Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Characteristics associated with maltreatment types in children referred to a hospital protection team

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
European Journal of Pediatrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective

The aim of this paper is to describe characteristics associated with maltreatment types in children referred to the child protection team at the University Children’s Hospital Zürich. Since 2003, the child protection team has registered data on each case in a standardized form.

Methods

To examine differences in gender, age, nationality, and socioeconomic status by type of maltreatment, regression analyses were conducted for the 1,484 cases that were referred from 2003 to 2006.

Results

The most common types of referred maltreatment were sexual (38%) and physical maltreatment (31%) with mean ages of 8.4 and 7 years, respectively. Compared to physical maltreatment, where gender distribution was equal, there was a higher risk for girls to become victims of sexual maltreatment. Younger children were at higher risk for neglect (mean age 5 years). Low socioeconomic status increased the risk for physical as compared to sexual maltreatment. However, whether the child was of Swiss or of foreign nationality was not associated with an increased risk for any type of maltreatment when controlling for socioeconomic status.

Conclusion

As this study is one of a few to analyze characteristics in child maltreatment referred to a hospital child protection team, further research is needed. To improve international comparability, thorough documentation of the cases is encouraged.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Arata CM, Langhinrichsen-Rohling J, Bowers D et al (2007) Differential correlates of multi-type maltreatment among urban youth. Child Abuse Negl 31(4):393–415

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Arbeitsgruppe Kindesmisshandlung (1992) Kindesmisshandlungen in der Schweiz. Eidgenössische Drucksachen- und Materialzentrale, Bern

    Google Scholar 

  3. Benbenishty R, Chen W (2003) Decision making by the child protection team of a medical center. Health Soc Work 28(4):284–292

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Bross DC, Ballo N, Korfmacher J (2000) Client evaluation of a consultation team on crimes against children. Child Abuse Negl 24(1):71–84

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Bundesamt für Statistik (2006) Ausländerinnen und Ausländer in der Schweiz. Bundesamt für Statistik, Neuchâtel

    Google Scholar 

  6. Dopke CA, Lundahl BW, Dunsterville E et al (2003) Interpretations of child compliance in individuals at high- and low-risk for child physical abuse. Child Abuse Negl 27(3):285–302

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Dubowitz H (2007) Understanding and addressing the “neglect of neglect:” digging into the molehill. Child Abuse Negl 31(6):603–606

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Ferrier PE, Schaller M, Girardet I (1985) Abused children admitted to a pediatric in-patient service in Switzerland: a ten-year experience and follow-up evaluation. Child Abuse Negl 9(3):373–381

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Freisthler B, Merritt DH, LaScala EA (2006) Understanding the ecology of child maltreatment: a review of the literature and directions for future research. Child Maltreat 11(3):263–280

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Garbarino J, Ebata A (1983) The significance of ethnic and cultural differences in child maltreatment. J Marriage Fam 45(4):773–783

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Goodman-Brown TB, Edelstein RS, Goodman GS et al (2003) Why children tell: a model of children's disclosure of sexual abuse. Child Abuse Negl 27(5):525–540

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Häfeli C (2005) Wegleitung für vormundschaftliche Organe, 4th edn. kdmz, Zürich

    Google Scholar 

  13. Hall A (1988) The development of a multi-disciplinary approach to the assessment and management of child sexual abuse in an inner city Health District. Health Trends 20(2):39–43

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Hampton RL, Newberger EH (1985) Child abuse incidence and reporting by hospitals: significance of severity, class, and race. Am J Public Health 75(1):56–60

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Hochstadt NJ, Harwicke NJ (1985) How effective is the multidisciplinary approach? A follow-up study. Child Abuse Negl 9(3):365–372

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Jones DA, Trudinger P, Crawford M (2004) Intelligence and achievement of children referred following sexual abuse. J Paediatr Child Health 40(8):455–460

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Kempe CH, Silverman FN, Steele BF et al (1962) The battered-child syndrome. JAMA 181:17–24

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Kruttschnitt C, McLeod J, Dornfeld M (1994) The economic environment of child abuse. Soc Probl 41(2):299–315

