Child neglet thematic outline

Article # 1

Individual and Cumulative Risks for Child Abuse and Neglect

APA Citation

Yang, M. Y., & Maguire‐Jack, K. (2018). Individual and cumulative risks for child abuse and neglect. Family relations, 67(2), 287-301.

What is the article about?

Yang and Maguire’s article is about the risk factors, individual and collective, for child maltreatment, including abuse, neglect, or both.

Why was the research performed?

The study was carried out to establish the relationship between risk factors and investigated reports of child maltreatment, including, abuse, neglect, or both. As, well, the research sought to establish whether linear accumulation risks and thresholds of risks are associated with child maltreatment.

Findings

The study found that risks vary by the child maltreatment type. The risk of child maltreatment is high among families with high-risk factors. That is, an increase in the risk factors households’ experiences increase the risk of child ill-treatment. Children living in families with more than five risk factors stood at higher risk of abuse, neglect, or both.

Strengths

One of this article’s strength is that it builds on past research. The authors of the article have expanded on the prior literature on the topic. As well, the authors have supported the findings and conclusions by the analyses.

Weaknesses

The outcome measure is based on the Child Protective Services reports instead of the actual child maltreatment events, and thus, the risk might vary from the risks of real-time child maltreatment. Another weakness is that the study failed to differentiable between single and multiple Child Protective Services reports. As well, the study does not offer abuse, neglect, or both as the continuum of severity. Additionally, the authors drew data from the 1990s and participants from a single state, thereby limiting the generalizability of the study findings.

Implications for Practice

The study conclusions are important for child social services. Programs intended to end child maltreatment should not focus on specific risk factors but comprehensive risk factors. This includes the family risk factors since the risk factors a family faces increase the likelihood of child maltreatment.

Key Words

child abuse, child neglect, cumulative risk.

Article # 2

Gender Inequity Associated with Increased Child Physical Abuse and Neglect: a Cross-Country Analysis of Population-Based Surveys and Country-Level Statistic

APA Citation

Klevens, J., & Ports, K. A. (2017). Gender inequity associated with increased child physical abuse and neglect: a cross-country analysis of population-based surveys and country-level statistics. Journal of family violence, 32(8), 799-806.

What is the article about?

The article is about establishing the connection between gender inequality and child maltreatment, including abuse and neglect. Klevens and Ports sought to study the connection between gender inequality and child maltreatment. The authors utilized three gender inequality indices including Social and Institutional Gender Index, Gender Gap Index, and Gender Inequality Index and reports of child maltreatment from Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey and Demographic and Health Survey from 57 countries, both developed and underdeveloped countries. The study results indicated a significant association between gender inequality and child abuse and neglect.

Why was the research performed?

The study was carried to find out whether gender inequality is a risk factor for child abuse and neglect, building on the previous studies which focused on gender inequality and child homicides.

Findings

The study found that gender inequality is a predictor of child maltreatment, abuse and neglect. The three gender inequality indices were a predictor of child physical abuse and Social, and Institutional Gender Index, Gender Gap Index were strong predictors of child neglect.

Strengths

This study’s strengths include utilization of countrywide representative child abuse and neglect reports, vigorous gender inequality pointers, and reasonably regional representation and variations in development in the sampled countries thereby enhancing the generalizability of study conclusions.

Weaknesses

The weaknesses included failure to include the European Union countries and thus limiting the generalizability of study conclusions to these countries. As well, child maltreatment measures failed to capture all the maltreatments children experience, such as sexual and emotional abuse.

Implications for Practice

Child maltreatment prevention efforts need to focus on risk factors at the societal level, such as gender inequality.

Key Words

Child abuse, Child neglect, Child maltreatment, Etiology, Cross-national

Article # 3

HIGH-CONFLICT DIVORCE: A FORM OF CHILD NEGLECT

APA Citation

Joyce, A. N. (2016). High‐conflict divorce: A form of child neglect. Family Court Review, 54(4), 642-656.

What is the article about?

This article details the physical and psychological health effects among children accompanying high-conflict divorce. The article documents the consequences of high-conflict divorce on parents and children, impacts of physical abuse and negligence on children and the Children Protective services’ role, and the need for CPS to protect children’s emotional neglect in high-conflict divorce. As well, the article details on interventions by CPS to ensure the address of the children’s emotional needs in high-conflict divorce and the risks and benefits associated with the establishment of separate legislation for the wellbeing of kids in high-conflict divorce. Additionally, the article details the significance of protecting the emotional wellbeing of kids in high-conflict divorce.

Why was the research performed?

Joyce carried out the research to bring into the Children Protective Services’ attention the emotional consequences of high-conflict divorce cases on children since the focus has been on the effect of such divorce cases on the physical and psychological health of children.

