Mapping Risk and Protection: A Scoping Review of Nonresident Fathers’ Roles in Child Maltreatment

Despite growing attention to paternal roles in child welfare, nonresident (NR) fathers’ roles in child maltreatment (CM) risk and protection remain underexplored, limiting tailored approaches to engage NR fathers in child welfare. This scoping review examined the risk and protective factors associated with CM/CM risk among NR fathers. A search was conducted across six databases (Academic Search Complete, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Family Studies Abstracts, PsycINFO, Social Work Abstracts, Sociological Abstracts). Inclusion criteria included: peer-reviewed publications, U.S.-based samples, CM/CM risk outcomes, ≥70% NR father samples, NR father-specific findings if <70% of the sample comprised NR fathers, and quantitative methodology. Using Covidence, two reviewers screened 8,857 titles and abstracts; 22 studies met eligibility criteria and were included in analysis. Reviewed studies primarily assessed residential status and father involvement. Findings indicated that CM/CM risk was elevated in NR father-, relative to resident father-families, with higher likelihood of out-of-home placements, CM reports, and maternal depression. Elevated risks were most evident when fathers were absent, inconsistently involved, or had individual risk factors such as trauma history. Several studies demonstrated protective effects of NR father presence, including reduced maternal depression and decreased food insecurity. Other protective factors were frequent or recent father–child contact, consistent financial support, and high maternal satisfaction with paternal involvement. Findings from this scoping review reveal that NR fathers are not a uniform risk or protective factor but rather represent a diverse group whose influence on CM/CM risk depends on a range of individual, relational, and contextual characteristics.