Understanding the dynamics of child maltreatment recurrence

This study examines the extent to which Child Protective Services (CPS) system factors are associated with the risk of child maltreatment recurrence, after controlling for maltreatment incident factors and child and family characteristics. This study analyzes a sample of 43,620 families from state CPS records covering 5.4 years. The study employs a retrospective cohort design and multivariate survival analysis method. Results reveal that four CPS system factors were significantly associated with the risk of child maltreatment recurrence, after controlling for other variables in the regression model: (1) reporter type, (2) frequency of contacts by CPS worker, (3) investigation level, and (4) length of CPS intervention. Once children and families are reported to CPS agencies, the risk of child maltreatment recurrence is greatly influenced by reporting and CPS process factors. The risk factors identified in the study add valuable information for developing accurate risk assessment tools and successful service interventions