Projects per year
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Children with disabilities are at increased risk of child maltreatment; however, there is a gap in the evidence about whether all disabilities are at equal risk and whether risk factors vary according to the type of disability. METHODS: A population-based record-linkage study of all children born in Western Australia between 1990 and 2010. Children with disabilities were identified by using populationbased registers and risk of maltreatment determined by allegations reported to the Department for Child Protection and Family Support. RESULTS: Although children with disabilities make up 10.4% of the population, they represent 25.9% of children with a maltreatment allegation and 29.0% of those with a substantiated allegation; however, increased risk of maltreatment was not consistent across all disability types. Children with intellectual disability, mental/behavioral problems, and conduct disorder continued to have increased risk of an allegation and substantiated allegation after adjusting for child, family, and neighborhood risk factors. In contrast, adjusting for these factors resulted in children with autism having a lower risk, and children with Down syndrome and birth defects/cerebral palsy having the same risk as children without disability. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of disabilities in the child protection system suggests a need for awareness of the scope of issues faced by these children and the need for interagency collaboration to ensure children's complex needs are met. Supports are needed for families with children with disabilities to assist in meeting the child's health and developmental needs, but also to support the parents in managing the often more complex parenting environment.
Original language | English |
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Article number | e20161817 |
Journal | Pediatrics |
Volume | 139 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Apr 2017 |
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Dive into the research topics of 'Maltreatment risk among children with disabilities'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Projects
- 3 Finished
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Training Fellowship - Public Health Approach to Child Abuse and Neglect: Antecedents, Outcomes and International Comparisons of Trends
O'Donnell, M. (Investigator 01)
NHMRC National Health and Medical Research Council
1/01/11 → 31/12/14
Project: Research
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Public Health Approach to Child Abuse & Neglect - Antecedents Outcomes & International Comparisons of Trends
Stanley, F. (Investigator 01), O'Donnell, M. (Investigator 02), Nassar, N. (Investigator 03), Gilbert, R. (Investigator 04) & Brownell, M. (Investigator 05)
ARC Australian Research Council
1/01/11 → 31/05/16
Project: Research
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Pathways Policies and Prevention - Better Outcomes for Western Australian Children
APAI, N. N. (Investigator 01), Stanley, F. (Investigator 02), APAI, U. (Investigator 03), Leonard, H. (Investigator 04), APAI_1, N. N. (Investigator 05), De Klerk, N. (Investigator 06), APAI_2, N. N. (Investigator 07), Li, J. (Investigator 08), Nassar, N. (Investigator 09), Zubrick, S. (Investigator 10), Taylor, C. (Investigator 11), Bartnik, E. (Investigator 12), Walker, P. (Investigator 13), Gwilliam, C. (Investigator 14), Johnson, I. (Investigator 15), Marney, T. (Investigator 16), Murphy, T. (Investigator 17), O'Callaghan, K. (Investigator 18), O'Neill, S. (Investigator 19) & Searle, G. (Investigator 20)
ARC Australian Research Council
30/06/10 → 30/06/18
Project: Research