The Intersection of Child Maltreatment and Behaviour Problems: Implications for Child Welfare Service Providers

Evidence suggests that child maltreatment is associated with externalizing, antisocial, and criminal behaviour, although the mechanisms explaining this association remain poorly understood. The purpose of this thesis research is twofold: to deepen current understanding of the relationship between maltreatment and behaviour problems, and to understand the potential intervening role of child welfare services in influencing this relationship. With few Canadian studies in this area, an aim of this research is to provide a foundation from which future research can expand. Three academic papers comprise this research. The first paper entails a comprehensive analysis and application of relevant theories to understanding the association between maltreatment and behaviour problems. The second paper utilizes data from the Ontario Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (OIS-2013) to examine whether dimensions of maltreatment and cumulative risk explain why certain maltreated young people exhibit behaviour problems and others do not. The third paper uses OIS-2013 data to provide a snapshot of the child welfare services delivered to maltreated children and youth who exhibit aggressive and/or criminal behaviour. The findings indicate that the relationship between maltreatment and behaviour problems is complex and dependent on processes at every level of childrenâ s ecologies. Aggressive children were more likely to experience severe and co-occurring forms of maltreatment and to experience higher levels of cumulative child risks. In adolescence, youth exhibiting aggressive or criminal behaviour commonly experienced abandonment, a form of neglect in which caregivers are not willing or able to remain a caregiver. While aggression in younger children was not associated with an increased likelihood of receiving child welfare services, maltreated adolescents displaying aggressive behaviour were significantly more likely to be placed in out-of-home care, often in restrictive settings. These findings are discussed with respect to their implications for child welfare practitioners, policy makers, administrators, researchers, and educators.Ph.D.2018-11-10 00:00:0