Chapter 3 Referrals and Reports

Referrals of possible child maltreatment come to the attention of CPS agencies through telephone calls, walk-ins, letters, and observations by social workers. In most agencies, particular workers are designated as the initial point of contact and handle these referrals. One function of these workers is to "screen out" referrals that do not warrant further attention and to "screen in" referrals that warrant further investigation or assessment. In this chapter, both referrals that are screened out and those that are screened in are discussed. As in chapter 2, national figures presented in this chapter are based on data submitted to the SDC. Appendix E contains the complete SDC data tables. All statistics presented from the SDC can be examined in detail by State submission. National estimates have been calculated when fewer than 51 jurisdictions reported a given item. For each estimate presented, a supporting table showing how the estimate was calculated is presented in appendix G.

Many of the calls CPS agencies receive are screened out. A comprehensive study of screening practices in the 1980s found that 9 to 14 percent of referrals were "obviously not appropriate" for investigation.¹ Reasons varied: They were out of the agency's jurisdiction; the perpetrator was not a caretaker; or, the parent or child in the referral could not be located. A total of about 30 percent of calls screened out was deemed to be either "obviously not appropriate" or "likely not appropriate."

Of the estimated 2,806,000 referrals screened for 1998, while approximately two-thirds (66.0%) were screened in as warranting investigation or assessment,² a third (34.0%) were screened out for reasons most frequently cited as related to CPS policy: Referrals did not meet the statutory definition of maltreatment, did not contain sufficient information upon which to proceed, and/or did not pertain to the service population of the agency. (For example, calls related to juvenile delinquency offenses may not be handled by a CPS agency.)³

3.2 Report Sources

Referrals that are screened in for investigation are defined in the NCANDS as "reports alleging child maltreatment." In 1998, more than half of such reports (53.1%) were submitted by professionals, including educators, medical staff, law enforcement and social service personnel, and others. Submitting the remaining 46.7 percent of reports were nonprofessionals, including family members (parents, other relatives, and alleged victims) and community members (friends and neighbors, anonymous reporters, and others). Figure 3-1, Reports by Source, presents percentages of the reports for each of these categories.

Of all report sources, the four most common types were education personnel (14.9%), legal or law enforcement personnel (13.3%), anonymous or unknown reporters (12.1%), and social service personnel (11.8%). Nearly 10 percent of reporters were categorized as "other," the fifth-most common type. In general, "other" includes classifications which the States could not match to the NCANDS categories. "Friends and neighbors," "medical personnel," and "other relatives" each supplied between 8.1 and 9.1 percent of the reports.

More than 75 percent of States reported that between 33.0 and 66.9 percent of reports were made by professionals.

3.3 Report-to-Investigation Response Time

Most States have established standards for initiating investigations of reports once they have been screened in. Given a high priority, some reports require response immediately. The worker attempts to contact the family and the child within hours of receiving an assignment to investigate a report. In most jurisdictions, response in less than 24 hours is the standard for responding "immediately." Other reports, receiving a lower priority, are classified as needing a response within a few days. In nearly all States, an investigation must be completed within 30 days of the screened-in report.

Calculation of an "average response time" for State investigations is difficult, even though many States assign priority standards and monitor, at least procedurally, to determine whether investigations have been initiated within the time standards specified. Few States, however, track the actual time elapsing between the State's receipt of a referral and the initiation of an investigation. Based on data from six States, average response times to high-priority reports ranged from 3 to 25 hours. Average response times to reports within a second-level priority ranged from 3 to 488 hours.

3.4 Investigated Reports

In most agencies, some workers screen referrals and others conduct investigations. However, in some jurisdictions, the same workers conduct all CPS functions, and in some rural areas, these workers may provide other child welfare services, also. Based on data from the 24 States that differentiated between workers who screened and workers who investigated, the estimate of completed investigations per worker in 1998 is 94 per year. Workload likely varies within and across States.

Of 1,820,608 report dispositions in 51 States, 532,063 (29.2%) were "substantiated" or "indicated." (See figure 3-2.) Nearly twice as many reports (57.2%) were found to be "unsubstantiated," and more than a tenth (13.6%) received other dispositions. Thus, of all referrals that came to the attention of CPS agencies, approximately two-thirds (64.9%) were investigated during the reporting period, and slightly fewer than one-fifth (19.0%) of all referrals ultimately resulted in a "substantiated" or "indicated" finding of maltreatment.

¹ S. Wells, J. Fluke, J. Downing, and C. Brown. Screening in Child Protective Services: Final Report. (Washington, DC: ABA Center on Children and Law and American Humane Association, 1989). return

² See appendix G, table G3-1. return

³ One set of standards for deciding whether or not to investigate a report of child abuse was established by the Child Welfare League of America. These standards specify that a report accepted should include an alleged victim under the age of 18, the child's parent or caregiver as the alleged perpetrator, an allegation meeting the statutory definition of possible abuse or neglect, and sufficient information for the agency to identify and locate the child. See, Child Welfare League of America, Inc. Standards of Excellence for Services for Abused or Neglected Children and Their Families, rev. ed. (Washington, DC: Author, 1999) 30. return