Police Involvement in Child Maltreatment Cases in the United States: A Systematic Literature Review

Police contact is a common pathway through which families become involved with child welfare, and police involvement in child welfare cases may contribute to the well-documented racial disproportionality within the child welfare system. To prevent instances of unnecessary system involvement and reduce disparities within child welfare, the potential consequences of police involvement in child maltreatment cases must be understood. This systematic literature review aims to synthesize current research in the United States on law enforcement involvement in child welfare cases and associated outcomes; specifically, to examine outcomes associated with allegations of neglect; and to characterize how the literature discusses potential alternatives to law enforcement involvement. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, this review identified 17 relevant articles, 11 of which were peer-reviewed studies and 6 were gray literature articles. Results demonstrate that compared with cases not involving police, police involvement in child welfare is often associated with more substantial and punitive outcomes, including higher rates of substantiated investigations, more out-of-home placements, and increased odds of child removal, particularly in cases of neglect. Furthermore, results suggest that police presence may serve as a contributing factor to the well-documented racial and socioeconomic disparities within child welfare. This systematic review offers an evidence base supporting the reduction of police presence within child welfare, specifically in cases of neglect. Alternatives to police involvement may include the provision of concrete resources as well as supportive interventions, including accessible health and mental health care and parenting skills training.