The Canadian child welfare system response to exposure to domestic violence investigations

The objective of this study was to examine the Canadian child welfare system's response to substantiated child maltreatment investigations involving exposure to domestic violence. Bivariate analyses and binary logistic regressions were carried out using data collected in the 2003 Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect. Results showed that families investigated for exposure to domestic violence alone were less likely to receive child welfare services than those investigated for exposure to domestic violence that co-occurred with other forms of maltreatment.