Child Abuse Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Child Abuse, including details on family violence, examinations, long-term effects, psychiatrics disorders.

Social health outcomes following thermal injuries: A retrospective matched cohort study.

James-Ellison MY, Barnes P, Maddocks AJ, Wareham K, Drew P, Dickson W, Lyons R, Hutchings HA

ABM University NHS Trust, United Kingdom.

Introduction: Over 50% of children admitted with burns are under 3 years. US studies suggest that up to 26% of childhood burns are non-accidental although UK reports are lower (1-16%). OBJECTIVES: To determine the social health outcomes of burned children in terms of the number of children abused, neglected or 'in need' before the age of six years compared with matched controls. METHODS: A retrospective matched cohort study. One hundred and forty five burns admissions aged under 3 years between 1994 and 1997 were matched with controls for sex, age and enumeration district and followed up until 2003. Electronic routine databases provided study data on Local Authority Care episodes and Social Service Referrals by age 6 years. RESULTS: 89.0% were accidental burns and 4 cases (2.8%) were judged to have non-accidental burns following Child Protection Case Conference. No case was attributed to neglect. By their sixth birthday cases were statistically more likely to have been referred to Social Services with 14 (9.7%) of the burned children having been abused or neglected versus 2 (1.4%) of controls (95% CI 0.030 to 0.13, p=0.004). Forty-six (32%) of cases versus 26 (18%) controls were defined as 'in need' (95% CI 0.047 to 0.23, p= 0.006). CONCLUSION: Although most burns were deemed accidental, 2.8% were categorised as non-accidental at presentation. Almost a third of the burned children went on to be 'in need'. Children with a burn appear to be at higher risk of further abuse or neglect compared with controls. A burn therefore could be a surrogate marker indicating a need for closer supervision and follow up by professionals.

Published 17 June 2009 in Arch Dis Child.
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Articles on Child Abuse published 17 June 2009:

An ethical approach to resolving value conflicts in child protection.   Arch Dis Child.

Child protection professionals working in diverse societies are regularly faced with value conflicts. Recognising these, and resolving them in the best interests of children, is a task that requires child protection specialists to make complex judgements and decisions. In this paper we apply the philosophical concepts of absolutism and relativism to child abuse, and explore how this approach has practical relevance to solving ethical dilemmas in child protection. We conclude that children's ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Child Abuse published 16 June 2009:

Dentists' involvement in identification and reporting of child physical abuse: Jordan as a case study.   Int J Paediatr Dent, 19(4): 291-6.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to assess the knowledge, attitude, and experience among Jordanian dentists regarding child abuse, and to explore the factors that affect their hesitation to report any suspected cases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A self-administered structured questionnaire was sent randomly to 500 Jordanian dentists. It investigated dentists' knowledge, attitude, and experience in recognizing and reporting child abuse cases. It also investigated several factors ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Child Abuse published 15 June 2009:

Youth Living With HIV and Partner-Specific Risk for the Secondary Transmission of HIV.   Sex Transm Dis.

BACKGROUND:: Secondary transmission remains a significant concern among HIV-infected youth. Little is known, however, about how partner-specific sexual risk behaviors for the secondary transmission of HIV may differ between the 2 largest subgroups of HIV-positive youth, women-who-have-sex-with-men (WSM) and men-who-have-sex-with-men (MSM), METHODS:: During 2003-2004, a convenience sample of HIV-infected youth, 13 to 24 years of age, were recruited from 15 Adolescent Medicine Trials Network ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Child Abuse published 11 June 2009:

Differences between homicide and filicide offenders; results of a nationwide register-based case-control study.   BMC Psychiatry, 9: 27.

BACKGROUND: Filicide, the killing of one's child, is an extraordinary form of homicide. It has commonly been associated with suicide and parental psychiatric illness. In the research on filicide, nationwide studies with comparison groups, specific perpetrator subgroups, and assessment of possible risk factors have been called for. The purpose of the current study was to provide all that. METHODS: In this nationwide register-based case-control study all filicide offenders who were in a forensic ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Child Abuse published 10 June 2009:

Personal Contextual Characteristics and Cognitions: Predicting Child Abuse Potential and Disciplinary Style.   J Interpers Violence.

According to Social Information Processing theory, parents' cognitive processes influence their decisions to engage in physical maltreatment, although cognitions occur in the context of other aspects of the parents' life. The present study investigated whether cognitive processes (external locus of control, inappropriate developmental expectations) predicted child abuse potential and overreactive disciplinary style beyond personal contextual factors characteristic of the parent (hostility, ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Child Abuse published 9 June 2009:

Non-accidental head injury in New Zealand: the outcome of referral to statutory authorities.   Child Abuse Negl, 33(6): 393-401.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the outcome of referral to the statutory authorities for infants under 2 years with non-accidental head injury (NAHI), and to establish whether the authorities held sufficient information to develop a risk profile for these cases. METHODS: Retrospective review of cases admitted to hospital in Auckland, New Zealand from 1988 to 1998. Records from the hospital admission, child protective services and Police were reviewed, up to 19 years from diagnosis. RESULTS: Of 39 ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Child maltreatment as a risk factor for opioid dependence: Comparison of family characteristics and type and severity of child maltreatment with a matched control group.   Child Abuse Negl, 33(6): 343-52.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the prevalence, characteristics and risk factors for child maltreatment among opioid-dependent persons compared to a community sample of similar social disadvantage. METHOD: The study employed a case-control design. Cases had a history of opioid pharmacotherapy. Controls were frequency matched to cases with regard to age, sex and unemployment and were restricted to those with a lifetime opioid use of less than five times. The interview covered child maltreatment, family ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

The international epidemiology of child sexual abuse: a continuation of Finkelhor (1994).   Child Abuse Negl, 33(6): 331-42.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this paper was to compare the prevalence rates of child sexual abuse reported by [Finkelhor, D. (1994). The international epidemiology of child sexual abuse. Child Abuse & Neglect, 18 (5), 409-417] with those found in recent publications in order to confirm the widespread prevalence of child sexual abuse. METHODS: Relevant articles about prevalence of child sexual abuse were identified through searches of computerized databases and a handsearch of Child Abuse & ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

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