Predicting recurrent maltreatment among high-risk families: Applying the Decision-Making Ecology Framework

Recurrent maltreatment is an easily measured indicator of the extent to which CPS agencies have met their primary objective; achieving safety for children reported as suspected victims of maltreatment. The familial and community factors that are important to the risk of maltreatment generally are likely to also affect the probability of recurrent maltreatment. However, recurrent maltreatment adds an important new dimension - specifically; an initial maltreatment report requires some interaction with a CPS system. That is, many families encounter CPS, but, even among higher risk cases, only a portion of those experience recurrent involvement. It may be the case that the families who experience recurrent involvement have different initial risk factors, but the interaction between the family and the CPS system may also affect the probability that subsequent maltreatment will occur. The current study used hierarchical linear modeling to analyze data from the National Study of Child and Adolescent Well-being II. Specifically, in an application of the Decision-Making Ecology Framework (Baumann, Dalgeish, Fluke, & Kern, 2011), this study sought to understand what family, caseworker, agency, and community factors contribute to the risk of recurrent maltreatment among high-risk families.