Reliability and Validity of the National Incidence of Child Abuse and Neglect Study Conducted by Westat Associates in 1988: Methodological Review

摘要

The report summarizes a methodological review of the Study of the National Incidence and Prevalence of Child Abuse and Neglect of 1988 (NIS-2) and highlights the review's implications. The review includes an analysis by two expert statisticians concerning the validity of NIS-2 and the reliability of its results, alternative explanations of the data posed by several child abuse researchers and policy makers, and a secondary analysis of the NIS data which determines its utility to address key policy and program issues. The report identifies a number of possible problems with NIS-2 and recommends ways to increase the accuracy and effectiveness of future studies on child maltreatment.