Neglect, Poverty and Family Services: A Longitudinal Perspective on Child Well Being

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Project Summary Neglect is the most common form of child maltreatment, comprising approximately 75% of child protection cases, yet is understudied compared to other forms of abuse. Chronic adversities, such as neglect, activate stress hormones and biological processes that result in a variety of negative effects on the body that are evident in very young children. While it is clear that there are negative effects of neglect, less understood is the impact on child wellbeing over time. Additionally, it is well-established that neglect is closely associated with poverty, yet there has been little examination of the interactions between these two variables over time. Moreover, it is unclear how effective social services are at preventing future neglect. This study will utilize data from the LONGSCAN study, a prospective study on child maltreatment, to examine the longitudinal effects of neglect (specifically the dimensions of failure to provide and lack of supervision) and its co-occurrence with poverty. The LONGSCAN consortium is a collaboration between five study sites intended to examine child maltreatment from ages 0-16 with common measures and methodologies and frequent assessments. The sample contains variability in the experiences of neglect and poverty, allowing comparisons across different exposures. In the first aim, competing hypotheses will be examined concerning how neglect imparts harm, assessed using measures of mental health and social/emotional adjustment. One hypothesis is that there may be a critical period where experiences of neglect are particularly deleterious. Alternatively, chronic experiences of neglect may result in a cumulative effect – the more ongoing experiences of neglect, the more severe the sequelae. It is predicted that there is a critical period for neglect in early childhood. A series of nested models will be performed to test these hypotheses regarding critical periods and cumulative effects, controlling for race and gender. The models will be re-estimated controlling for demographics, poverty, other forms of maltreatment, and geographical study site within the LONGSCAN data. In the second aim, latent transition analysis will be used to detect patterns of co-occurrence of the two neglect subtypes and poverty across four developmental periods from 0-16, and will identify the transition probabilities between derived statuses at the subsequent developmental period. The effects of service, classified as one of three service types (poverty, neglect, and other services), will then be examined to determine if they effectively change the probability of subsequent poverty and neglect. The hypothesis is that for those who experience both poverty and neglect, services that address neglect will be most effective in conjunction with poverty services. The knowledge gained from this study can inform decisions about how best to respond to neglect during differing developmental periods. Furthermore, by understanding the frequency with which poverty and neglect co-occur, and whether certain services can change those outcomes, practitioners can better disrupt chronic and persistent trauma and contribute to improved child wellbeing.