ABSTRACT

This study examines how children report abuse, neglect and behavioural problems and what authorities they claim to have had contact with that are legally mandated to report to the Child Welfare Services, e.g. health services and police. It draws data from a longitudinal research programme, LoRDIA, in which four data collections followed adolescents’ development from 12 to 15 years (n = 1884). A total of 61 indicators of self-reported child abuse, neglect and behavioural problems were constructed to identify children with severe exposure so that each indicator would have prompted referral. The main finding is that 445 (25.3%) of the study population reported severe exposure of this magnitude. Among these self-reported severely exposed children (SSE), boys reported higher rates of child neglect and of overall behavioural problems, specifically criminal and other socially destructive behaviour. Poverty and living in single-parent households significantly increase the risk of abuse, neglect, and behavioural problems. Increased risk of neglect and criminal behaviour were found for children studying Swedish as second language. The SSE children more than other children report contact with all authorities with mandatory reporting. Odds ratios of contact were higher in the case of behavioural problems compared to the odds ratios for abuse and neglect.

摘要

这项研究调查了儿童如何报告虐待、忽视和行为问题，以及他们声称与哪些当局有过接触，而这些当局在法律上有权向儿童福利服务机构（例如卫生服务机构和警察）报告。它从纵向研究项目 LoRDIA 中提取数据，其中四个数据收集跟踪了 12 至 15 岁青少年的发展（n = 1884）。共构建了 61 项自我报告的虐待儿童、忽视和行为问题的指标，以识别严重暴露的儿童，以便每个指标都能促使转介。主要发现是 445 (25.3%) 研究人群报告了这种程度的严重暴露。在这些自我报告的严重暴露儿童 (SSE) 中，男孩报告了更高的儿童忽视率和整体行为问题，特别是犯罪和其他社会破坏行为。贫困和生活在单亲家庭中会显着增加虐待、忽视和行为问题的风险。学习瑞典语作为第二语言的儿童被忽视和犯罪行为的风险增加。SSE 儿童比其他儿童报告更多与所有强制报告的当局联系。