
Prinzie
Peter
P
Juffer
Femmie
F
Bakermans-Kranenburg
Marian J
MJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000300:Adoption / Q000523:psychology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002669:Child Welfare / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D010348:Patient Care Team; D012307:Risk Factors; D015406:Single Parent; D055815:Young Adult