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. 2023 Apr;59(4):644-652.
doi: 10.1111/jpc.16364. Epub 2023 Feb 6.

Child protection contact among children of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds: A South Australian linked data study

Razlyn Abdul Rahim  1 , Rhiannon Pilkington  1   2 , Alexandra M Procter  1   2 , Alicia Montgomerie  1   2 , Murthy N Mittinty  1 , Katina D'Onise  1   3 , John Lynch  1   2   4
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Child protection contact among children of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds: A South Australian linked data study

Razlyn Abdul Rahim et al. J Paediatr Child Health. 2023 Apr.

Abstract

Aim: To describe the cumulative incidence of child protection (CP) system contact, maltreatment type, source of reports to age 7 years, and socio-demographic characteristics for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) Australian children.

Methods: We used CP, education, health, and birth registrations data for children followed from birth up to age 7 from the South Australian Better Evidence, Better Outcomes, Linked Data (SA BEBOLD) platform.

Participants: SA born children enrolled in their first year of school from 2009 to 2015 (n = 76 563). CALD defined as non-Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, spoken language other than English, Indigenous or Sign, or had at least one parent born in a non-English speaking country.

Outcomes measures: For CALD and non-CALD children, we estimated the cumulative incidence (risk) of CP contacts up to age 7, relative risk and risk differences for all levels of CP contact from notification to out-of-home care (OOHC), primary maltreatment type, reporter type, and socio-economic characteristics. Sensitivity analyses explored different population selection criteria and CALD definitions.

Results: By age 7, 11.2% of CALD children had 'screened-in' notifications compared to 18.8% of non-CALD (risk difference [RD] 7.6 percentage points (95% confidence interval: 6.9-8.3)), and 0.6% of CALD children experienced OOHC compared to 2.2% of non-CALD (RD 1.6 percentage points (95% confidence interval: 1.3-1.8)). Emotional abuse was the most common substantiated maltreatment type for CALD and neglect for non-CALD. Among both groups, the most common reporter sources were police and education sector. Socio-economic characteristics were broadly similar. Sensitivity analyses results were consistent with primary analyses.

Conclusion: By age 7, CALD children had lower risk of contact with all levels of CP. Estimates based on primary and sensitivity analyses suggested CALD children were 5-9 percentage points less likely to have a report screened-in, and from 1.0 to 1.7 percentage points less likely to have experienced OOHC.

Keywords: child abuse and neglect; child maltreatment; culturally and linguistically diverse.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flowchart of study population and sample for primary and additional analysis. CALD, culturally and linguistically diverse; IRSAD, Index of Relative Socioeconomic Advantage and Disadvantage.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Cumulative incidence of child protection notifications up to age 7 and enrolled in school from 2009 to 2015, followed to the end of 2017 (n = 76 563). (formula image), culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD); (formula image), non‐CALD.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
(a) Sources of all reports for children first notified by age 4 years. Denominator: number of notifications for children born in SA and attended reception in SA public schools between years 2009 and 2015 (n = 50 790). (b) Sources of all reports for children first reported between ages 5 and 7 years. Denominator: number of notifications for children born in SA and attended reception in SA public schools between years 2009 and 2015 (n = 40 968). Each child may be notified more than once. (formula image), non‐culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD); (formula image), CALD.
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