Immigrant Latino Fathers’ Perceptions of Child Abuse and Neglect

Abstract

The objective of this qualitative research was to study the lived experiences of child abuse and neglect for immigrant Latino fathers whose children are involved in the child protection process. We documented the narratives of nine immigrant Latino fathers attending fatherhood groups regarding their perceptions of child abuse and neglect.The immigrant Latino fathers highlighted their lack of agency and marginalization due to acculturative parenting stress, structural discrimination, and immigration status. They are burdened with physical and emotional pain that diffuses into their children’s lives and results in unhealthy coping strategies. The Latino fathers faced everyday microaggressions, racial abuses, and discrimination due to their agency and role as Latino immigrants. They chronicled their frustrations dueto distrust of the mainstream social service providers, police, immigration officials, and abuse meted on them due to their marginalized identities. We provide practice and policy recommendations for professionals working with immigrant Latino families.

‘Our work is to be there’: understanding Latinx immigrant family, friend, and neighbour childcare providers’ motivations, needs, and experiences

“…FFN provider support groups were also consistently acknowledged as a resource for this sample. Past qualitative studies often cite parent support groups as a valuable resource for Latinx immigrant families as they provide trustworthy and safe spaces for parents to discuss their experiences and facilitate acculturation by expanding their support networks (Ayón, 2014;Kohli & Fineran, 2020). Even if they may not always be the parents of these children, Latinx immigrant FFN providers -with their close connections and strong commitments to the children -benefit from such peer support groups as well.…”

Dyadic Coping, Parental Warmth, and Adolescent Externalizing Behavior in Four Countries

“…In a qualitative study with Latinoimmigrant fathers, participants reported that they lived with a sense of deep conflict about childrearing. Although they reported the benefits of positive parenting and the moral imperative inherent in their dominant culture to raise children without abuse or neglect, they felt marginalized and less able to parent in a desired way due to acculturative parenting stress and reduced agency in their community (Kohli & Fineran, 2020).…”