LONGSCAN is a consortium of research studies operating under common by-laws and procedures. It was initiated in 1990 with grants from the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect through a Coordinating Center at the University of North Carolina and five satellite sites (Chicago, Baltimore, North Carolina, San Diego, and Seattle). Each site is conducting a separate and unique research project on the etiology and impact of child maltreatment.

Juvenile Protective Association, Chicago, IL

This cohort study will compare the life course of infants whose families are receiving comprehensive services after a report of child maltreatment to infants of similarly-reported families who have only received follow-up by the state welfare agency and to a control group up of matched infants. This cohort is drawn from among the most violent neighborhoods in Chicago. This study will be able to examine the differential impact of experiences of child abuse or neglect versus the experience of witnessing violence on a regular basis from the time of infancy.

 

Howard Dubowitz, MD, MS is a Professor of Pediatrics and Director of the Center for Families at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore. He is on the Council of the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect and a board member of Prevent Child Abuse America. Dr. Dubowitz is a clinician, researcher, and educator, and he is active in the policy arena. His main interests are in child neglect and prevention. He edited Neglected Children: Research, Practice and Policy, co-edited the Handbook for Child Protection Practice, and has over 100 publications.

Jonathan Kotch, MD, MPH (Principal Investigator) is a board certified specialist in both pediatrics and preventive medicine. Dr. Kotch is Professor in the Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His specific areas of interest include child health services, child health policy, child abuse and neglect, injury prevention, and health and safety of children in out-of-home child care.

This is a cohort study, first funded by Maternal & Child Health, of infants identified in 1986-87 as "high risk" by the state public health department’s infant tracking program. These children constitute a birth cohort, recruited not for maltreatment history, but identified because of extreme poverty, young maternal age, single parenthood, and low birth weight. In 1991, children from this original cohort who had been reported for neglect or abuse were selected for study in LONGSCAN, along with a control group of unreported children matched for gender, race, social class, and family composition. Of special interest to the North Carolina study is the extent to which family stress and social support predict child maltreatment and subsequent child outcomes such as school failure, adolescent pregnancy, substance abuse, and criminal or violent behaviors.

 

Alan Litrownik, PhD (Principal Investigator) is Emeritus Professor of Psychology at San Diego State University and a member of the faculty in the San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego, Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology.  His primary research interests focus on at-risk children and factors that determine adaptive and maladaptive outcomes.   

This is a cohort study of maltreated children who were removed from their home and placed in foster care prior to 3 ½ years of age. This cohort was part of a larger NIMH sample from birth to 16 years of age who were followed for 18 months following their placement in out of home care. The LONGSCAN sample was recruited at Age 4 to continue studying the experiences (e.g., living situation, services provided, risk and protective factors) and subsequent health and developmental outcomes of children who entered foster care at an early age.

 

University of Washington, Seattle, WA

Diana English, PhD (Principal Investigator) is the Director of Research for the Child Welfare Research Group at the School of Social Work, University of Washington, and the Director of Research and Development for the Child Welfare League of America. She is a nationally recognized expert on child abuse/neglect, and child welfare services.

This is a cohort study of children (ages 1-4), consecutively classified as "moderate risk" by Child Protective Services offices in Seattle following a report for child maltreatment. The Seattle study will yield valuable data about the risk assessment process and allow an examination of the impact of social service and mental health interventions. It has particular relevance for welfare reform as we discover which child, family and community variables are most related to repeated reports to local welfare agencies and ultimately to child outcomes. Improving caseworkers’ accuracy in identifying the families most in need of intervention will allow for the most efficient targeting of service delivery.