WHAT CAN CHILD HOMICIDE RATES TELL US ABOUT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CHILD-WELFARE SERVICES

This paper examines the methodological problems involved in using chil d homicide rates as measures of the success or failure of child protec tion efforts. A comprehensive review of child homicide research identi fies three major methodological issues: (1) The classification of chil d deaths as homicides is unreliable; (2) child homicides may not gener ally represent the endpoint of a continuum of violence ranging from in adequate parenting to maltreatment to death; and (3) child homicides a re not frequent enough occurrences to effectively measure the impact o f child welfare services and policies. We conclude that while improved reporting and classification procedures may lead to some useful avenu es for research, relying on child homicide statistics to evaluate chil d welfare services may contribute to further narrowing the scope of ch ild welfare by stressing procedures geared primarily to preventing chi ld homicides. Child welfare services need to develop outcome measures that tap the broader mandate of improving the circumstances and well-b eing of children.