Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Canadian Journal of Public Health = Revue Canadienne de Santé Publique logoLink to Canadian Journal of Public Health = Revue Canadienne de Santé Publique
. 2012 Mar 1;103(2):103–112. doi: 10.1007/BF03404212

A Review of Findings from the Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (CIS)

Lil Tonmyr 16,✉, Catherine Ouimet 16, Anne-Marie Ugnat 16
PMCID: PMC6973948  PMID: 22530531

Abstract

Objective: This article critically assesses and reviews analyses derived from three cycles of the Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (CIS) published between 2001 and October 2011.

Methods: Articles were retrieved from the Public Health Agency of Canada’s data request records, which tracked database access and ensuing publications. The included articles were reviewed and appraised independently by the authors.

Synthesis: Overall, 37 peer-reviewed articles using CIS data were included in the review. These articles revealed an increased likelihood of substantiation or placement if investigations 1) uncovered the presence of emotional or physical harm in a child, 2) involved older children, 3) identified the presence of risk indicators in caregivers, or 4) documented unstable or unsafe housing. A similar proportion of articles used a descriptive or multivariate approach to analyze CIS data, and strengths and limitations were identified.

Conclusion: Researchers have analyzed and interpreted the CIS extensively, although several issues are understudied — such as neglect and emotional maltreatment — especially using multivariate approaches. We hope this review will contribute to helping address gaps in the CIS literature.

Keywords: Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (CIS), child maltreatment surveillance, child abuse, domestic violence, epidemiology, sex offences

Footnotes

Acknowledgement: The authors gratefully acknowledge assistance from Jasminka Draca, Gabriela Williams, Pascal Roberge and Wendy Hovdestad.

Conflict of Interest: None to declare.

