NCJ Number
167678
Journal
Aggression and Violent Behavior Volume: 1 Issue: 4 Dated: (Winter 1996) Pages: 317-326
Date Published
1996
Length
10 pages
Annotation
Although the role of the environment in the etiology of child maltreatment has long been debated and child protection activities have typically focused on the character of alleged perpetrators to the virtual exclusion of the broad social context in which abuse and neglect occur, evidence of the stressful effects of the environment on adults in disadvantaged families is substantial.
Abstract
Environmental circumstances sometimes elicit stressful behaviors, and the role of socioeconomic forces in child abuse and neglect has been extensively investigated. Socioeconomic stresses often occur in families faced with economic and educational disadvantages. Family structure also plays a role in that single- parent families comprise a disproportionate percentage of families in which abuse occurs. Overwhelming social forces that act on parents who have few resources or skills with which to cope and adapt can produce violent tendencies that lead to child maltreatment. Established theory is available to guide the design and implementation of programs sensitive to the potentially strong environmental influences on the behavior of abusive and neglectful family members. Evidence indicates that stresses derived from economic deprivation may be moderated by family support systems and that public assistance to needy families decreases abusive inclinations of parents toward their children. 125 references