The Impact of Child, Family, and Child Protective Services Factors on Reports of Child Sexual Abuse Recurrence

Abstract

This study identified selected child factors (e.g., age, gender, race/ethnicity, disabilities, prior victimization, and relationship to perpetrator of abuse), family risk factors (e.g., substance abuse, domestic violence, inadequate housing, and financial problems), and services provided by child protective services that likely increased reports of child sexual abuse recurrence by type of reporter. Survival analysis was conducted using the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System data set of 2002-2004. Child disability, being a prior victim, having a perpetrator as a caregiver, family financial problems, and receiving family supportive services increased the likelihood for reports of child sexual abuse by mandated reporters. Being Hispanic, having a disability, having a perpetrator as a caregiver, financial problems, and receiving family preservation services statistically decreased the likelihood for reports of child sexual abuse recurrence.

Patterns of Sexual Abuse among Children: Victims’ and Perpetrators’ Characteristics

“…Others, such as Sinanan (2011), have reported that White children have a higher incidence of sexual abuse than do African American children. The population that sought services in the emergency department during this study was 74% African American (P. Bunce, personal communication, July 3, 2012), and the majority of the child victims were female.…”

“…Generally, male perpetrators are middle-aged and have low socioeconomic status (Hilarski, Wodarski, & Feit, 2008;Sinanan, 2011;Usta & Farver, 2010). Female perpetrators are commonly in their 40s and are often friends of the family (Weis, 2008).…”

“…The conceptual framework for this study was based on Bronfenbrenner's (1979) ecological theory (see Figure 1), which provided a helpful tool for the examination of child sexual abuse (Sinanan, 2011).…”

Differential Response Policy and Child Maltreatment Re-report

“…These decisions may bias study results, and subsequently bias their interpretation. 59 One method for reducing bias involves using extant literature to develop path diagrams which are visual representations of existing literature used to identify confounders, mediators and colliders. Two approaches for creating these diagrams are structural equation modeling (SEM) and directed acyclic graphs (DAGs).…”

“…All US studies that examined differential response at the state level were conducted during the period 1992-2010, prior to the CAPTA 2010 reauthorization. Seven additional studies were identified with unclear study eligibility 17,[54][55][56][57][58][59] . Attempts to contact two authors for clarification were unsuccessful, and additional information provided by the remaining five authors confirmed their studies did not meet our inclusion criteria.…”