208P
Does Racial Disproportionality in Child Maltreatment Reporting Vary By Report Source? a Comparison of Reporting By Education and Medical Personnel
Black children are much more likely than white children to be reported to the child welfare system for suspected maltreatment. Mandated reporters vary by state, with education and medical personnel among the categories of professionals consistently mandated to report concerns of maltreatment. The current study compares racial/ethnic disproportionalities in child maltreatment reporting by education and medical personnel, examining (1) racial/ethnic characteristics of cases reported by education and medical personnel; and (2) differences between the two groups in the characteristics of their reported cases. Many state child welfare systems have committed to reforms to address disproportionalities in reporting, and defining patterns of disproportionality by report source should inform targeted reform efforts.
Methods:
Data for the year 2012 from the US Census and National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) were used to compare racial disproportionality in child maltreatment reporting for Black and Hispanic children by two categories of mandated reporters: education and medical personnel. The data document 3.4 million referrals, involving 6.3 million children, made to Child Protective Services agencies in in 2012.
Results:
Education personnel submitted 16.6% of all reports, including 16.29% of Black reports and 20.5% of Hispanic reports. Medical personnel submitted 8.5% of all reports, including 7.9% of Black reports and 8.2% of Hispanic reports.
Black children were the subjects of 24.2% of reports by education personnel and 26.5% of reports by medical personnel. Hispanic children were the subjects of 25.6% of reports by education personnel and 23.4% of reports by medical personnel. Among reports by education personnel, compared to White children, Black children were 56% more likely and Hispanic children were 4% less likely to be the subject of a report. Among reports by medical personnel, compared to White children, Black children were 78% more likely and Hispanic children were 8% less likely to be the subject of a report.
Conclusions and Implications:
This study expands on earlier research that documents the overrepresentation of certain racial and ethnic groups in child maltreatment reporting by specifying variation in racial/ethnic disproportionalities by report source. Reports made by both education and medical personnel more often included Black children than White children, but this likelihood was markedly lower among education personnel than among medical personnel. Reports made by both education and medical personnel included Hispanic children less often than White children. These findings suggest that efforts to reduce the disproportionate number of reports affecting minority children should incorporate tailored approaches for specific professions, reflective of reporting trends within the profession. Future research should continue to clarify variation in racial / ethnic disproportionalities by report source, with regard to a broad set of racial / ethnic groups (including, for example, American Indian and Asian children in addition to Black and Hispanic children), to inform customized training and practice among the full range of professions designated as mandated reporters.