References

  • 1.World Health Organization. Preventing Child Maltreatment: A Guide to Taking Action and Generating Evidence. Geneva, Switzerland: WHO; 2006. [Google Scholar]
  • 2.Gilbert R, Spatz Widom C, Browne K, Fergusson D, Webb E, Janson S. Burden and consequences of child maltreatment in high-income countries. Lancet. 2009;373(3):68–81. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(08)61706-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 3.Tonmyr L, Jamieson E, Mery LS, MacMillan HL. The relationship between childhood adverse experiences and disability due to physical health problems in a community sample of women. Women Health. 2005;41(4):23–35. doi: 10.1300/J013v41n04_02. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 4.MacMillan HL, Fleming JE, Streiner DL, Lin E, Boyle MH, Jamieson E, et al. Childhood abuse and lifetime psychopathology in a community sample. Am J Psychiatry. 2001;158:1878–83. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.158.11.1878. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 5.Wekerle C, Leung E, Goldstein A, Thornton T, Tonmyr L. Substance Use among Adolescents in Child Welfare versus Adolescents in the General Population: A Comparison of the Maltreatment and Adolescent Pathways (MAP) Longitudinal Study and the Ontario Student Drug Use Survey (OSDUS) Datasets. London, ON: University of Western Ontario; 2009. [Google Scholar]
  • 6.Mironova P, Rhodes AE, Bethell J, Tonmyr L, Boyle MH, Wekerle C, et al. Childhood physical abuse and suicide-related behavior: A systematic review. Vulnerable Child Youth Stud. 2011;6(1):1–7. doi: 10.1080/17450128.2010.542301. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  • 7.Ward MG, Bennett S. Studying child abuse and neglect in Canada: We are just at the beginning. CMAJ. 2003;169(9):919–20. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 8.Public Health Agency of Canada. Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect — 2008: Major Findings. Ottawa, ON: PHAC; 2010. [Google Scholar]
  • 9.Newman A, Moseley S, Tierney A, Ellis A. Evidence-Based Social Work: A Guide for the Perplexed. Dorset, UK: Russell House Publishing; 2005. [Google Scholar]
  • 10.Peter T. Exploring taboos: Comparing male- and female- perpetrated child sexual abuse. J Interpers Violence. 2009;24:1111–28. doi: 10.1177/0886260508322194. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 11.Bala NMC, Mitnick M, Trocmé N, Houston C. Sexual abuse allegations and parental separation: Smokescreen or fire? J Fam Studies. 2007;13(1):26–56. doi: 10.5172/jfs.327.13.1.26. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  • 12.De Marco R, Tonmyr L, Fallon B, Trocmé N. The effect of maltreatment co-occurrence on emotional harm among sexually abused children. Vict Offender. 2007;2:45–62. doi: 10.1080/15564880600767389. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  • 13.Dufour S, Lavergne C, Larrivée M-C, Trocmé N. Who are these parents involved in child neglect? A differential analysis by parent gender and family structure. Child Youth Serv Rev. 2008;30:141–56. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2007.09.002. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  • 14.Chamberland C, Fallon B, Black T, Trocmé N. Emotional maltreament in Canada: Prevalence, reporting and child welfare responses (CIS2) Child Abuse Negl. 2011;35:841–54. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2011.03.010. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 15.Trocmé N, Fallon B, MacLaurin B, Chamberland C, Chabot M, Esposito T. Shifting definitions of emotional maltreatment: An analysis child welfare investigation laws and practices in Canada. Child Abuse Negl. 2011;35:831–40. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2011.05.015. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 16.Trocmé N, Durrant JE. Physical punishment and the response of the Canadian child welfare system: Implications for legislative reform. J Soc Welf Fam Law. 2003;25(1):39–56. doi: 10.1080/0964906032000086241. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  • 17.Durrant JE, Trocmé N, Fallon B, Milne C, Black T. Protection of children from physical maltreatment in Canada: An evaluation of the Supreme Court’s definition of reasonable force. J Aggress Maltreat Trauma. 2009;18(1):64–87. doi: 10.1080/10926770802610640. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  • 18.Larrivée MC, Lavergne C, Dufour S, Trocmé N. L’abus physique avec ou sans autres formes de mauvais traitements: Deux réalités? Revue de psychoéducation. 2009;38(1):73–95. [Google Scholar]