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Leeb RT, Paulozzi L, Melanson C et al (2008) Child maltreatment surveillance: uniform definitions for public health and recommended data elements, version 1.0. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Atlanta

    Google Scholar 

  20. Levy HB, Markovic J, Chaudhry U et al (1995) Reabuse rates in a sample of children followed for 5 years after discharge from a child abuse inpatient assessment program. Child Abuse Negl 19(11):1363–1377

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Lynch DL, Stern AE, Oates RK et al (1993) Who participates in child sexual abuse research? J Child Psychol Psychiatry 34(6):935–944

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Mathews B, Kenny MC (2008) Mandatory reporting legislation in the United States, Canada, and Australia: a cross-jurisdictional review of key features, differences, and issues. Child Maltreat 13(1):50–63

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. McSherry D (2007) Understanding and addressing the “neglect of neglect”: why are we making a mole-hill out of a mountain? Child Abuse Negl 31(6):607–614

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Monteleone JA, Brodeur AE (1998) Child maltreatment: a clinical guide and reference. Whaley, St. Louis

    Google Scholar 

  25. Oral R, Can D, Kaplan S et al (2001) Child abuse in Turkey: an experience in overcoming denial and a description of 50 cases. Child Abuse Negl 25(2):279–290

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Paluszny MJ, Cullen BJ, Funk J et al (1989) Child abuse disposition: concurrences and differences between a hospital team, child protection agency and the court. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 20(1):25–38

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Roane TH (1992) Male victims of sexual abuse: a case review within a child protective team. Child Welfare 71(3):231–239

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Skellern CY, Wood DO, Murphy A et al (2000) Non-accidental fractures in infants: risk of further abuse. J Paediatr Child Health 36(6):590–592

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. StataCorp (2007) Stata statistical software: release 10. StataCorp LP, College Station

    Google Scholar 

  30. Statistik Stadt Zürich (2006) Statistisches Jahrbuch der Stadt Zürich 2005/2006. Statistik Stadt Zürich, Zürich

    Google Scholar 

  31. Statistik Stadt Zürich (2008) Statistisches Jahrbuch der Stadt Zürich 2008. Statistik Stadt Zürich, Zürich

    Google Scholar 

  32. Sullivan PM, Knutson JF (2000) Maltreatment and disabilities: a population-based epidemiological study. Child Abuse Negl 24(10):1257–1273

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Thomas DE, Leventhal JM, Friedlaender E (2001) Referrals to a hospital-based child abuse committee: a comparison of the 1960s and 1990s. Child Abuse Negl 25(2):203–213

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Thun-Hohenstein L (2006) Interdisciplinary child protection team work in a hospital setting. Eur J Pediatr 165(6):402–407

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Vitulano LA, Lewis M, Doran LD et al (1986) Treatment recommendation, implementation, and follow-up in child abuse. Am J Orthopsychiatr 56(3):478–480

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Voll P, Jud A, Mey E et al (2008) Zivilrechtlicher Kindesschutz: Akteure, Prozesse, Strukturen. Interact, Luzern

    Google Scholar 

  37. Watkins B, Bentovim A (1992) The sexual abuse of male children and adolescents: a review of current research. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 33(1):197–248

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Weber MW (1997) The assessment of child abuse: a primary function of child protective services. In: Helfer ME, Kempe RS, Krugman RS (eds) The battered child. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, pp 120–149

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the “Perspectives” foundation of Swiss Life, Zürich, and the Olga Mayenfisch Foundation, Zürich. The authors have no financial relationship with the organizations that sponsored the research.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University Children’s Hospital Zürich, Steinwiesstrasse 75, 8032, Zürich, Switzerland

    Andreas Jud, Ulrich Lips & Markus A. Landolt

Authors
  1. Andreas Jud
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ulrich Lips
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Markus A. Landolt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Andreas Jud.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Jud, A., Lips, U. & Landolt, M.A. Characteristics associated with maltreatment types in children referred to a hospital protection team. Eur J Pediatr 169, 173–180 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-009-1001-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-009-1001-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation