| Sumario: | The focus of this research was to identify trends in the United States social work literature regarding the link between poverty and child maltreatment. A content analysis of 8,782 articles published in 15 prominent social work journals during the last decade (between 2008 and 2017) was conducted. Article titles and abstracts were searched for keyword terms relating to poverty and child maltreatment. Only 86 articles (1%) contained search terms related to poverty and child maltreatment. The results of this content analysis suggest that even with the recent increase in studies focused on poverty and child maltreatment, few studies examine the relationship explicitly. This finding is surprising considering the recent economic crisis in the United States. However, publications since 2017 indicate that there is a growing wave of interest in the relationship between poverty and child maltreatment. Future research may provide additional clarification about the relationship between poverty and child maltreatment and potential moderating factors. A single overarching theme emerged suggesting there is a link between poverty and maltreatment. Two subthemes emerged, including: (1) the risk and protective factors associated with child maltreatment; and (2) the racial disproportionality that persists in child welfare.
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