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. 2025 Aug;30(3):486-498.
doi: 10.1177/10775595241301085. Epub 2024 Nov 14.

Child Protection Responses to Domestic Violence Exposure: Co-Occurring Safety Concerns and Investigation Outcomes

Rebecca Rebbe  1 , Bryan Victor  2 , Stephanie Cuccaro-Alamin  3 , Lindsey Palmer  4
Affiliations

Child Protection Responses to Domestic Violence Exposure: Co-Occurring Safety Concerns and Investigation Outcomes

Rebecca Rebbe et al. Child Maltreat. 2025 Aug.

Abstract

Childhood exposure to domestic violence (CEDV) poses significant risks to children's safety and wellbeing, yet its prevalence and impact on child protection outcomes remains understudied. This study examined administrative data for child protection investigations in Los Angeles County, California between January 2018 and March 2021 to determine the prevalence of CEDV safety concerns, associated case characteristics, and child protection outcomes (case openings and foster care placements). Results indicated that 5.9% of investigations had CEDV concerns and CEDV investigations represented 17.9% of placements. Investigations with CEDV concerns had higher co-occurring indicated safety concerns than investigations without, including substance abuse (31.1%) and mental health (14.2%). Investigation outcomes for those with CEDV concerns included the substantiation of more than one individual (36.6%), while 28.4% resulted in case openings (without placement) and 30.2% resulted in placements. The study underscores the importance of moving beyond punitive frameworks and exploring the use evidence-based service planning to address the complex needs of families affected by CEDV.

Keywords: child protective services; child welfare decision-making; failure to protect; intimate partner violence; structured decision making.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Case flow of CPS investigations in Los Angeles County.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Percent of co-occurring safety threats and caregiver complicating behaviors on SDM safety tool by CEDV indication.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Percent of subsequent system outcomes by child race/ethnicity for investigations with CEDV concern.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Risk ratios of regression models for case opening and placement outcomes for investigations with CEDV concern.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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