A public health approach to preventing child maltreatment: An intelligent information infrastructure to help us know what works

Episodic foresight, episodic memory, and executive functions in children engaged with Child Protective Services: The role of cumulative risk

Previous studies have determined that exposure to risk and adversities may impair children's cognitive abilities. In particular, children engaged with Child Protective Services (CPS) seem to be at greater risk for enhanced detrimental effects resulting from the cumulative risk factors to which they are exposed. However, little is known about children's future thinking when they face adverse circumstances, and it is not clear how the associations among episodic foresight abilities, episodic memory, and executive functions work with children under such circumstances. The current study describes the episodic foresight abilities of CPS-involved school-aged children, its association with other cognitive abilities, and how this association is affected by the exposure to cumulative risk and adversity factors. Episodic foresight, episodic memory, executive functions, and a composite of cumulative risk factors were analyzed in a sample of 95 school-aged children engaged with CPS in Portugal. Results suggest the detrimental effect of cumulative risk on the episodic foresight abilities of CPS-involved children. Episodic memory and cognitive flexibility were significant predictors of episodic foresight abilities, and cumulative risk exposure moderated the relation between episodic memory and episodic foresight. The current study provides a better understanding of the influences of multiple adversities on CPS-involved children's episodic foresight abilities and related cognitive outcomes.

Insights Into Child Abuse and Neglect in the Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) Area: Evidence and Opportunities

Child abuse and neglect (CAN) significantly impact health, the economy, and society. This narrative review examines CAN in the Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) region, comparing it with national and international levels. The review highlights high CAN rates in the DMV, driven by factors such as socioeconomic status, parental substance abuse, and child vulnerabilities. Screening and reporting challenges, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, impede accurate data collection. This review emphasizes the need for standardized reporting mechanisms, economic investment in public health, and intersectoral collaboration. It recommends targeted support for at-risk families, specialized care for vulnerable children, and the development of predictive screening tools. Continuous research on regional and cultural factors and the pandemic's impact is crucial for future resilience. Addressing CAN requires a comprehensive approach involving prevention, early detection, intervention, and policy reform to safeguard the well-being of children.

Child protection contact among children of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds: A South Australian linked data study

AIM

To describe the cumulative incidence of child protection (CP) system contact, maltreatment type, source of reports to age 7 years, and socio-demographic characteristics for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) Australian children.

METHODS

We used CP, education, health, and birth registrations data for children followed from birth up to age 7 from the South Australian Better Evidence, Better Outcomes, Linked Data (SA BEBOLD) platform.

PARTICIPANTS

SA born children enrolled in their first year of school from 2009 to 2015 (n = 76 563). CALD defined as non-Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, spoken language other than English, Indigenous or Sign, or had at least one parent born in a non-English speaking country.

OUTCOMES MEASURES

For CALD and non-CALD children, we estimated the cumulative incidence (risk) of CP contacts up to age 7, relative risk and risk differences for all levels of CP contact from notification to out-of-home care (OOHC), primary maltreatment type, reporter type, and socio-economic characteristics. Sensitivity analyses explored different population selection criteria and CALD definitions.

RESULTS

By age 7, 11.2% of CALD children had 'screened-in' notifications compared to 18.8% of non-CALD (risk difference [RD] 7.6 percentage points (95% confidence interval: 6.9-8.3)), and 0.6% of CALD children experienced OOHC compared to 2.2% of non-CALD (RD 1.6 percentage points (95% confidence interval: 1.3-1.8)). Emotional abuse was the most common substantiated maltreatment type for CALD and neglect for non-CALD. Among both groups, the most common reporter sources were police and education sector. Socio-economic characteristics were broadly similar. Sensitivity analyses results were consistent with primary analyses.

CONCLUSION

By age 7, CALD children had lower risk of contact with all levels of CP. Estimates based on primary and sensitivity analyses suggested CALD children were 5-9 percentage points less likely to have a report screened-in, and from 1.0 to 1.7 percentage points less likely to have experienced OOHC.