Child MaltreatmentPub Date : 2026-08-01Epub Date: 2025-07-21DOI: 10.1177/10775595251361150
Yuerong Liu, Elizabeth Snyder-Fickler, Kelly Evans, Elizabeth J Gifford
{"title":"Child Maltreatment Re-report, Substantiation, and Foster Care Placement: A Latent Class Analysis of Child, Caregiver, and Household Risk Factors Across Screened-In and Screened-Out Cases.","authors":"Yuerong Liu, Elizabeth Snyder-Fickler, Kelly Evans, Elizabeth J Gifford","doi":"10.1177/10775595251361150","DOIUrl":"10.1177/10775595251361150","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Children reported to Child Protective Services (CPS) face elevated risks of adverse outcomes. It is essential to identify vulnerable populations and opportunities for early intervention. This study combined qualitative coding of CPS intake reports with latent class analyses to explore the typologies of children and families based on documented risk factors, both across all CPS intake reports (N = 4,344) and separately for screened-in and screened-out cases. We further examined their associations with maltreatment re-report, substantiation, and foster care placement over a three-year follow-up. Results revealed four latent classes: \"Financial Hardship,\" \"Caregiver Drug Use,\" \"Child Health Issues,\" and \"Domestic Violence,\" with the \"Financial Hardship\" group having the highest risk of experiencing re-reports and foster care placements. We observed variations in risk profiles between screened-in and screened-out reports. Findings highlight the importance of a person-centered approach in identifying high-risk groups and co-occurring risk factors for both screened-in and screened-out reports.</p>","PeriodicalId":48052,"journal":{"name":"Child Maltreatment","volume":" ","pages":"552-567"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144676173","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Child MaltreatmentPub Date : 2026-08-01Epub Date: 2025-09-15DOI: 10.1177/10775595251376623
Jennifer E Khoury, Miriam Chasson, Banu Ahtam, Leland L Fleming, Yangming Ou, Michelle Bosquet Enlow, P Ellen Grant, Karlen Lyons-Ruth
{"title":"Maternal Childhood Neglect is Linked to Greater Infant Cortisol Levels and Larger Infant Limbic Volumes.","authors":"Jennifer E Khoury, Miriam Chasson, Banu Ahtam, Leland L Fleming, Yangming Ou, Michelle Bosquet Enlow, P Ellen Grant, Karlen Lyons-Ruth","doi":"10.1177/10775595251376623","DOIUrl":"10.1177/10775595251376623","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Studies have linked maternal childhood maltreatment to altered infant brain volumes, but none have examined infant hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function as a mechanism linking the two domains. Further, studies among older children suggest that childhood abuse and neglect may be associated with different developmental outcomes and thus should be studied separately. Study participants were N = 57 mother-infant dyads, stratified for maternal childhood maltreatment. At 4 months, infant cortisol total output (AUCg) and change (AUCi) were assessed across the Still-Face Paradigm. Under natural sleep, infants completed T1-weighted MRI scans (<i>M</i> age = 12.28 months). Whole brain, amygdala, and hippocampal volumes were extracted via automated segmentation. Maternal childhood neglect, but not abuse, was directly associated with higher infant AUCg and AUCi, and was indirectly associated with larger amygdala and hippocampal volumes through infant AUCg. Results suggest that infant cortisol may be particularly influenced by maternal childhood neglect and may be one mechanism further influencing brain development.</p>","PeriodicalId":48052,"journal":{"name":"Child Maltreatment","volume":" ","pages":"436-450"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12834378/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145066168","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Child MaltreatmentPub Date : 2026-08-01Epub Date: 2025-09-30DOI: 10.1177/10775595251381229
Margaret J Briggs-Gowan, Kimberly J McCarthy, Susan DiVietro, Brandon L Goldstein, Damion J Grasso
