Citation

Anderson R, Ambrosino R, Valentine D, Lauderdale M. Child. Youth Serv. Rev. 1983; 5(1): 75-89.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1983, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/0190-7409(83)90020-8

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This study of 267 child deaths associated with abuse or neglect in Texas during 1975 through 1977 suggests a number of indicators for identifying potential child fatalities. Families where abuse or neglect is implicated in a child fatality are characterized by small family size, young parents, and under-utilization of community support services. Over three-fourths of the families in the study had never come to the attention of the state's child protective services agency. In addition, when fathers were present in the home, they were as likely to be involved in the abuse or neglect as mothers. Neglect was implicated in the death of a child as often as abuse. The study suggests the need for further examination of child fatality profiles associated with abuse and neglect and increased community outreach efforts to provide support to high-risk families, The study also has implications for social policy decisions, particularly in relation to efforts to resist attempts to exclude neglect from child protective service responsibility.