Transportation Programs

This issue brief explores what is currently known about intergenerational patterns of child maltreatment and implications for further research. The brief notes that there is limited research on intergenerational child maltreatment, but existing studies reveal that patterns of abuse and neglect are complex and nuanced. Findings suggest that most parents who experienced maltreatment will not abuse or neglect their own children; however, findings vary depending on how the study was constructed or the types of maltreatment reviewed. When intergenerational patterns are found, the adults who experienced maltreatment are not necessarily the perpetrators in the next generation.

This paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research examines the effect of labor market conditions — such as unemployment, mass layoffs and predicted employment — on child abuse and neglect. According to a large body of research, poverty and parental unemployment are key predictors of child maltreatment, but state- and county-level studies assessing the link between economic conditions and child maltreatment have had mixed and contradictory results. In this study, the authors analyzed county-level data in California to assess the effect of gender-specific labor market shocks on child maltreatment rates. They found that overall economic conditions are only modestly linked to child maltreatment rates. However, economic downturns that disproportionately affect men increase maltreatment, whereas downturns that disproportionately affect women reduce maltreatment. The authors suggest that child maltreatment may be reduced by targeting employment search assistance, child care subsidies, and mental health services.

This guide is a product of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Children’s Bureau, its Child Welfare Information Gateway, and the FRIENDS (Family Resource Information, Education, and Network Development Service) National Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention. It provides information, strategies, and resources to help communities support and strengthen families and ensure the well-being of children. The guide offers support to service providers who work with parents, caregivers, and children to prevent child maltreatment. It shares strategies on building protective factors within families and for children through service delivery and community partnerships. Protective factors discussed range from knowledge of child development to building social capital and parental resilience.

This article, which appeared in the Journal of Urban Health, takes data from the Building Wealth and Health Network Randomized Controlled Trial Pilot and examines the relationship between employment resilience and exposure to violence and depression for TANF families. The associations were found to be mixed, and implications for working with TANF families are given.

This web article from Psychology Today looks at how we are falling short in treating trauma victims and what we can do to fix it. The article addresses how coping mechanisms for post-trauma are poorly understood even by those in the best situation to provide assistance, and that it is important to understand that victims of trauma might not always react or behave as one might expect. It further suggests that many factors including public education, early identification, and effective trauma treatment are necessary to break the cycle of violence, and that we need to intensify and expand the availability of trauma-informed care. Various examples of trauma are illustrated, along with how victims react differently and often unexpectedly to trauma, and that just because someone might not show a lack of emotion, it does not mean they have not been abused. Without shattering the myths that limit the understanding of trauma victims, providers will not be able to deliver assistance effectively.

This webinar, presented by Child Trends, looks at signs of healthy versus unhealthy relationships, discusses how healthy romantic relationships prevent teen pregnancy, and identifies links between healthy relationship education and teen pregnancy prevention programs. The presentation includes demographics and information about teen dating over time, and the importance of understanding how teens date. It also includes how technology has changed dating, including the rise of cyber abuse. Unstudied populations are also mentioned, including LGBT, racial/ethnic minority groups, and youth in foster care. Knowing how teens interact with their peers and parents and supporting healthy relationships are key to pregnancy prevention and better outcomes, particularly for high-risk teens.

This research roundup, provided by the Family & Youth Services Bureau (FYSB), highlights three research articles that focus on parent-teen relationships, dating violence, and the effects of exposure to domestic violence. These articles looked at the effectiveness of the Families for Safe Dates materials, including six booklets of information about healthy relationships that were given to families with teens. The researchers interviewed 324 families at four points in the intervention. The studies found that parents were more comfortable talking with their teens about dating violence with the assistance of the brochures, and that the teens themselves experienced less dating violence than teens who had not read the brochures. The researchers also highlighted the importance of strong parent-child relationships in all three articles.

This publication was developed by Child Trends in partnership with the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy for the Office of Adolescent Health. It highlights co-occurring risk factors that increase the risk of injury, illness, and death among adolescents that can also impact sexual risk taking and result in pregnancy. These risk factors include: substance abuse (i.e., tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana or other drug use), dating violence, physical or sexual abuse, and mental health. Also included are risk factors associated with multiple negative outcomes for adolescents. The publication concludes with a list of questions the reader can use in discussing with team members and/or partners how to coordinate efforts to address co-occurring risk factors strategically.