SCREENING NEIGHBORHOODS FOR INTERVENTION - A RESEARCH MODEL FOR CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES

• NCJ Number: 60310
• Journal: Journal of Social Service Research Volume: 1 Issue: 2 Dated: (WINTER 1977) Pages: 135-145
• Author(s): J GARBARINO; A C CROUTER; D SHERMAN
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 11 pages
• Corporate Author: Haworth Press, Inc
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

A MULTIVARIATE APPROACH FOR RELATING THE SOCIOECONOMIC AND DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTER OF A NEIGHBORHOOD TO THE LEVEL OF FAMILY DYSFUNCTION AND CHILD MALTREATMENT IS PRESENTED.

Abstract

A MULTIVARIATE MODEL INCORPORATING ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RESOURCES WAS DEVELOPED THAT ACCOUNTS FOR A LARGE PROPORTION OF THE OVERALL VARIANCE (81 PERCENT) IN REPORTED RATES OF CHILD MALTREATMENT FOR 20 SUBAREAS WITHIN A SINGLE COUNTY (DOUGLAS COUNTY, NEBRASKA). BASED ON PREVIOUS ANALYSES AND A LITERATURE REVIEW, 5 FACTORS WERE CHOSEN FOR INCLUSION IN THE ANALYSIS: (1) PERCENTAGE OF HOUSEHOLDS WITH INCOMES LESS THAN $8,000, (2) PERCENTAGE OF HOUSEHOLDS WITH INCOMES GREATER THAN $15,000, (3) PERCENTAGE OF FEMALE-HEADED HOUSEHOLDS, (4) PERCENTAGE OF MARRIED MOTHERS (WITH CHILDREN UNDER AGE 18) IN THE LABOR FORCE, AND (5) PERCENTAGE OF POPULATION RESIDENT LESS THAN 1 YEAR. CHILD MALTREATMENT REPORTS WERE USED TO GENERATE 3 INDICES: OVERALL RATE OF REPORTED CHILD MALTREATMENT PER 1,000 FAMILIES, REPORTED ABUSE PER 1,000 FAMILIES, AND REPORTED NEGLECT PER 1,000 FAMILIES. THE MULTIPLE REGRESSIONS GENERATED A PREDICTED RATE (BASED ON THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RESOURCES) THAT CAN BE COMPARED WITH THE ACTUAL RATE. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PREDICTED AND ACTUAL RATE (THE RESIDUAL) CAN BE USEFUL IN IDENTIFYING CONTRASTING ENVIRONMENTS AND THEREBY SUGGESTING FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS LEADING TO POLICY AND PRACTICE RECOMMENDATIONS BEYOND THOSE CONTAINED IN THE MULTIPLE REGRESSION MODEL ITSELF. WHILE 10 OF THE AREAS APPROACHED A 1-TO-1 CORRESPONDENCE OF ACTUAL TO PREDICTED RATES, 8 OF THE AREAS SHOWED RELATIVELY LARGE DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN THE PREDICTED AND ACTUAL RATES (25 PERCENT OR MORE OF THE ACTUAL RATES), THUS INDICATING THE NEED FOR FURTHER ANALYSIS. ADDITIONAL FACTORS MAY BE INCLUDED IN THE MODEL TO BOLSTER ITS ABILITY TO ACCOUNT FOR VARIANCE IN THE RATES OF MALTREATMENT. THE SCREENING APPROACH DESCRIBED ALLOWS THE SERVICE AND POLICY COMMUNITIES TO WORK WITH THE RESEARCH COMMUNITY IN DEVELOPING MORE EFFECTIVE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY PREVENTION OF CHILD MALTREATMENT. TABULAR AND GRAPHIC DATA ARE PROVIDED, ALONG WITH REFERENCES. (RCB)