Comparing the Effects of Judicial Versus Child Protective Service Relationships on Parental Attitudes in the Juvenile Dependency Process

Abstract

This pilot study examined the attitudes of parents in the child dependency process to determine whether their perceptions of fairness, trustworthiness, and satisfaction with the juvenile dependency system differed across types of relationships: relationships with judges or child protective service (CPS) workers. Method: The study relied on a convenience sample of (N = 40) parents who were administered structured interviews with Likert-type items after being in relationships with the authorities for 6 months. Results: The findings supported the study's hypotheses about the nature of the relationships in the family drug court process and the relative contributions of relational versus self-interest factors in explaining variations in parental attitudes. Discussion and Applications to Practice: The implications of the study's findings were examined regarding the roles played by CPS case managers in improving compliance with substance abuse treatment in the dependency process.