{"title":"Assessing Dimensions of Children's Exposure to Family Violence with the Family Socialization Interview - Revised 2.0.","authors":"Margaret J Briggs-Gowan, Kimberly J McCarthy, Susan DiVietro, Brandon L Goldstein, Damion J Grasso","doi":"10.1177/10775595251381229","DOIUrl":"10.1177/10775595251381229","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Intimate partner violence (IPV) is prevalent in families with young children and increases risk for trauma-related symptoms, making comprehensive assessment of IPV important for research and clinical purposes. The reliability, validity, and incremental value of the partner conflict section of the semi-structured Family Socialization Interview - Revised 2.0 (FSI-R2) were examined in a sample of children at-risk for IPV exposure (N = 246, M age = 5.4 years, SD = 0.9). Data analyzed were from a study investigating the effects of IPV on young children. Interrater reliability was acceptable. Supporting convergent validity, FSI-R2 severity correlated positively with mother-reported partner conflict (Conflict Tactics Scale-2) and child-reported perceived threat (Berkeley Puppet Interview). The FSI-R2 severity codes correlated positively with children's PTSD and trauma-related symptoms. Supporting incremental value, FSI-R2 severity explained unique variance in children's symptoms beyond the CTS2. Finally, findings underscored the importance of comprehensively assessing IPV that has occurred not only with current partners, but also ex-partners, and across children's lifetimes.</p>","PeriodicalId":48052,"journal":{"name":"Child Maltreatment","volume":" ","pages":"465-478"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12874393/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145201839","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Child MaltreatmentPub Date : 2026-08-01Epub Date: 2025-07-18DOI: 10.1177/10775595251361477
Sarah Dorfman, Amy R Sommer, Adrian J Caiazzo, Yvane Ngassa, Jessica R Gray, Davida M Schiff
{"title":"Creating a Path From Crisis to Care and Connection: Perspectives on Child Removal and Family Separation from Parental Substance Use.","authors":"Sarah Dorfman, Amy R Sommer, Adrian J Caiazzo, Yvane Ngassa, Jessica R Gray, Davida M Schiff","doi":"10.1177/10775595251361477","DOIUrl":"10.1177/10775595251361477","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Family separation due to parental substance use negatively impacts not only caregivers and children but also family networks, foster parents, and providers who support these families. This qualitative study examined the experiences of birth, kin, and foster parents, and medical, behavioral, and community providers with child removal and custody loss. Twenty-six individuals participated in five focus groups where three themes emerged: (1) insufficient support for families at the time of removal exacerbates the trauma of custody transitions across all groups; (2) the lack of transparency in the child removal process fosters mutual mistrust; and (3) opportunities exist to enhance support for families facing the challenges of child removal. Holistic strategies that minimize trauma and address the needs of families, caregivers, and professionals who interact with the child welfare system are critical to enhancing the well-being of families affected by parental substance use.</p>","PeriodicalId":48052,"journal":{"name":"Child Maltreatment","volume":" ","pages":"529-538"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12778168/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144660724","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Child MaltreatmentPub Date : 2026-08-01Epub Date: 2025-09-05DOI: 10.1177/10775595251374135
Kelly McWilliams, McKenna N Cameron, Breanne E Wylie, Thomas D Lyon, J Zoe Klemfuss
{"title":"Adults' Ability to Detect the Pseudotemporal Problem when Children Give \"I Don't Know\" Responses.","authors":"Kelly McWilliams, McKenna N Cameron, Breanne E Wylie, Thomas D Lyon, J Zoe Klemfuss","doi":"10.1177/10775595251374135","DOIUrl":"10.1177/10775595251374135","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Past research has identified a source of miscommunication known as the \"pseudotemporal\" problem, whereby children mistakenly interpret invitations including the word 'time' (e.g., \"tell me about the last time\") as requests for temporal information (Friend et al., 2022; McWilliams et al., 2023; Wylie et al., 2024). Miscommunication may be particularly difficult to detect if children respond to the invitations with unelaborated \"I don't know\" (IDK) responses. The present study examined 352 adult participants' ability to detect the pseudotemporal problem across 12 invitation/response pairs embedded within a mock forensic interview. Results revealed that the most common interpretation of invitations including the word 'time' was that it was a question about \"what happened.\" Additionally, participants rarely identified the pseudotemporal problem, especially in cases where the child's IDK response was unelaborated. Lastly, their ability to detect the pseudotemporal problem was significantly related to their reasoning for why children provided IDK responses.</p>","PeriodicalId":48052,"journal":{"name":"Child Maltreatment","volume":" ","pages":"490-502"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145006671","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Child MaltreatmentPub Date : 2026-08-01Epub Date: 2025-08-25DOI: 10.1177/10775595251370683