Findings

Joyce, in this article, indicated that high-conflict separation has negative emotional consequences on the kids. Children tangled in high-conflict parent split-up experience severe emotional neglect, and the Child Protective Services have not focused on this neglect.

Strengths

This article’s strength is use of the case to show the emotional neglect among children tangled in high-conflict cases of divorce. As well, the author of the article has drawn its content from comprehensive literature on the outcome of high-conflict parent split-up on children and the role of CPS.

Weaknesses

The major weakness of this article is the failure to offer the indicators of emotional neglect, and this may pose a challenge to the CPS to identify emotional neglect among children tangled in high-conflict divorce and offer necessary intervention for the welfare of these children.

Implications for Practice

Joyce’s article has a greater implication on Child Protective Services. The article has indicated the emotional toll of high-conflict parent separation on kids and therefore the need for CPS to protect the emotional welfare of kids involved in high-conflict divorce.

Key Words

Child Abuse, Child Neglect, Child Protective Services, Divorce, Emotional Harm, Emotional Neglect, High Conflict, Mental Health, Parental Conflict, Social Work Perspective, and Therapeutic Intervention

Article # 4

An Exploratory Study of Neglect and Emotional Abuse in Adolescents: Classifications of Caregiver Risk Factors

APA Citation

Simmel, C., Merritt, D., Kim, H. M. S., & Kim, S. (2016). An exploratory study of neglect and emotional abuse in adolescents: classifications of caregiver risk factors. Journal of child and family studies, 25(8), 2372-2386.

What is the article about?

This article explores adolescent ill-treatment forms, including neglect, and emotional abuse among teens, focusing on how the context of caregiving is related to the reports of neglect and emotional abuse. The authors of the article utilize statistics from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being to examine caregiver risks in reports of negligence and emotional abuse among teens. The authors carried out a latent class analysis to establish the caregiver risk factor classes connected with reports of neglect and emotional abuse among teens. The study findings indicated that historical abuse of the caregiver, comprehensive risk and low social supports combined with abuse history were attributed to reports of neglect and emotional abuse among the teens

Why was the research performed?

The study was carried out to establish the caregiver risks associated with adolescent neglect and emotional abuse and thus inform prevention of neglect and emotional abuse among teens.

Findings

The finding demonstrates an association between caregiver’s childhood abuse history and several combinations of risk factors and reports of neglect and emotional abuse among teens.

Strengths

The study’s strengths include an examination of specific, rarely examines teen maltreatment types, including neglect and emotional abuse. As well, the research offers direction for examining risk factors that leads to adolescent maltreatment and thus addressing those factors. Besides, utilization of a broader population increases the generalizability of the study findings.

Weaknesses

Some of the study limitations include limitation of the analysis to the dataset parameters, the measures of the risk factors of the caregivers do not reflect the extent to which the risks manifests in the lives of families.

Implications for Practice

The study conclusions are important in addressing adolescent maltreatment. Programs geared towards addressing adolescent maltreatment should address comprehensive risk factors, including caregiver’s history of childhood abuse.

Key Words

Latent class analysis, Emotional abuse, Neglect, Adolescents, Child welfare

Article # 5

Unintentional Child Neglect: Literature Review and Observational Study

APA Citation

Friedman, E., & Billick, S. B. (2015). Unintentional child neglect: literature review and observational study. Psychiatric Quarterly, 86(2), 253-259.

What is the article about?

The article entailed literature review and observational study to establish unintentional child neglect. Friedman and Billick carried out the literature review and observational study to determine risk factors for unintentional child neglect. The literature identified the level of education, socioeconomic status, the composition of the family, caregiver substance abuse and stress, and presences of dysfunctional family attributes as the risk factors for unintentional child neglect. The observational study indicated various instances in which caregivers unintentionally neglected a child

Why was the research performed?

The authors carried out the study to identify the risk factors for unintentional child neglect to inform comprehensive strategies that address these risk factors to diminish the prevalence of unintentional child neglect.

Findings

The study established various risk factors for unintentional child neglect, including education, socioeconomic status, the composition of the family, caregiver substance abuse and stress, and presences of dysfunctional family attributes. As well, findings from the observation included parenting as a risk factor to unintentional child neglect.

Strengths

The study draws conclusions from existing literature and observation, making the article reliable and credible.

Weaknesses

There are many limitations to this research. The authors observed only 170 caregiver situations, and the observation took place in the Upper East Side of Manhattan and thus unrepresentative of the whole population. Therefore, the study findings and conclusions cannot be generalized to the whole population. As well, the authors do not offer a clear procedure of the study, and this question the reliability of the study.

Implications for Practice

The study findings are important in addressing child neglect. The study has established the risk factors for child neglect and thus informing that addressing child neglect calls for interventions which comprehensively address these risk factors.

Key Words

Child neglect, Unintentional injuries, Child abuse, Maltreatment