Addressing Systemic Racism in the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children Publications

Abstract

The United States continues to grapple with longstanding policies and systems that have adversely impacted historically marginalized communities who identify (and are racialized) as non-White. These stem from a legacy of structural and systemic racism, and the long-term consequences of sanctioned colonization. This legacy rests upon a field of scholarly research that is similarly fraught with white supremacy. As a field, we must examine the process of producing and publishing the body of evidence that has codified harmful policies and practices. Although racial and ethnic disparities have been discussed for decades in the child welfare and health systems, systemic racism has received comparatively little attention in academic research and journals. In this commentary, the authors detail concrete steps over the coming years that will advance diversity, equity, inclusion and justice through American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children’s (APSACs) flagship journal, Child Maltreatment. The journal is committed to anti-racist publication processes, such that the journal pledges to develop procedures, processes, structures, and culture for scholarly research that promotes diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in all forms.

The future of childhood maltreatment research: Diversity and equity-informed perspectives for inclusive methodology and social justice

“…Given the reality that racism has existed in the child welfare system for as long as the system itself has existed, we recommend that official CPS reports and child welfare records not be viewed as the gold standard or objective source for maltreatment data. This practice reinforces a deficit view of Black and other minoritized families by privileging evidence from court records over other types of information such as individuals' self-reports, giving too little attention to enduring structural and systemic racism and racialized poverty that contribute to disproportionalities, and potentially leading to problematic interpretations (APA 2023a; Briggs et al, 2023;Hanna, 2021).…”

“…Studies that conclude that the role of race in the disproportionality of minoritized children in child welfare is statistically non-significant ignore that poverty itself is racialized and stems from centuries-old systemic oppression based on skin color (Detlaff et al, 2021;Merritt, 2021). This systemic racism dates back to the enslavement of African people and to the forced separation of Native American children into Indian boarding schools as a result of the Indian Relocation Act, both of which continue to influence the present disproportionalities in the child welfare system (Briggs et al, 2023;Hanna, 2021).…”

“…Research on these issues by scholars of color is underrepresented, as are datasets that are sufficiently equipped with minoritized and multiply intersectional individuals to make adequate comparisons across many minoritized groups (Kokaliari et al, 2019;Tajima et al, 2022). In turn, Side 1 argues against a quo that tends towards normalizing and rationalizing the disproportionate representation of minoritized families in the child welfare system as acceptable, excusable, and justifiable (Briggs et al, 2023;Detlaff et al, 2021;Tajima et al, 2022).…”

“…The identities and lived experiences of researchers affects the questions we ask, the measures we choose, and the interpretations we make from our research. Therefore, it is important for the field to prioritize inclusion of scholars of color from under-represented backgrounds, as well as to commit to disseminating anti-racist scholarship (APA 2023a; Briggs et al, 2023;Tajima et al, 2022). Efforts to promote the work of scholars with diverse social identities and lived experiences will lead to richer and more DEIinformed research endeavors into the developmental psychopathology of maltreatment.…”

“…Over the decades, research has sharpened and deepened understanding of the pathways following childhood maltreatment, and the intervening mechanisms that either perpetuate or protect against negative long-term outcomes and transmission of maltreatment across generations (Madigan et al, 2019;Sroufe et al, 2005;Thornberry et al, 2012;Widom, 1989). A current issue that remains at the forefront of DP research on childhood maltreatment is the need for maltreatment researchers to adopt more diverse, equitable, inclusive (DEI), and anti-racist perspectives on how maltreatment is assessed (Briggs et al, 2023;Merritt, 2021).…”