Jennifer E Khoury, Marc Jambon, Mackenna Pattison, Andrea Gonzalez, Leslie Atkinson
{"title":"Adverse Childhood Experiences, Pregnancy and Postpartum Depressive Symptoms, and Child Socioemotional Problems Over the First Three Years of Life.","authors":"Jennifer E Khoury, Marc Jambon, Mackenna Pattison, Andrea Gonzalez, Leslie Atkinson","doi":"10.1177/10775595251370683","DOIUrl":"10.1177/10775595251370683","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with higher rates of prenatal and postpartum depression and child socioemotional problems. This longitudinal study investigated prenatal and postpartum depression as indirect effects linking maternal ACEs to changes in toddler socioemotional problems. Mothers (n = 304) reporting their ACEs, depressive symptoms in pregnancy and 6-months postpartum, and their children's socioemotional problems at 15-, 24-, and 35- months postpartum. Latent growth curve parallel and serial mediation analyses indicated that higher maternal ACEs were significantly associated with greater perinatal depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms during pregnancy, but not 6-months postpartum, were associated with higher average socioemotional problems at each time point. Maternal ACEs were indirectly associated with average socioemotional problems through prenatal, but not postpartum, depressive symptoms. Indirect effects from maternal ACEs to socioemotional problem trajectories were not significant. Findings suggest that prenatal depressive symptoms should be further explored as a mechanism through which maternal ACEs impact early socioemotional problems.</p>","PeriodicalId":48052,"journal":{"name":"Child Maltreatment","volume":" ","pages":"422-435"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13264658/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144974291","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Child MaltreatmentPub Date : 2026-08-01Epub Date: 2025-08-20DOI: 10.1177/10775595251368358
Fithi Andom, Melissa Jonson-Reid, Jennifer Henk, Allison Kemner
{"title":"The Influence of Child Welfare Involvement on Parent Engagement Among Immigrant Families Who Receive Home Visiting Services.","authors":"Fithi Andom, Melissa Jonson-Reid, Jennifer Henk, Allison Kemner","doi":"10.1177/10775595251368358","DOIUrl":"10.1177/10775595251368358","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study examined the association between select demographic risk factors and family self-report of prior child protective services (CPS) involvement among immigrant families and whether CPS involvement influenced the level of engagement in home visiting services. Administrative data on 4896 immigrant families enrolled in the Parents as Teachers (PAT) home visiting program were analyzed using logistic regression and propensity score weighted multinomial regression models. Substance use (OR = 4.74, <i>p</i> < .001), intimate partner violence (OR = 5.31, <i>p</i> < .001), single (OR = 3.25, <i>p</i> < .001) and teen parenthood (OR = 2.16, <i>p</i> < 01) were significantly associated with immigrant CPS involvement. Families with CPS involvement were more likely to engage in home visiting services for 90 days-1 year compared to over 1 year (RRR: 3.64, p < .01). History of CPS involvement decreased the probability of early dropout (less than 90 days) from home visitation by 27 percentage points. Implications for home visitation practice and research are discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":48052,"journal":{"name":"Child Maltreatment","volume":" ","pages":"503-514"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13263524/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144884061","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Child MaltreatmentPub Date : 2026-08-01Epub Date: 2025-05-05DOI: 10.1177/10775595251339612
Kathryn J Spearman, Nancy Perrin, Christina Bethell, Kamila A Alexander, Jennifer Hardesty, Jacquelyn Campbell
