CMF-POCHIWP (Child Maltreatment Fatalities – Perceptions of Child Welfare Professionals)

Thank you for your interest in our study. We are conducting a study about the perceptions of child
protective/child welfare workers and supervisors concerning child maltreatment fatalities. We want to
learn more about this from the perspective of child welfare workers, regarding their opinions about
how deaths occur, agency practices leading up to deaths, and if workers need different kinds of
supports than they currently receive when a child dies. Please know that we want to hear from child
welfare professionals, regardless of their level of experience with a fatality case.

If you meet the following criteria, we encourage you to proceed with the study.

1. You are a child protective/ child welfare front-line worker or supervisor for a state or county agency.
(Or, you were such an employee, but left after a fatality occurred on your caseload.)
2. You have heard about a story concerning a child maltreatment fatality.
3. You live and work in the United States.
4. You are 18 years or older.

Some of the questions in this study are quite sensitive and ask you about your own practice decisions
that may or may not have been related to a fatality. You may experience some discomfort when
answering these questions. Please understand that you are under no obligation to participate in this
study. You can skip any questions (minus the eligibility questions) that you like or end your
participation at any time. Depending on your answers, it could take between 10-25 minutes to
complete this survey.

Please know that this study is anonymous. Your answers can never be connected back to you.

This study has been approved by a board of ethics at Bridgewater State University. If you have any
questions about this study, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Emily M. Douglas, Ph.D

Department of Social Work
Bridgewater State University
Emily.Douglas@bridgew.edu, 508-531-2012
1. I understand my rights as a participant in this study and I agree to participate. Y/N
2. The next four pages quickly review your eligibility for the study. Thanks for your patience in
going over these again.
Are you a child protective/child welfare front-line worker or supervisor for a state or county
agency? Or, were you previously such an employee, but left after a fatality occurred on your
caseload? Y/N
3. Have you heard of a story, anywhere, about a child maltreatment fatality? Y/N
4. Do you live and work in the United States? Y/N
5. Are you 18 years or older? Y/N
6. What is your gender?
7. How old are you today?
8. What is your highest level of education today?
a. Less than high school degree?
b. High school degree
c. Associate's degree
d. Bachelor’s degree
e. Master's degree

9. In terms of education specializations, which of the following best describes you?

a) Degree in social work
b) Degree in human service
c) Degree in other social science field (psychology, sociology, family studies, etc.)
d) None of the above
10. Which of the following best describes you? (select all that apply)
a) American Indian
b) Asian
c) Black/African American
d) Latino/Hispanic
e) White
11.In what state do you work?

12. To what extent do you agree with the following statements? Please note that we use the
terms parents and caregivers interchangeably. This could be a birth/natural parent, foster
parent, adoptive parent, step-parent, or a parent's life partner.
a) Parental drug use plays a major role in most CMFs.
b) Parental alcohol use plays a major role in most CMFs.
c) Most parents who kill their children do not have mental health problems, diagnosed or
otherwise.
d) Mothers are the ones who are most likely to kill their children.
e) Younger children are more at-risk for CMFs than older children.
f) Girls are more likely to die at the hands of their caregivers than boys.
g) Race and ethnicity doesn’t play a role in CMFs.
h) Children are more at risk for a fatality when they have non-family members living in their
homes with them.
i) Families that move a lot are more likely to suffer a CMF.
j) Older caregivers are probably more likely to kill their children.
k) Parents who kill their children often have inappropriate age expectations of their children.
 l) Children who are killed by their caregivers aren’t really any different from other children in
the child welfare system. It’s a freak occurrence that could happen to any of our children.
m)Most children are usually killed by physical abuse (as opposed to neglect or another type of
maltreatment).
n) Caregivers who kill their children usually don’t know a lot about child development.
o) Children are most likely to be killed by a non-family member (such as mother’s boyfriend).
p) Parents who kill their children probably saw their children as “difficult” or ill behaved, in
general.
q) Parents who kill their children have an average or reasonable attachment to their children.
r) When a child dies who is known to protective services, it is the parents who are most
responsible for the death.
s) When a child dies who is known to protective services, frontline workers are most
responsible for the death.
t) When a child dies who is known to protective services, child welfare supervisors are most
responsible for the death.
u) When a child dies who is known to protective services, no one individual or agency is
responsible.

13. Did we miss anything? What are other reasons why children are killed by their caregivers?
Share with us your opinions, experiences, and concerns.

