Fourth National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect (NIS–4)

Table 5–6. Differences in Incidence Rates per 1,000 Children for Endangerment StandardMaltreatment in the NIS–4 (2005–2006) Related to Grandparents as CaregiversEndangerment StandardMaltreatment CategoryChildren WithGrandparents asCaregiversChildren WithoutGrandparents asCaregiversSignificance ofDifferenceABUSE:Physical Abuse5.26.6mSEVERITY OF HARM:Inferred2.3 ‡3.2mEndangered12.215.8** The difference is significant at pp>.05).‡ This estimate is less reliable because it derives from fewer than 100 sample children.Physical abuse. Children whose grandparent cared for them had a lower riskof Endangerment Standard physical abuse; this is a statistically marginal difference. Anestimated 5.2 children per 1,000 with a grandparent caregiver experienced EndangermentStandard physical abuse compared to 6.6 per 1,000 for children with no identifiedgrandparent caregiver. Children with no identified grandparent caregiver were 1.3 timesas likely to experience Endangerment Standard physical abuse.Inferred harm. Children with a grandparent caregiver had a lower risk ofinferred harm from Endangerment Standard maltreatment than children without agrandparent caregiver (2.3 versus 3.2 children per 1,000), a statistically marginaldifference. Thus, children without a grandparent caregiver experienced maltreatment thatwarranted the inference they were harmed at 1.4 times the rate of children who lived witha grandparent caregiver. 83Endangerment. The incidence of children who were endangered, but not yetharmed, by maltreatment was significantly lower for those who had a grandparentcaregiver, at 12.2 children per 1,000, compared to children with no identified grandparentcaregiver, at 15.8 children per 1,000. Thus, children with no identified grandparent83 The estimate for children with a grandparent caregiver for Endangerment Standard inferred harm is lessreliable because there are fewer than 100 sample children.5–42