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Fatal child maltreatment in England, 2005-9

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Sidebotham, Peter, Bailey, Sue (Sue E.), Belderson, Pippa and Brandon, Marian. (2011) Fatal child maltreatment in England, 2005-9. Child Abuse & Neglect, Vol.35 (No.4). pp. 299-306. ISSN 0145-2134

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2011.01.005

Abstract

Objective: This paper presents comprehensive and up-to-date data covering four years of Serious Case Reviews into fatal child maltreatment in England.
Methods: Information on all notified cases of fatal maltreatment between April 2005 and March 2009 was examined to obtain case characteristics related to a systemic classification of five broad groups of maltreatment deaths (severe physical assaults; covert homicide/infanticide; overt homicide; extreme neglect/deprivational abuse; deaths related to but not directly caused by maltreatment).
Results: A total of 276 cases was recorded giving an incidence of 0.63 cases per 100,000 children (0-17) per year. 246 cases could be classified based on the data available. Of these the commonest specific group was those children who died as a result of severe physical assaults. Apparently deliberate overt and covert homicide was less common, whilst deaths as a direct consequence of neglect were rare. In contrast, some evidence of neglect was found in at least 40% of all cases, though not the direct cause of death.
Conclusions: Class characteristics differ between the different categories of death and may suggest the need for different strategies for prevention.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare
Divisions:	Faculty of Medicine > Warwick Medical School > Mental Health and Wellbeing Faculty of Medicine > Warwick Medical School
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Child abuse -- England, Children -- Mortality -- England, Infanticide -- England
Journal or Publication Title:	Child Abuse & Neglect
Publisher:	Elsevier BV
ISSN:	0145-2134
Official Date:	February 2011
Volume:	Vol.35
Number:	No.4
Page Range:	pp. 299-306
Identification Number:	10.1016/j.chiabu.2011.01.005
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published
Access rights to Published version:	Restricted or Subscription Access
Funder:	Great Britain. Dept. for Education
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URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/4223