Trajectories of maltreatment re-reports from ages 4 to 12:: evidence for persistent risk after early exposure.
This study identified trajectories of maltreatment re-reports between ages 4 and 12 for children first referred to Child Protective Services (CPS) for maltreatment prior to age 4 and either removed from the home or assessed by a CPS intake worker as moderately or highly likely to be abused/neglected in the future, absent intervention. Participants (n = 501) were children from the Southwest and Northwest sites of the Consortium for Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN). During the 8-year follow-up period, 67% of children were re-reported. Growth mixture modeling identified four trajectory classes: No re-report (33%), Continuous re-reports (10%), Intermittent re-reports (37%), and Early re-reports (20%). Membership in classes with relatively more re-reports was predicted by several factors assessed at age 4, including physical abuse; living with a biological/stepparent; caregiver alcohol abuse, depression, and lack of social support; receipt of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC); and number of children in the home. For a subpopulation of high-risk children first reported in early childhood, risk for maltreatment re-reporting may persist longer than previously documented, continuing 8 to 12 years after the first report.
Judge Baker Children's Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02120, USA. lproctor@jbcc.harvard.edu
Laura J
LJ
Proctor
Gregory A
GA
Aarons
Howard
H
Dubowitz
Diana J
DJ
English
Terri
T
Lewis
Richard
R
Thompson
Jon M
JM
Hussey
Alan J
AJ
Litrownik
Scott C
SC
Roesch
D000385:Aid to Families with Dependent Children / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002669:Child Welfare / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D019221:Mandatory Reporting; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States