“The duty to report or to support?” Exploring the experiences of child protection workers investigating Black families reported for allegations of physical abuse to Ontario’s child welfare system

Referrals from educational settings account for a large proportion of child maltreatment reports internationally and across North America. In Canada, research has documented distinct disparities in the referral patterns for Black families from schools focusing on concerns about physical abuse. Although schools are more likely to report allegations of child abuse to child welfare agencies than other referral sources in Ontario, some research indicates that cases alleged by educators are significantly less likely to be substantiated compared to other professionals. Given that physical abuse allegations are the main referral reason for Black families in Ontario’s child welfare system and there is a lack of research exploring the concerns that shape these reports of alleged abuse, this study will fill this gap in knowledge. Using interpretative phenomenology as a methodological approach, the objective of this study is to explore child welfare professionals’ experiences working with Black families who have been referred to Ontario’s child welfare systems for allegations of physical abuse. Fifty-one semi-structured individual interviews and four focus groups (n=28) were conducted with child welfare professionals, for a total of 79 participants. The findings revealed that colonialism, transnationalism, culture, and parental values contribute to the acceptability of physical discipline for some Black families. Study findings indicated there are many circumstances where Black families are being reported for threats of physical discipline rather than the actual occurrence. As such, child welfare agencies have begun to consider how to support Black families and critically assess reports from schools. Recommendations and implications for policy, research, and practice are discussed.