Responding to social and emotional vulnerability: Child welfare investigations involving older adolescents

AbstractIn 2018, the child welfare system in Ontario, Canada, expanded the age of protection to include 16 and 17  year olds for the purpose of mitigating risk of harm for older adolescents. To date, there is little information regarding investigations of older adolescents, particularly in Ontario; this study will address this gap. Data used for this analysis were drawn from the Ontario Incidence Study of Rep orted Child Abuse and Neglect-2018. The Ontario Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect-2018 sample data were weighted to derive an annual incidence estimate of 155 649 maltreatment-related investigations conducted in Ontario in 2018. Child, caregiver, household, and investigation char acteristics were compared across three age groups: children (0–10), younger adolescents (11–15), and older adolescents (16–17). Characteristics and differences in the likelihood of a service response (referral to nonchild welfare services, transfer to ongoing child welfare services, or placeme nt in out-of-home care during the investigation) were examined descriptively and using chi-square automatic interaction detection. Half of investigations involving older adolescents received a service response, and they were more likely to receive a service response when there were concerns about fu ture risk of harm, where there were concerns about the relationship between the adolescent and their caregivers, where internalizing or externalizing symptoms were noted, where careg...
Source: Child and Family Social Work - Category: Child Development Authors: Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research