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ABSTRACT
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to understand child welfare investigations that involve child custody disputes in Ontario, Canada. Methods: The study used data from the Ontario Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect. The OIS is a cyclical, cross sectional provincial child welfare study conducted every five years. Characteristics of investigations involving child custody disputes were examined by conducting chi-square tests on key variables, and a logistic regression was performed to examine the influence of child custody disputes on transfers to ongoing services. Findings: In 2013 approximately 12% of child welfare investigations involved a child custody dispute. These investigations were predominantly referred by a custodial parent, and the primary maltreatment concern was exposure to emotional violence. Investigations involving custody disputes when controlling for all other predictors of maltreatment, were less likely to be transferred to ongoing child welfare services. Implications: There is a complicated relationship between child custody disputes and investigations involving intimate partner violence. Policy and practice implications are discussed.
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Notes on contributors
Tara Black
Dr. Tara Black is an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto and has experience in various child welfare capacities including positions at youth treatment centres, group homes, front-line child protection, co-manager for the 2008 Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (CIS-2008), and most recently managing the OCANDS (Ontario Child Abuse and Neglect Data Systems) project at the University of Toronto.
Michael Saini
Dr. Michael Saini is an Associate Professor and holds the endowed Factor-Inwentash Chair in Law and Social Work, is the Co-Director of the Combined J.D. and M.S.W. program with the Law Faculty, and the Course Director of the Foundations to Custody Evaluations with the Continuing Education Program.
Barbara Fallon
Dr. Barbara Fallon is a full Professor and holds a Canada Research Chair in Child Welfare. She was the Associate Dean of Research from 2015-2019 and the PhD Director from 2013-2015. She is currently the Scientific Director of The First Nations/Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (FN/CIS) 2019 and the Ontario Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (OIS) 2018.
Sevil Deljavan
Sevil Deljavan is a doctoral student at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work. She has a passion for research and advocacy, in support of addressing the societal issues faced by underprivileged youth and their families. She also has experience with research ethics and the conduction of ethical research with vulnerable populations.
Ricardo Theoduloz
Ricardo Theoduloz is a front-line child protection worker and child welfare project coordinator, and has over ten years experience at the Jewish Family and Child Services in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He obtained his MSW at York University, and was previously a clinical investigator at the Office of Children’s Lawyer (OCL) and also the Coordinator for the Toronto High Conflict Forum.