NCJ Number
131171
Journal
Child Welfare Volume: 70 Issue: 4 Dated: (July-August 1991) Pages: 463-475
Date Published
1991
Length
13 pages
Annotation
Self-administered questionnaires were completed by 50 Chinese, 50 Hispanic, and 50 white university students in California; data were collected to analyze cultural attitudes toward and concerns about child abuse and neglect.
Abstract
The results showed that Chinese were most tolerant of, and Hispanics least tolerant of, parental conduct. The Chinese respondents were least likely to ask for investigations by child protective services in potential cases of abuse and neglect. The Chinese respondents also appeared to grant greater latitude to parents on their childrearing practices, even if those decisions seemed irresponsible in the judgment of others. However, all three groups agreed that parental encouragement of their children's delinquency was close to being very abusive and all three groups concurred on their assessment of the physical mistreatment of children. Filial piety and familism are two Chinese cultural factors that could explain these differences. The author notes that child protective services workers need to be aware of cultural perceptions of abuse and neglect. 2 tables and 16 references (Author abstract modified)