  • 19.Gonzalez M, Durrant JE, Chabot M, Trocmé N, Brown J. What predicts injury from physical punishment? A test of the typologies of violence hypothesis. Child Abuse Negl. 2008;32:752–65. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2007.12.005. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 20.Moraes S, Durrant JE, Brownridge D, Reid G. Professionals’ decision-making in cases of physical punishment reported to child welfare authorities: Does family poverty matter? Child Fam Social Work. 2006;11:157–69. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2206.2006.00408.x. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  • 21.Black T, Trocmé N, Fallon B, MacLaurin B. The Canadian child welfare system response to exposure to domestic violence investigations. Child Abuse Negl. 2008;32:393–404. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2007.10.002. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 22.Lavergne C, Dufour S, Trocmé N, Larrivée M-C. Visible minority, Aboriginal, and Caucasian children investigated by Canadian protective services. Child Welfare. 2008;87(2):59–76. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 23.Blackstock C, Trocmé N, Bennett M. Child maltreatment investigations among Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal families in Canada. Violence Against Women. 2004;10:901–16. doi: 10.1177/1077801204266312. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  • 24.Blackstock C, Trocmé N. Community-based child welfare for Aboriginal children: Supporting resilience through structural change. Soc Pol J New Zealand. 2005;24:12–33. [Google Scholar]
  • 25.Fluke JD, Chabot M, Fallon B, MacLaurin B, Blackstock C. Placement decisions and disparities among aboriginal groups: An application of the decision making ecology through multi-level analysis. Child Abuse Negl. 2010;34:57–69. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2009.08.009. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 26.Trocmé N, Knoke D, Blackstock C. Pathways to the overrepresentation of Aboriginal children in Canada’s child welfare system. Soc Serv Rev. 2004;78:577–600. doi: 10.1086/424545. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  • 27.Brown I, Fudge Schormans A. Brief report: Parent composition and risk of physical harm for children with developmental delays reported for maltreatment. J Dev Disabilities. 2002;9:21–25. [Google Scholar]
  • 28.Fudge Schormans A, Brown I. An investigation into the characteristics of the maltreatment of children with developmental delays and the alleged perpetrators of this maltreatment. J Dev Disabilities. 2002;9:1–19. [Google Scholar]
  • 29.Reinke DC. Age effects of reported child maltreatment in a Canadian sample of children and adolescents. Dev Disabilities Bull. 2005;33(1/2):20–43. [Google Scholar]
  • 30.Reinke DC. Similarities and differences between children with and without disabilities on identified clinical findings. Dev Disabilities Bull. 2005;33(1/2):44–70. [Google Scholar]
  • 31.Trocmé N, Tourigny M, MacLaurin B, Fallon B. Major findings from the Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect. Child Abuse Negl. 2003;27:1427–39. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2003.07.003. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 32.Trocmé N, Bala N. False allegations of abuse and neglect when parents separate. Child Abuse Negl. 2005;29:1333–45. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2004.06.016. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 33.Fallon B, Ma J, Black T, Wekerle C. Characteristics of young parents investigated and opened for ongoing services in child welfare. Int J Ment Health Addict, Special Issue. 2011;9(4):365–81. doi: 10.1007/s11469-011-9342-5. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  • 34.McConnell D, Feldman M, Aunos M, Prasad N. Child maltreatment investigations involving parents with cognitive impairments in Canada. Child Maltreat. 2011;16(1):21–32. doi: 10.1177/1077559510388843. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 35.Westad C, McConnell D. Community Ment Health J. 2011. Child welfare involvement of mothers with mental health issues. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 36.McConnell D, Feldman M, Aunos M, Prasad N. Parental cognitive impairment and child maltreatment in Canada. Child Abuse Negl. 2011;35:621–32. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2011.04.005. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 37.Wekerle C, Wall AM, Leung E, Trocmé N. Cumulative stress and substantiated maltreatment: The importance of caregiver vulnerability and adult partner violence. Child Abuse Negl. 2007;31:427–43. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2007.03.001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 38.Brown I, Fudge Schormans A. Maltreatment and life stressors in single mothers who have children with developmental delay. J Dev Disabilities. 2003;10(1):61–66. [Google Scholar]
  • 39.Singh VA, Thornton T, Tonmyr L. Determinants of substance abuse in a population of children and adolescents involved with the child welfare system. Int J Ment Health Addict. 2011;9(4):382–97. doi: 10.1007/s11469-011-9320-y. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  • 40.Tonmyr L, Williams G, Hovdestad WE, Draca J. Anxiety and/or depression in 10-15-year olds investigated by child welfare in Canada. J Adolesc Health. 2011;48:493–98. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2010.08.009. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 41.Tonmyr L, Williams G, Jack S, MacMillan H. Infant placement in Canadian child maltreatment-related investigations. Int J Ment Health Addict. 2011;9(5):441–59. doi: 10.1007/s11469-011-9350-5. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  • 42.Trocmé N, Knoke D, Fallon B, MacLaurin B. Differentiating between substantiated, suspected, and unsubstantiated maltreatment in Canada. Child Maltreat. 2009;14:4–16. doi: 10.1177/1077559508318393. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 43.Fallon B, Trocmé N, MacLaurin B, Sinha V, Black T. Untangling risk of maltreatment from events of maltreatment: An analysis of the 2008 Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (CIS-2008) Int J Ment Health Addict. 2011;9(5):460–79. doi: 10.1007/s11469-011-9351-4. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  • 44.Williams G, Tonmyr L, Jack S, Fallon B, MacMillan H. Determinants of maltreatment substantiation in a sample of infants involved with the child welfare system. Child Youth Serv Rev. 2011;33:1345–53. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2011.04.015. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  • 45.Tonmyr L, Li YA, Williams G, Scott D, Jack SM. Patterns of reporting by health care and nonhealth care professionals to child protection services in Canada. Paediatr Child Health. 2010;15:e25–e32. doi: 10.1093/pch/15.8.e25. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 46.Trocmé N, MacMillan H, Fallon B, DeMarco R. Nature and severity of physical harm caused by child abuse and neglect: Results from the Canadian Incidence Study. CMAJ. 2003;169(9):911–15. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 47.Davies HT, Crombie IK. What Are Confidence Intervals and P-values? What is…? London, UK: Hayward Medical Communications; 2009. [Google Scholar]
  • 48.Behl LE, Conyngham HA, May PF. Trends in child maltreatment literature. Child Abuse Negl. 2003;27:215–29. doi: 10.1016/S0145-2134(02)00535-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 49.Cross TP, Mathews B, Tonmyr L, Scott D, Ouimet C. Child welfare policy and practice on children’s exposure to domestic violence. Child Abuse Negl doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2011.11.004. [DOI] [PubMed]
  • 50.Feiring C, Zielinski M. Looking back and looking forward: A review and reflection on research articles published in child maltreatment from 1996 through 2010. Child Maltreat. 2011;16:3–8. doi: 10.1177/1077559510386708. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 51.Cross T, Casanueva C. Caseworker judgment and substantiation. Child Maltreat. 2009;14:38–52. doi: 10.1177/1077559508318400. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 52.US Department of HealthHuman Services, Administration on Children, YouthFamilies. Child Maltreatment 2008. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office; 2010. [Google Scholar]
  • 53.Trocmé N, Fallon B, MacLaurin B, Daciuk J, Felstiner C, Black T, et al. Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect-2003: Major Findings. Ottawa, ON: Ministry of Public Works and Government Services Canada; 2005. [Google Scholar]
  • 54.Walsh CA, MacMillan H, Jamieson E. The relationship between parental substance abuse and child maltreatment: Findings from the Ontario Health Supplement. Child Abuse Negl. 2003;27:1409–25. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2003.07.002. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 55.Dong M, Anda RF, Dube SR, Giles WH, Felitti VJ. The relationship of exposure to childhood sexual abuse and other forms of abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction during childhood. Child Abuse Negl. 2003;27:625–39. doi: 10.1016/S0145-2134(03)00105-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 56.Tonmyr L, Jack S, Brooks S, Kennedy B, Dudding P. Utilization of the Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect in First Nations child welfare agencies in Ontario. The First Peoples Child & Fam Rev. 2008;4(1):38–46. [Google Scholar]
  • 57.Jack SM, Dobbins M, Tonmyr L, Brooks S, Dudding P, Kennedy B. Research evidence utilization in policy development by child welfare administrators. Child Welfare. 2010;89(4):83–100. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 58.Tonmyr L, Fallon B. Child maltreatment surveillance in Canada. In: Gray J, editor. ISPCAN World Perspectives on Child Abuse. 9th Edition. 2010. pp. 74–80. [Google Scholar]
  • 59.AlEissa MA, Fluke JD, Gerbaka B, Goldbeck L, Gray J, Hunter N, et al. A commentary on national child maltreatment surveillance systems: Examples of progress. Child Abuse Negl. 2009;33:809–14. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2009.08.004. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 60.Tonmyr L, Jack S. Media analysis of the Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect. Child Welfare. 2010;89(1):81–101. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 61.Tonmyr L. Missing data in the Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (CIS): Relevance to mental health promotion. Int J Mental Health Promot. 2004;6(4):33–40. doi: 10.1080/14623730.2004.9721942. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  • 62.Knoke D, Trocmé N, MacLaurin B, Fallon B. Reliability of the Canadian Incidence Study data collection instrument. Can J Program Evaluation. 2009;23(1):87–112. [Google Scholar]

Articles from Canadian Journal of Public Health = Revue Canadienne de Santé Publique are provided here courtesy of Springer

RESOURCES