CWRP Information Sheet #85E. Montreal, QC: Centre for Research on Children and Families, McGill University.
The CIS-2008 compares rates of maltreatment-related investigations found in the 1998, 2003 and 2008 cycles of the CIS. Changes in rates of maltreatment-related investigations from 1998 to 2008 might be due to a number of factors, including: (1) changes in public and professional awareness of the problem, (2) changes in legislation or in case-management practices, (3) changes in CIS study procedures and definitions, and (4) changes in the actual rate of maltreatment. Changes in practice with respect to investigations of risk of future maltreatment pose a particular challenge since these cases were not specifically identified in the 1998 and 2003 cycles of the study. Findings are therefore not directly comparable to findings presented in the CIS-1998 and CIS-2003 reports.