NCJ Number
178862
Date Published
1999
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Research on child abuse and neighborhood factors in Sydney, Australia, revealed that neighborhoods with similar socioeconomic and housing profiles differed substantially in their rates of child maltreatment and that the rates were associated with neighborhood cohesion, levels of trust and distrust, and people's attitudes about local friendships.
Abstract
The research examined neighborhoods within a Western Sydney suburb that had a rate of confirmed child abuse of 22.5 per 1,000 children over a 3-year period; this rate was relatively high. A southern census unit in this suburb had a relatively high rate of 53.0 cases per 1,000 children, whereas a northern unit had a relatively low rate of 8.1 per 1,000. Survey information collected from persons in areas with clusters of child abuse cases and from persons in the rest of the suburb revealed that residents of small areas with higher rates of child abuse tended to have negative opinions of their community, in terms of their perceptions of the unfriendliness of their neighborhoods and the neighborhood as a poor location in which to raise children. Professionals could often identify areas of risk. Findings suggested the need for appropriate community-building strategies that could limit child maltreatment. Figures and 16 references (Author abstract modified)