Joseph Martin

Defense Date

5-2-2012

Graduation Date

2012

Availability

Immediate Access

Submission Type

thesis

Degree Name

MA

Department

Graduate Center for Social and Public Policy

School

McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts

Committee Chair

Ann Marie Popp

Committee Member

Norman Conti

Keywords

Child protection, Child welfare, Disproportionality, Risk assessment

Abstract

Minority children are involved in the child welfare system at rates disproportionate to their numbers in the overall population. Prior research argues that risk assessments conducted by child welfare agencies may be racially biased, and thus contribute to disproportionality. This study seeks to explore the effect of different risk assessment models on racial disproportionality. This is done by examining the relationship between race/ethnicity and various child welfare outcomes in three states that utilize the consensus-based model and three states that utilize the actuarial model of risk assessment. Results were similar for both groups of states, suggesting that one model is not more biased than the other. The results also indicate that racial/ethnic groups enter the child welfare system at different rates. However, groups remained involved in subsequent outcomes at consistent percentages. Finally, the results suggest differential treatment among the most restrictive child welfare outcomes.

Format

PDF

Language

English

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