Child Abuse Incidence and Reporting By Hospitals: Significance of Severity, Class, and Race (From Coping With Family Violence: Research and Policy Perspectives, P 212-223, 1988, Gerald T Hotaling, et al, eds. -- See NCJ-114444)

• NCJ Number: 114457
• Author(s): R L Hampton; E H Newberger
• Date Published: 1988
• Length: 12 pages
• Sale Source: Sage Publications, Inc
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

The characteristics that are associated with the diagnosis of child maltreatment seen and reported by hospitals were examined using data from the National Study of the Incidence and Severity of Child Abuse and Neglect.

Abstract

The data came from 805 cases reported in 26 counties in 10 States between May 1979 and April 1980. Results showed that black and Hispanic families were more likely to be reported to child protective services than were white families. Similarly, families with incomes in the lower two categories had the highest reporting rates. Serious injuries accounted for only 28 percent of the reported cases and 40 percent of the unreported cases. Mothers were alleged perpetrators in about half the cases and were not involved in just over one-third of the cases. Case reports were more likely to be filed when a mother was not the alleged perpetrator. Physical abuse cases were more likely to be reported than unreported. Emotional abuse and neglect cases tended to be underreported. Findings indicated biases against poor and nonwhite families in child abuse reporting and the need to train and sensitize medical professionals regarding the social dimensions of family violence. Tables and 15 references.