{"title":"Intimate Partner Violence and Children's Health After Parental Separation: Development and Psychometric Testing of the HELP-T Scale.","authors":"Kathryn J Spearman, Nancy Perrin, Christina Bethell, Kamila A Alexander, Jennifer Hardesty, Jacquelyn Campbell","doi":"10.1177/10775595251339612","DOIUrl":"10.1177/10775595251339612","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Validated instruments that measure intimate partner violence (IPV) following separation from an abusive co-parent (\"post-separation abuse\" (PSA)), are needed to understand and mitigate risks to child health. Items for the Healthcare, Economic, and Legal Post-Separation Abuse and Coercive Tactics (HELP-T) Scale were generated based on qualitative interviews with maternal survivors (<i>N</i> = 33) and expert review. Reliability, construct validity, and concurrent validity were tested in a sample (<i>N</i> = 497) of maternal survivors experiencing PSA in the US. Exploratory factor analysis assessed construct validity, and Cronbach's alpha assessed subscale reliability. Iterative principal factor analysis revealed 3 subscales for 22 items that were labeled (1) Healthcare PSA, (2) Legal PSA, and (3) Economic PSA, and demonstrated strong reliability with Cronbach's alphas from 0.82 to 0.89. The three subscales exhibit strong preliminary psychometric properties and provide insights to help health and legal professionals measure and establish PSA tactics.</p>","PeriodicalId":48052,"journal":{"name":"Child Maltreatment","volume":" ","pages":"451-464"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12817884/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144022425","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Child MaltreatmentPub Date : 2026-08-01Epub Date: 2025-07-31DOI: 10.1177/10775595251363456
Ann M Stacks, Ashley N Rousson, Lyndsey Kondor, Brian E Perron, Joseph P Ryan, Bryan G Victor
{"title":"Infant Toddler Court Teams, Reunification, Time to Permanency, and Placement Stability: Evidence From a Study Using Matched Controls.","authors":"Ann M Stacks, Ashley N Rousson, Lyndsey Kondor, Brian E Perron, Joseph P Ryan, Bryan G Victor","doi":"10.1177/10775595251363456","DOIUrl":"10.1177/10775595251363456","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Children under age three represent a disproportionate share of foster care entries, yet evidence-based interventions for this population remain limited. This study examined the impact of an infant-toddler court program in Wayne County, Michigan comparing outcomes for 60 cases assigned to the specialized docket with 240 matched controls receiving services as usual. Using propensity score matching and Fine-Gray competing risks regression, we found that infant-toddler court cases had double the likelihood of achieving reunification compared to matched controls (subdistribution hazard ratio = 2.04, 95% CI: 1.45-2.88). No significant differences were detected in time to permanency or placement stability. Results were observed in a jurisdiction predominantly serving Black families, with high rates of kinship placement, demonstrating the effectiveness of specialized courts in supporting family preservation in similar settings. Findings suggest that broader implementation of infant-toddler courts could substantially improve reunification outcomes for young children in the child welfare system.</p>","PeriodicalId":48052,"journal":{"name":"Child Maltreatment","volume":" ","pages":"539-551"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144761802","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Child MaltreatmentPub Date : 2026-08-01Epub Date: 2025-08-07DOI: 10.1177/10775595251366881
Kimberly A Rhoades, Amy M Smith Slep, Natalia Lapshina, Sara R Nichols, Richard E Heyman
{"title":"Predicting Burnout and Leave Intentions in Child Welfare: Case, Provider, and Organizational Factors.","authors":"Kimberly A Rhoades, Amy M Smith Slep, Natalia Lapshina, Sara R Nichols, Richard E Heyman","doi":"10.1177/10775595251366881","DOIUrl":"10.1177/10775595251366881","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Child welfare caseloads are frequently higher than optimal, leading to provider burnout and turnover. This study aims to identify which case, provider, and organizational factors differentiate providers with higher versus lower burnout and leave intentions. Participants were 26 Family Advocacy Program providers and 17 supervisors at 11 U.S. Department of the Air Force installations who provided data for seven months. We used linear mixed-effects model tree algorithms to determine the factors that distinguish favorable and unfavorable outcomes. The model predicting burnout yielded three significant partitioning variables: (a) number of cases on the high risk for violence and child sexual maltreatment response team lists, (b) command support, and (c) years since licensure. The model predicting leave intentions yielded five significant partitioning variables: (a) client challenge, (b) number of cases, (c) ease of reaching commanders of on-base tenant units, (d) percentage of clients receiving substance abuse treatment services, and (e) command support. This study is a first step toward developing dynamic caseload management tools.</p>","PeriodicalId":48052,"journal":{"name":"Child Maltreatment","volume":" ","pages":"581-593"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144800627","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}