Risk Factors for Child Maltreatment
Risk Factors for Child Maltreatment
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Child maltreatment occurs across all socio-economic, religious, cultural, racial,and ethnic groups. While no specific causes have been definitively identified that lead a parent, other caregiver or someone in the child or young person's environment to abuse or neglect a child, research has identified a number of risk factors commonly associated with maltreatment.
It is important to be aware of the risk factors present in a child or their carers and environment that increase the likelihood that a child will be maltreated.
Risk factors in the child/young person
Failure to meet parental expectations and aspirations, for example, disabled, wrong gender
Born at wrong time, for example, when parents are more concerned with alcohol or a drug habit
An unplanned birth
Unwanted due to a breakdown in parental relationship
Product of forced, coercive or commercial sex
Looked-after children:
Children become looked after when their birth parents are unable to provide ongoing care in either a temporary or permanent capacity
Children can either be looked after as a result of voluntary agreement by their parents or as the result of a care order
Children may be placed with kinship carers (family), network carers (extended family/friends) or foster carers depending on individual circumstances
Social isolation, for example, normalisation of peer on peer intimidation or cyberbullying within the young person's school/peer group/gang
Carer to an adult in the family
Bereavement
Risk factors in the parents
Poor self-esteem
Indifference, intolerance or over-anxiousness
Anti-social personality, poor interpersonal skills
Disability
Mental health problems
Parental substance misuse - alcohol and drug abuse
Parent abused as a child
Self-neglect such as not taking prescribed medication or managing their illness to keep themselves well
Drug (to include medication and illegal drugs) and alcohol misuse
Physical disability or learning difficulties
Bereavement
Risk factors in the family
Single-parent families
Domestic violence
Multiple/closely spaced births
Social isolation or a perceived lack of social support
Poverty
Young parental age
Violence
Living with step-parents
Violence towards pets
Where a combination of concerns occur such a mental health issues, drug and alcohol problems and domestic abuse, the risks to family members and especially the children increase
Bereavement
It must be emphasised, however, that while certain factors often are present among families where maltreatment occurs, this does not mean that the presence of these factors will always result in child abuse and neglect. Many single parents do an excellent job of raising their child(ren) and, whilst there is a relationship between poverty and maltreatment, most people living in poverty do not harm their children. Similarly, parents with well-managed mental health difficulties may parent effectively.
Risk factors in the environment
Dwelling and housing conditions
Multiple resident environments
Poverty
Rented or temporary accommodation
Homelessness
Hate crime and the lack of community support increasing vulnerability
Neighbourhood - criminal activity, gangs
Effects of maltreatment
Maltreatment can have major effects on all aspects of a child's health, development and well-being, both in the short and long term.
The impact of any maltreatment will vary between children/young people depending on the:
Nature of the maltreatment
Duration of the maltreatment
Age of the child
Individual child's reaction to the maltreatment
Home/family environment
Impact and speed of any intervention
Consequences of the intervention
Professional response and support
Long-term effects of child maltreatment can be:
Drug and alcohol misuse
Poor mental health
Promiscuity and teen pregnancy
Risk of perpetrating or being a victim of domestic violence
Difficulty with job performance
Self-harm or suicidal ideation
Personality disorder
Relationship problems
On the positive side, many children and young people, despite having suffered from maltreatment, overcome this adversity and go on to enjoy successful and contented lives.
Responding Appropriately
There is a statutory duty on all statutory organisations to safeguarding the child and young person.
Safeguarding and protecting those who may be at risk or suffering abuse is not something that can be achieved without a multi-agency approach.
Suspecting concerns
Healthcare staff in regular contact with families, parents, children and/or young people have a statutory duty to promote the health and well-being of children, identify any risks and refer to relevant organisations where a concern is suspected or identified.
It may not always be clear that a child is being maltreated.
Healthcare staff may suspect concerns with the well-being of a child or young person through contact with the child or young person directly, or through a conversation with their parent or guardian.
Whether they are considering maltreatment as one of a number of possibilities, staff need to know how to respond appropriately. Early intervention to support families where children's needs are not being met can have considerable benefit for the child or young person in the short and long term.
Designated safeguarding person
Each healthcare organisation should have a responsible professional or, in larger organisations, a team to support staff and patients who use their services.
Each Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has a statutory obligation to have a designated doctor and designated nurse for safeguarding. Their role is to ensure that health organisations are engaged with supporting safeguarding investigations, have effective policy and procedures in place, and are networked with other safeguarding multi-agency systems to ensure they are learning from local and national concerns.
Make sure you know who that person/team is and what arrangements/policies/procedures there are in place for your own organisation.
The XL Team's safeguarding team is made up of Coordinators and service delivery managers, the Safeguarding team is lead by Angela Khaliq a registered Mental Health Nurse.
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