Child MaltreatmentPub Date : 2026-08-01Epub Date: 2025-09-21DOI: 10.1177/10775595251381267
Tom Kirsch, Simone Munsch, Andrea Meyer, Marc Schmid
{"title":"Reducing Problematic Parenting Behaviors, Child Neglect, and Internalizing and Externalizing Problems in Multisystemic Therapy for Child Abuse and Neglect.","authors":"Tom Kirsch, Simone Munsch, Andrea Meyer, Marc Schmid","doi":"10.1177/10775595251381267","DOIUrl":"10.1177/10775595251381267","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Multisystemic Therapy for Child Abuse and Neglect (MST-CAN) has been shown to effectively reduce social worker-assessed child neglect and child problems. However, no research has examined the effects of MST-CAN on parenting behaviors or identified which intervention targets are associated with reductions in child problems. This study examined changes in child internalizing and externalizing problems, parental psychological control, neglectful parenting, and social worker-assessed neglect, accounting for therapist effects, and assessed how parenting and neglect predict child outcomes in 143 parent-child dyads in Switzerland (mean child age = 10.5 years, 54.1% boys). Multilevel regression showed significant reductions in social worker-assessed neglect (b = 14.10, SE = 3.49, <i>p</i> < .001) and child problems (b = 4.97<i>, SE = 0.88, p</i> < .001) with low intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC = .049, ICC = .017). Neglectful parenting (b = 0.03, SE = 0.05, <i>p</i> = .640) and psychological control (b = 0.10, SE = 0.07, <i>p</i> = .140) were not significantly reduced. Parenting and social worker assessed neglect did not affect changes in child problems. Findings demonstrate MST-CAN's effectiveness in reducing social worker-assessed neglect and child problems but highlight the need for targeting psychological control and multi-method and multi-informant assessments of parenting behaviors.</p>","PeriodicalId":48052,"journal":{"name":"Child Maltreatment","volume":" ","pages":"515-528"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13264655/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145103061","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}
{"title":"Public Knowledge and Attitudes About the Nature and Impact of Child Emotional Abuse: A Systematic Review.","authors":"Amy J Morgan, Ellie Tsiamis, Cameron Tan, Qiang Chen","doi":"10.1177/10775595251362111","DOIUrl":"10.1177/10775595251362111","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Child emotional abuse is repeated parental behaviour that conveys to the child they are worthless, unloved, unwanted or only of value in meeting another's needs. It is widespread and associated with mental health harms - including depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide attempts - at levels comparable to those linked to physical and sexual abuse. However, there appears to be a lack of understanding of its impact and the urgency in preventing its occurrence. This systematic review aimed to synthesise findings from peer-reviewed studies published since 2000 that examined public knowledge and attitudes about the emotional abuse of children aged 0-18 perpetrated by parents. Of 39 included studies, only 4 were rated high-quality. Most often, studies examined recognition of child emotional abuse or its acceptability. Few studies investigated willingness to intervene or knowledge about prevalence or its harm to psychological health. Recognition of child emotional abuse varied depending on the type of behaviour and was highest for repeated hostility behaviours. Generally, child emotional abuse was less recognised and perceived as less harmful than sexual or physical abuse. There is a need for more high-quality data on public understanding of child emotional abuse to inform educational strategies for improving its prevention and response.</p>","PeriodicalId":48052,"journal":{"name":"Child Maltreatment","volume":" ","pages":"594-608"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13264659/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144754897","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: 2025-04-23DOI: 10.1177/10775595251337074
Adi Meidan, Ido Shalev, Florina Uzefovsky
{"title":"The role of maltreatment risk in the interplay between maternal and child's empathy over time.","authors":"Adi Meidan, Ido Shalev, Florina Uzefovsky","doi":"10.1177/10775595251337074","DOIUrl":"10.1177/10775595251337074","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Parental empathy is associated with risk of child maltreatment which is, in turn, associated with children's negative social outcomes. Yet familial relationships are not unidirectional. We aimed to examine the interplay between maternal and child empathy over two time points, two years apart, and how these are moderated by abuse risk. Participants were <i>N</i> = 250 mothers of children aged 4-10 years (48.4% girls). Bivariate change score models were computed to examine the relationship between changes in maternal and child's empathy. Maternal empathic concern predicted an increase in her child's cognitive empathy two years later. Interestingly, the child's cognitive empathy predicted a decrease in maternal personal-distress two years later, but only for high abuse-risk mothers. Additionally, maternal empathic concern predicted an increase in child's cognitive empathy for high abuse-risk mothers. The current study highlights the dynamic relationship between maternal empathy, maltreatment risk, and child's empathy.</p>","PeriodicalId":48052,"journal":{"name":"Child Maltreatment","volume":" ","pages":"409-421"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144052747","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}
