Abstract
This study aims to identify predictors of recorded child maltreatment and children’s admission to care, through the longitudinal analysis of data from a large birth cohort study, linked to administrative data on abuse and neglect. This study is funded by the ESRC.
Child maltreatment is known to be associated with several factors including deprivation, domestic violence and parental substance misuse; but little is known about the complex relationship between these variables. Furthermore, the majority of studies in child welfare research use cross-sectional designs, due to difficulties in collecting data on children and their families before they come into contact with the child protection system. This study provides a unique opportunity to examine children’s family circumstances prior to their involvement with social workers, drawing on data from the Born in Bradford project, a cohort study of 13,500 children born in Bradford between March 2007 and December 2010.
This study uses a catch-up design, linking together two types of pre-existing data collected at different time points: (i) data from questionnaires administered to expectant mothers during antenatal appointments by the Born in Bradford study, and (ii) administrative data held by Bradford Council on children who have subsequently been identified as ‘in need’ due to abuse or neglect. This study is the first to collect pre-birth data on children who are subsequently maltreated.
This paper will present important new findings on factors evident at the antenatal stage which indicate a higher risk of subsequent abuse or neglect. It will focus on indicators of socio-economic status, including Index of Multiple Deprivation scores, as well as maternal mental health and substance use during the antenatal period. These findings will advance scientific understanding of risk and protective factors in relation to child maltreatment and inform future social care interventions with children and families.
Child maltreatment is known to be associated with several factors including deprivation, domestic violence and parental substance misuse; but little is known about the complex relationship between these variables. Furthermore, the majority of studies in child welfare research use cross-sectional designs, due to difficulties in collecting data on children and their families before they come into contact with the child protection system. This study provides a unique opportunity to examine children’s family circumstances prior to their involvement with social workers, drawing on data from the Born in Bradford project, a cohort study of 13,500 children born in Bradford between March 2007 and December 2010.
This study uses a catch-up design, linking together two types of pre-existing data collected at different time points: (i) data from questionnaires administered to expectant mothers during antenatal appointments by the Born in Bradford study, and (ii) administrative data held by Bradford Council on children who have subsequently been identified as ‘in need’ due to abuse or neglect. This study is the first to collect pre-birth data on children who are subsequently maltreated.
This paper will present important new findings on factors evident at the antenatal stage which indicate a higher risk of subsequent abuse or neglect. It will focus on indicators of socio-economic status, including Index of Multiple Deprivation scores, as well as maternal mental health and substance use during the antenatal period. These findings will advance scientific understanding of risk and protective factors in relation to child maltreatment and inform future social care interventions with children and families.
| Original language | English |
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| Publication status | Unpublished - 30 Nov 2015 |
| Event | CLOSER conference: The importance of early years, childhood and adolescence - London Duration: 30 Nov 2015 → 30 Nov 2015 |
Conference
| Conference | CLOSER conference |
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| Period | 30/11/15 → 30/11/15 |