Disparities in child welfare investigations of suspicion of violence

Previous research highlights inequalities in Child Welfare Services' (CWS) risk assessments and access to interventions. However, there is a scarcity of research regarding the associations between disparities in access to interventions and demographic factors in cases concerning children exposed to violence. This study examines the associations between demographic factors (age, gender, origin and health status), identified violence, risk assessments, parental consent and decision making, in cases of suspected violence against children, including direct violence towards the child and witnessing intimate partner violence between caregivers. The study collected data from 1088 investigations initiated after a referral concerning a child's exposure to violence. While no differences in exposure to violence were found in relation to gender or family origin, children aged 7-17 and children with disabilities/chronic health conditions experienced direct violence to a significantly greater extent than other children. The study revealed distinct differences in assessments and intervention access, primarily attributable to variations in parental consent, between boys and girls, and between children with Nordic and non-Nordic family origins. The results of the study underscore the significance of factors such as confirmed exposure to violence, potential bias in risk assessments, and discrepancies in parental consent in explaining disparities in intervention access.