Professional judgments of neglect in child self-care (latchkey) arrangements : a field experiment

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Mary Otten (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
Advisor
Hyman Rodman

Abstract: One hundred eighty child protection workers participated in a field experiment to investigate the effects of selected characteristics of self-care (latchkey) arrangements on professional judgments of neglect. Two independent variables, age of child and amount of time alone, were tested. Five levels of age and four levels of time alone were systematically combined in 20 authentic vignettes representing reports of suspected child neglect. The vignettes were randomly presented to the subjects for their judgment. Five referents for neglect judgments were selected and measured on 10-point rating scales. The dependent variables were (a) the level of agency intervention that the subjects would expect to occur in response to the report under a narrow interpretation of the child protection law, (b) the level of agency intervention that they thought most protective services workers would choose, (c) the level of agency intervention that they thought ought to be chosen, (d) their judgments of the seriousness of the situation, and (e) their judgments of the priority that the child protection agency should give the situation.

Additional Information

Publication
Dissertation
Language: English
Date: 1985
Subjects
Latchkey children
Child abuse $x Investigation
Children of working parents

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