Association of Housing Stress With Child Maltreatment: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Child maltreatment is a significant public health issue in the United States. Understanding key risk factors for child maltreatment is critical to informing effective prevention. Poverty is an established risk factor for child maltreatment. However, recent research indicates that material hardship (i.e., difficulties meeting basic needs) may serve as a more direct measure of the way in which poverty affects daily life. One form of material hardship that is common among families is housing stress. Previous reviews have summarized the existing literature regarding the association of economic insecurity with child maltreatment, but no reviews have synthesized and critically evaluated the literature specific to the association of various types of housing stress with child maltreatment. We conducted a systematic search of multiple electronic databases to identify peer-reviewed studies conducted in the U.S. regarding the association of housing stress with child maltreatment. We identified 21 articles that used nine distinct measures of housing stress including homelessness or eviction, homeless or emergency shelter stays, foreclosure filing, housing instability, inadequate housing, physical housing risk, living doubled-up, housing unaffordability, and composite housing stress indicators. Overall, results from this body of literature indicate that housing stress is associated with an increased likelihood of caregiver or child self-reported maltreatment, child protective services (CPS) reports, investigated and substantiated CPS reports, out-of-home placements, and maltreatment death. Additional theory-driven research is needed to further our understanding of the contribution of specific types of housing stress to risk for specific types of maltreatment.

“The Propellers of My Life” The Impact of Domestic Violence Transitional Housing on Parents and Children

“…Some available evidence indicates DVTH programs may lead to reduced violence exposure and increased economic stability (Clark et al, 2019 ; Klein et al, 2019 ; Rizo et al, 2020 ). Research from child welfare indicates housing stress is associated with increased child maltreatment, CPS involvement, and maltreatment death (Chandler et al, 2020 ), yet housing programs significantly reduce abuse/neglect and enhance family stability (Fowler et al, 2018 ; Mbilinyi, 2015 ).…”

Infant Deaths From Medical Causes After a Maltreatment Report

“…4 Given the sheer number of children involved with CPS, significant attention has been devoted to documenting sociodemographic and other risk factors that uniquely characterize children who are reported for alleged maltreatment. Not surprisingly, when the profile of children reported to CPS is compared to that of the general population, it becomes clear that these children often face complex individual, [5][6][7] family, [8][9][10] and community [11][12][13] risk factors operating in both an additive and interacting fashion.…”

A review of the relationship between poverty and child abuse and neglect: Insights from scoping reviews, systematic reviews and meta‐analyses

“…A further US‐based systematic review (Chandler et al, 2020) highlighted the relationship between housing stress and child maltreatment within 21 studies, indicating that housing stress was associated with an increased likelihood of caregiver or child self‐reported maltreatment, child protective services (CPS) reports, investigated and substantiated CPS reports, out‐of‐home placements and maltreatment death.…”