Examining the relationship between poverty and child maltreatment using data from the Ontario incidence study of reported child abuse and neglect-2013 (OIS-2013)

Objectives: There is strong evidence that poverty and child maltreatment are associated; however, research in this area is underdeveloped in Canada. The purpose of this paper is to provide a profile of families living in... [ view full abstract ]

Objectives:
There is strong evidence that poverty and child maltreatment are associated; however, research in this area is underdeveloped in Canada. The purpose of this paper is to provide a profile of families living in poverty in a representative sample of child welfare investigations as well as a greater understanding of the relationship between poverty and maltreatment within the Canadian context.

Methods:
Secondary analyses of the OIS-2013 were conducted. The OIS-2013 examines the incidence of reported maltreatment and the characteristics of children and families investigated by child welfare authorities in Ontario in 2013. Information was collected from child protection workers on a representative sample of investigations which was then weighted to reflect provincial annual estimates. As proxy poverty measures, workers were asked to identify if the household ran out of money for food, housing, and/or utilities (in last 6 mo). Bivariate chi-square analyses were performed to identify the characteristics of families living in poverty. A logistic regression was conducted to examine the relationship of poverty to the decision to substantiate child maltreatment.

Results:
In 9% of the estimated 125,281 investigations conducted in Ontario in 2013, the household ran out of money for food, housing and/or utilities. Children living in poverty were more likely to have developmental concerns, academic difficulties, previous investigations and high risk caregivers. Controlling for key child/family and case characteristics, children living in poverty were 2 times more likely to be involved in a substantiated maltreatment investigation (OR=2.09, p<0.001).

Conclusions:
Families identified to child welfare who struggle with the provision of basic necessities have multiple complex needs. The challenge is to address the immediate concerns of these families in addition to promoting the safety and well-being of children. This could potentially be addressed through community-based prevention focused support which may mitigate the need for a child protection response.