Abstract
This article describes the methodology of the first Canada-wide study of the incidence and characteristics of reported child abuse and neglect. Child welfare investigators from a random sample of 51 child welfare service areas completed a three-page survey form describing the results of 7,672 child maltreatment reports received during the months of October to December 1998. The study documented a 90% participation rate and a 95% item completion rate. An estimated 135,571 child maltreatment investigations were completed, a rate of 21.52 investigated children per 1,000 children in Canada in 1998. The Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect is a rich database that will provide researchers with important contextual information on reported child maltreatment in Canada and a comprehensive source of information on factors associated with key service decisions made by child welfare investigators.
Résumé
Cet article présente la méthode de la première étude pancanadienne de l’incidence et des caractéristiques des rapports de mauvais traitements et de négligence envers les enfants. Des enquêteurs de 51 secteurs de service de protection de l’enfance sélectionnés au hasard ont décrit, dans un questionnaire de trois pages, les résultats de 7 672 rapports de violence envers les enfants présentés entre octobre et décembre 1998. Le taux de participation était de 90 %, et le taux de réponse, de 95 %. En 1998 au Canada, on aurait fait enquête sur 135 571 cas de violence envers les enfants, soit 21,52 enquêtes pour 1 000 enfants. Cette étude constitue une riche base de données qui offre d’importants renseignements contextuels sur les cas de violence envers les enfants signalés au Canada, ainsi qu’une source exhaustive d’information sur les facteurs associés aux décisions prises par les services de protection.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Federal Provincial Working Group on Child and Family Services Information. Child Welfare in Canada. Ottawa: National Clearinghouse on Family Violence, 1998.
Government of Canada. Sexual Offences Against Children: Report of the Committee on Sexual Offences Against Children and Youths, Vol. 1 & 2. Ottawa, ON: Canadian Government Publishing Centre, 1984.
MacMillan H, Fleming J, Trocmé N, Boyle M, Wong M, Racine Y, et al. Prevalence of child physical and sexual abuse in a community sample: Results from the Ontario health supplement. J Am Acad Med 1997;278(2):131–135.
Clément M-È, Bouchard C, Jetté M, Laferrière S. La violence familiale dans la vie des enfants du Québec, 1999. Québec: Institut de la statistique du Québec, 2000.
Trocmé N, McPhee D, Tam K.K. Child abuse and neglect in Ontario: Incidence and characteristics. Child Welfare 1995;74(3):563–586.
Tonmyr L, International Studies on the Incidence and Prevalence of Child Maltreatment: Selected Bibliography. Ottawa: Health Canada, Public Works and Government Services Canada, 1998.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration in Children, Youth and Families, Child Maltreatment: 1997. Reports from the States to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1998.
Sedlak A. J., Broadhurst D.D. Third National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect. Executive Summary. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1996.
Trocmé N, MacLaurin B, Fallon B, et al. Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect: Final Report. Ottawa, ON: Health Canada, 2001.
Rust K, Kalton G. Strategies for collapsing strata for variance estimation. J Official Statistics 1987;3(1):69–81.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Funding for this study was provided by Health Canada, the governments of Québec, Ontario, British Columbia and Newfoundland, and the Bell Canada Child Welfare Research Unit.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Trocmé, N.M., MacLaurin, B.J., Fallon, B.A. et al. Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect: Methodology. Can J Public Health 92, 259–263 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03404956
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03404956