{"title":"Prenatal and Infant Reports and Child Protection Involvement: A Longitudinal Cohort Study.","authors":"Miriam J Maclean, Fernando Lima, Stephanie Taplin, Rhonda Marriott, Jacynta Krakouer, Melissa O'Donnell","doi":"10.1177/10775595251381279","DOIUrl":"10.1177/10775595251381279","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In Australia, infants have the highest rate of child protection involvement. Many jurisdictions in Australia and internationally have introduced policies for prenatal planning and support, however little is known about outcomes of infants reported prenatally. This study is the first to use cross-jurisdictional, individual-record data to examine child protection pathways associated with prenatal and infant reports. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data covering 2012-2018 was used. Cox regression analyses examined factors associated with removal into out-of-home care and reunification. Removals were significantly more likely for children with prenatal reports (HR = 2.29, 95% CI: 2.17-2.41). Earlier-in-pregnancy reports were not associated with reduced removals. There was significant variation across jurisdictions in removals and reunifications. Aboriginal children were significantly more likely to have prenatal reports and removals and less likely to be reunified. Examining the effectiveness and potential improvement of prenatal interventions and support could increase children's opportunity to safely remain at home.</p>","PeriodicalId":48052,"journal":{"name":"Child Maltreatment","volume":" ","pages":"479-489"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13264657/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145092457","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}
{"title":"Expert Social Work Consultation for CPS: Safety and Medical Consultation Findings.","authors":"Molly C Berkoff, Meghan E Shanahan","doi":"10.1177/10775595261473255","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/10775595261473255","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>As a report to Child Protective Services (CPS) only requires a suspicion of maltreatment, CPS may not clearly understand the concerns. For injury reports made by healthcare providers, expert medical consultation can assist CPS. However, these consults are often not immediate. In North Carolina, the Regional Abuse and Medical Specialist (RAMS) team was created to assist with: (a) improving CPS - healthcare communication and (b) adhering to child welfare policy. We completed a secondary data analysis of RAMS consults for children 3 years of age and younger with injuries reported to CPS by healthcare providers. Of the 551 consultations, 13.8% did not have a concern for a poorly explained/unexplained injury after RAMS consult and ongoing CPS-healthcare communication. For 19.4% of cases, RAMS provided educational support regarding the policy supported safety plan. Expert medical consultation policy was followed in 79.3% of eligible cases. RAMS is a promising model to assist CPS investigations.</p>","PeriodicalId":48052,"journal":{"name":"Child Maltreatment","volume":" ","pages":"10775595261473255"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148632246","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}
Sarah Parmenter, Olivia D Chang, Kathryn Maguire-Jack, Yujeong Chang, Erna Chiu, Yanghyun Park
{"title":"Rural Child Welfare Practice: Experiences of Burnout and Commitment From Child Protective Services Workers and Supervisors.","authors":"Sarah Parmenter, Olivia D Chang, Kathryn Maguire-Jack, Yujeong Chang, Erna Chiu, Yanghyun Park","doi":"10.1177/10775595261475307","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/10775595261475307","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Rural child welfare agencies face persistent workforce challenges, yet little research has examined how these workers navigate burnout while sustaining commitment to their profession. Through in-depth qualitative interviews with 27 caseworkers and supervisors, the current study explored how rural child welfare workers experience burnout while maintaining commitment to the profession. Guided by concepts of compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction, findings highlight how emotionally demanding work, workforce shortages, and limited resources contribute to worker burnout. At the same time, participants described meaningful relationships with children and families, a strong sense of purpose, and deep community connections as key sources of professional fulfillment that support continued commitment to child welfare practice. Policy implications include a greater investment into rural areas for both child welfare services specifically and social services more generally; and intentional organizational practices to build on the strengths of the rural caseworkers.</p>","PeriodicalId":48052,"journal":{"name":"Child Maltreatment","volume":" ","pages":"10775595261475307"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148632193","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}
Esaa Mohammad Sabti Samarah, Ellen M Chiocca, Lisa Schelbe, Myranda James, Maria Lambdin, Akelia Creggitt
{"title":"Corporal Punishment in Arkansas Public Schools: A Mixed Methods Analysis.","authors":"Esaa Mohammad Sabti Samarah, Ellen M Chiocca, Lisa Schelbe, Myranda James, Maria Lambdin, Akelia Creggitt","doi":"10.1177/10775595261474140","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/10775595261474140","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Objective:</b> Despite decades of evidence documenting the harm of corporal punishment (CP), the practice remains legal in Arkansas public schools. This study examined how CP is authorized, implemented, and justified across Arkansas school districts and whether districts permitting CP differed in rates of exclusionary discipline. <b>Method:</b> A mixed-methods study was conducted using publicly available policy documents and administrative data from all 237 traditional Arkansas public school districts during the 2022-2023 academic year. School district policies were systematically reviewed to determine where corporal punishment was authorized and to characterize key policy features. Administrative data were used to describe the prevalence of corporal punishment and compare rates of detentions, suspensions, and expulsions between districts that permitted and prohibited the practice. Finally, a directed qualitative content analysis examined how corporal punishment was justified, framed, and maintained through district policy language. <b>Results:</b> Corporal punishment was permitted in 171 (72.2%) public school districts in Arkansas. During the 2022-2023 school year, Arkansas public schools reported 5,308 incidents of corporal punishment. Rates of detentions, suspensions, and expulsions did not differ significantly between districts that permitted and prohibited corporal punishment. Qualitative content analysis identified five themes illustrating how district policies justify and institutionalize corporal punishment through policy language. <b>Conclusions:</b> CP in Arkansas public schools is maintained through district policies that normalize physical punishment while providing limited procedural protections for children and families. Findings highlight misalignment between school district policies, child maltreatment research, and state commitments to safe and supportive school environments.</p>","PeriodicalId":48052,"journal":{"name":"Child Maltreatment","volume":" ","pages":"10775595261474140"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148622069","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}
Ateret Gewirtz-Meydan, Kimberly J Mitchell, Lisa M Jones, Heather A Turner, David Finkelhor
{"title":"Moderators of Mental Health Outcomes Following Childhood and Adolescent Image-Based Sexual Abuse.","authors":"Ateret Gewirtz-Meydan, Kimberly J Mitchell, Lisa M Jones, Heather A Turner, David Finkelhor","doi":"10.1177/10775595261471518","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/10775595261471518","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Image-based sexual abuse (IBSA) during childhood and adolescence is linked to substantial mental health risk, yet harms are not experienced uniformly. This study tested moderators of the association between cumulative IBSA exposure (number of IBSA forms endorsed before age 18) and psychological distress, suicide attempts, and self-harm in a diverse U.S. convenience sample of 2,854 young adults who reported 4,205 incidents of IBSA during childhood or adolescence. In fully adjusted models, the main effects of cumulative IBSA exposure were not statistically significant; however, its associations with mental health outcomes varied across incident, developmental, and sociodemographic characteristics. Childhood adversity and sex assigned at birth moderated the association with psychological distress. Dating-partner involvement and repeated victimization moderated the association with suicide attempts, while adult-perpetrator involvement, explicit sexual content, racial or ethnic minority status, and educational attainment moderated the association with self-harm. Commercial involvement was associated with higher odds of suicide attempts but lower odds of self-harm. These findings underscore the importance of trauma-informed, context-sensitive responses that account for heterogeneity in survivors' experiences and vulnerabilities.</p>","PeriodicalId":48052,"journal":{"name":"Child Maltreatment","volume":" ","pages":"10775595261471518"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148608782","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}
{"title":"Longitudinal Patterns of Social Support Among Low-Income Parents: Implications for Child Maltreatment Risk.","authors":"Olivia D Chang","doi":"10.1177/10775595261470428","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/10775595261470428","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The present study examined trajectories of social support among 3,899 parents with low income. Repeated-measures latent class analysis was employed to profile temporal trajectories of parental social support across a five-year period. Five distinct trajectories of parental social support were identified with differentiated risk across maltreatment indicators (i.e., observed harsh parenting behavior and child protective services [CPS] contact). Compared to parents with \"High Support\" (66%), parents with \"Recovering Support\" (7%) demonstrated significantly greater harsh parenting behaviors. Parents with \"Low to High Support\" (6%) and \"Low Support\" (7%) were significantly more likely to experience CPS contact. Parents with \"Decreasing Support\" (14%) demonstrated both significantly greater harsh parenting behaviors and were more likely to experience CPS contact. These findings underscore the need for time-sensitive, dynamic approaches to assessing protective factors and maltreatment risk, ensuring that interventions are targeted toward parents most likely to benefit from preventive support.</p>","PeriodicalId":48052,"journal":{"name":"Child Maltreatment","volume":" ","pages":"10775595261470428"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148550850","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}
Yun Ye, Elinam Dellor, Megan Allbright-Campos, Zebo Soatjonova, Jen McClellan, Fawn Gadel, Halle Tansing, Bridget Freisthler
{"title":"The Role of Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) in Child Welfare Outcomes: Evidence From Ohio's START Implementation.","authors":"Yun Ye, Elinam Dellor, Megan Allbright-Campos, Zebo Soatjonova, Jen McClellan, Fawn Gadel, Halle Tansing, Bridget Freisthler","doi":"10.1177/10775595261468337","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/10775595261468337","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study examines medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) utilization within Ohio's implementation of the Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Teams (START) model. This study assesses whether MOUD is associated with improved parent and child outcomes. Using an observational design relying on administrative data, 449 adults with documented opioid use were included. Key outcomes included case length, percent of time sustaining sobriety, successful Ohio START program completion, out-of-home placement, and reunification. MOUD was the primary independent variable. Multilevel regressions were conducted to account for parents nested within families and counties. MOUD was significantly associated with longer case duration, a higher percentage of time sustaining sobriety, and greater odds of successful Ohio START program completion. MOUD was not significantly associated with out-of-home placement or reunification after children were removed. These results suggest that MOUD may support sustained recovery engagement among parents participating in child welfare treatment programs.</p>","PeriodicalId":48052,"journal":{"name":"Child Maltreatment","volume":" ","pages":"10775595261468337"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148521292","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}