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

weighted the records (so the sample data can provide national estimates of the numbers ofmaltreated children).NIS–4 enhancements. The NIS–4 sample design improved on that used in theNIS–3 by tripling the number of counties (122 vs. 42) as well as increasing the number ofsentinel agencies (nearly 1,100 vs. 800). The NIS–4 also expanded sentinel coverage throughtwo new categories of sentinel agencies—public housing authorities and shelters for victims ofdomestic violence and for runaway or homeless youth. In evaluating the data, the NIS–4evaluative coders applied a refined typology of abuse and neglect definitions, using 60 separateforms of maltreatment. They also provided a more detailed coding of serious injury or harmresulting from maltreatment. Finally, the NIS–4 team designed and applied a number of newcomputer systems to manage, implement, track, and apply quality checks during recruitment,data collection, evaluative coding, and unduplication. These included a NIS website for thepublic and participants, a Sample Tracking and Recruitment System (STARS) for recruiters, anFTP website for file transfers from CPS agencies, an online sentinel data form to facilitatesentinels’ submissions, several sampling and receipt control systems to support various studycomponents, a Collection Activity Tracking System (CATS) for managing and monitoring fieldoperations, a data form viewing system that offered quick and simultaneous access to electronicimages of detailed data forms to authorized users as needed while maintaining data security onpassword-protected drives, a Computer-Assisted Evaluative Decision System (CAEDS) tofacilitate the evaluative coding operations and record the detailed codes, and an unduplicationsystem that supported coders in identifying candidate record pairs and documenting theirdecisions about true duplicates.Supplementary studies. In addition to the main study, the NIS–4 project includedseveral supplementary studies that were designed to enhance the quality and/or interpretability ofthe NIS findings (as discussed in the Final Report). Two were surveys of CPS agencies—one ontheir overall policies, procedures and practices and the second on their screening standards, todetermine how they would treat referrals concerning the uninvestigated cases identified to thestudy by sentinels. The third supplementary study was a survey of sentinels on theirbackgrounds and definitions of child abuse and neglect and concerning their standards forreporting suspected maltreatment to CPS or submitting data on maltreated children to the NIS.A-2