NCJ Number
147600
Date Published
1993
Length
155 pages
Annotation
This study presents scientific evidence of a significant association between child maltreatment -- particularly physical abuse and child neglect -- and the prevalence of stressful social conditions and events.
Abstract
Analysis of child maltreatment rates in 944 counties of 18 States included multivariate examination of the correlates of child abuse and neglect. Of 33 environmental variables used in the study, socioeconomic status, educational attainment, annual family income, poverty, and unemployment rates were the most powerful predictors of county rates of child maltreatment. Factors related to family structure, such as the percentage of single-parent families, the incidence of divorce, and teen pregnancy rates, also strongly correlated with the incidence of child abuse. These findings show that it is possible to identify geographic areas in which child maltreatment will be greatest. These regions can then be targeted for primary prevention efforts, with professional resources allocated in accordance with the relative need for child protection services. Although there is a shortage of trained workers to handle the millions of abuse and neglect reports made to county departments and social services each year, the author argues that a reconfiguration of the child protection system with a more equitable distribution of resources can improve the efficacy of child-maltreatment case management. 31 tables, 4 figures, 378 references, and a subject index