We also want to know about your own worries or concerns and your own comfort level in
dealing with, addressing, or trying to prevent child maltreatment fatalities (CMFs). Remember,
there is no right or wrong answer here. We want to know your honest thoughts and opinions.
14. To what extent do you agree with the following statements?
a) I worry that a child on my caseload will die.
b) When I work with a family, I look for signs that might cause a child to die.
c) A parent on my caseload once told me that s/he might kill her/his child(ren).
d) I’m not sure that I know what the risk factors are for a CMF.
e) I received training on what puts a child at risk for death
f) We never talked about CMFs in my child welfare training program.
g) I would like additional training about the risk factors for CMFs.
15. Have you ever had a child die who was on your caseload, when you were either a front-
line worker or supervisor for a county or state child protection / child welfare agency?
16. The following questions ask about your approach to working with your clients, in
general. Please note that child welfare professionals use a variety of acceptable approaches
when working with families. Remember that there is no right or wrong answer. We are looking
for your honest responses.
a) I help my clients to see strengths in themselves that they didn’t know that they had.
b) I help my clients to use their own skills and resources to solve problems.
c) I work with my clients to meet their needs.
d) I help my clients see that they are good parents.
e) I encourage my clients to think about their own personal goals or dreams.
f) I encourage my clients to learn about their culture and history.
g) I respect my clients’ families’ cultural and/or religious beliefs.
h) I have materials for my clients’ children that positively reflect their cultural background.
i) I know about other programs that my clients can use if they need them.
j) I give my clients good information about where to go for other services they need.
k) I understand when something is difficult for my clients.
 l) I support my clients in the decisions that they make about themselves and their families.
m)I encourage my clients to share their knowledge with other parents.
n) I provide opportunities for my clients to get to know other parents in the community.
o) I encourage my clients to go to friends and family when they need help or support.
p) I encourage my clients to get involved and help improve their community.
17. Below is a list of problems and complaints that individuals sometimes have in response
to stressful life experiences. Please read each one carefully and indicate how much you have
been bothered by that problem in the last month. Remember that there are no right or wrong
answers. We want to know your honest opinions.
a) Repeated, disturbing memories, thoughts, or images of a stressful experience from the
past?
b) Repeated, disturbing dreams of a stressful experience from the past?
c) Suddenly acting or feeling as if a stressful experience were happening again (as if you were
reliving it)?
d) Feeling very upset when something reminded you of a stressful experience from the past?
e) Having physical reactions (e.g., heart pounding, trouble breathing, or sweating) when
something reminded you of a stressful experience from the past?
f) Avoid thinking about or talking about a stressful experience from the past or avoid having
feelings related to it?
g) Avoid activities or situations because they remind you of a stressful experience from the
past?
h) Trouble remembering important parts of a stressful experience from the past?
i) Loss of interest in things that you used to enjoy?
j) Feeling distant or cut off from other people?
k) Feeling emotionally numb or being unable to have loving feelings for those close to you?
l) Feeling as if your future will somehow be cut short?
m)Trouble falling or staying asleep?
n) Feeling irritable or having angry outbursts?
o) Having difficulty concentrating?
p) Being “super alert” or watchful on guard?
q) Feeling jumpy or easily startled?
18. In closing, we would like to hear more from you. What can the child welfare profession do to
better prevent future child maltreatment fatalities?
19. What can the child welfare profession do to better support those who are unlucky enough to
have a child die while on their caseload?

Thank you for participating in our study and helping us to learn more about child maltreatment
fatalities from the perspective of child welfare workers. We are sure that your participation will make
important contributions to this study and we hope, to the field of child welfare.
Some of the questions in this study may have been upsetting to you. If you feel distressed and would
like to talk someone, we encourage you to seek help using the resources below.

Also, please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about the study. Thank you,
again.

Emily Douglas: Emily.Douglas@bridgew.edu or 508-531-2012

Resources
• USA National Helpline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
• National Hopeline Network: 1-800-SUICIDE

Readings that might be of help:

• Recognizing Secondary Traumatic Stress, National Association of Social Workers,
http://www.socialworkers.org/pubs/news/2007/06/trauma.asp
• Professional Self-care and Social Work, National Association of Social Workers,
http://www.socialworkers.org/nasw/memberlink/2009/supportfiles/ProfesionalSelf-Care.pdf
• Child Welfare Work and Secondary Trauma, by Christine B. Siegfried, National Center for Child
Traumatic Stress, UCLA, http://www.nctsnet.org/nctsn_assets/pdfs/cwt3_sho_sts.pdf
• Secondary Trauma and Child Welfare Staff: Uniderstanding its Impact and Taking Steps to Protect
Them, by David Conrad, http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/helpkids/rcpdfs/Second.Trauma-CW.pdf

Thank you again, for your interest in this study. To follow the progress and eventually the
results of this study, please visit this website and follow the link to CMF-POCHIWP:
http://webhost.bridgew.edu/edouglas/.
20. Finally, we are actively recruiting new child welfare workers and supervisors to participate
in this online study! If you are comfortable, please tell us how you learned of this study.