Household composition and maltreatment allegations in the US: Deconstructing the at-risk single mother family

BACKGROUND:Previous research has demonstrated the association between child maltreatment and household composition, with increased maltreatment risk generally present in single mother households. However, existing research does not fully examine the complexity and configuration of single mother households. In particular, less is known about important variants of single parent family structures, such as grandparents residing in the home, and the extent to which household compositions change across time. OBJECTIVE:The present study examines rates of maltreatment allegations across various household compositions in a sample of single biological mother households. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING:Youth participants (N = 417) were part of the larger multi-site Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN) study. METHODS:Participants completed longitudinal assessments of household composition and maltreatment allegations from ages 4 to 10. RESULTS:The present study illustrates substantial variability in the rate of maltreatment allegations across different types of single mother household compositions. In particular, the presence of non-relatives, especially unrelated males, demonstrated an increased risk for maltreatment allegations in the home. Conversely, single mother homes with two or more adult relatives, especially grandmothers, were at reduced risk for child maltreatment allegations. CONCLUSIONS:This study highlights variability in maltreatment allegations among single mother homes, including how maltreatment allegations vary across different household configurations, across child age periods and across different risk levels.