Preliminary Evaluation of Structured Professional Judgment to Assess Removal in Child Protection Practice

Abstract

This study is a pilot validation of a newly devised evidence-based clinical instrument that assists professional judgment for decisions relating to child removal. The Child Protection Removal Assessment (ChiPRA) instrument adopts a structured professional judgement (SPJ) approach to decision-making and was developed from a literature review of studies identifying factors associated with severe child abuse. A study comparing the predictive validity of ChiPRA and an actuarial instrument was conducted using court file data from 298 child protection cases. A logistic function from all ChiPRA items, χ²(11) = 147.546, p < 0.000, correctly classified 86.3% of cases (Area Under the Curve [AUC] = 0.799, p < 0.000, 95% confidence interval: 0.738–0.859). The abuse subscale of the actuarial instrument yielded a modest but significant AUC (0.595, 95% CI: 0.530–0.660). Results indicate an increased reliance upon dynamic factors by magistrates when determining child removal. SPJ instruments warrant further research including prospective studies measuring reliability and validity studies.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We thank the staff at the Victorian Children's Court for allowing access to the court files. We also express our gratitude to Emeritus Professor Kim Ng for statistical advice. Lillian De Bortoli is a Postgraduate Publication Award Recipient.