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NSCAW II baseline report: Maltreatment

Casanueva, C., Smith, K., Dolan, M., and Ringeisen, H. – 2011

Child maltreatment data from the second National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being. Notes that neglect is more prevalent than physical abuse in maltreatment reports, and younger children are more at risk than older children. 16.3% of caseworker maltreatment reports involve parental substance abuse; 3.0% cite child substance exposure. Parental substance abuse is reported as the “most serious” form of maltreatment in 10.6% of cases. Children 2 and under are reported for substance exposure in 9.3% of cases (as compared to less than 3% for older children). Children placed in out-of-home care are more likely to have been substance-exposed or have a substance-abusing parent. Parental risk factors include substance use, poverty, and prior histories of child abuse and domestic violence. A significant percentage of children report witnessing violence and experiencing some form of caregiver aggression.