Child Maltreatment Reporting Patterns and Predictors of Substantiation

Adolescents, and especially male adolescents, make up a disproportionately smaller portion of maltreatment reports compared to younger children. This study used the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) to better understand the characteristics of adolescents reported to Child Protective Services (CPS), to examine if these characteristics changed over time, and to determine if certain child or CPS report characteristics predicted CPS involvement. Whereas adolescents were the focal group, younger children were also analyzed for comparison. Between 2005 and 2010, reports of neglect and the proportion of children of Hispanic and unknown racial/ethnic origins increased. Concurrently, the proportion of cases resulting in CPS involvement declined. Although race/ethnicity predicted CPS involvement, this pattern was not consistent across all age groups or races/ethnicities. The type of alleged maltreatment did not typically predict CPS involvement; however, allegations of sexual abuse among school-age children and adolescents, particularly among girls, were more likely to result in CPS involvement. These findings can assist child welfare professionals in determining appropriate services tailored to families and developing prevention programs targeting adolescents.