LONGSCAN - A CONSORTIUM FOR LONGITUDINAL-STUDIES OF MALTREATMENT AND THE LIFE-COURSE OF CHILDREN

The National Research Council (1993) has issued an urgent cell for the ory-based, longitudinal research to examine the antecedents and conseq uences of child maltreatment. Many of the concerns raised by the Natio nal Research Council are addressed by LONGSCAN (LONGitudinal Studies o f Child Abuse and Neglect), consortium including a coordinating center and five independent prospective longitudinal investigations sharing common protocols for data collection, entry, and management. The child ren in the five investigations vary by their level of risk, ranging fr om a community sample with no identified risk beyond low income status , to children placed in foster care. The longitudinal study has been d esigned with six age-specific data collection points extending from 4 through 20 years of age. The conceptual model, organization, and analy tic strategy for LONGSCAN are described. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd .