The Ecology of Child Abuse and Neglect: Review of the Literature and Presentation of Data

Abstract

This report assesses current knowledge about the ecological determinants of child maltreatment and presents data from an aggregate study of co-variation between seven community characteristics and maltreatment rates. A review of these findings revealed literature in the early stages of development. Nothing is known about the ecology of sexual abuse, and studies of physical abuse and neglect have done little more than demonstrate co-variation between reported incidence and neighborhood population and housing characteristics. Study findings reveal that (a) five of the seven community characteristics are significant and independent correlates of neglect, and four are correlates of abuse; (b) the strongest predictors of both types of maltreatment are percentage of families with income less than 200% of poverty and percent of vacant housing; and (c) the pattern of co-variation between the two economic stress indicators and three inadequate social support indicators are consistent with the ecological hypothesis. Discussion focuses on interpretation of findings and recommendations for future research.

Income Inequality and Child Maltreatment in the United States

“…9 Several studies have reported associations between economic factors and maltreatment rates at the neighborhood and community levels. [12][13][14][15] Recently, a retrospective study of children admitted to 38 hospitals between 2000 and 2009 showed that rates of admissions for physical abuse and high-risk traumatic brain injury were significantly related to increases in local mortgage foreclosure and delinquency rates in the associated metropolitan areas. 16 Although there is considerable evidence that income inequality has a negative impact on health and wellbeing for both adults and children, and that poverty is associated with rates of child maltreatment, no study has examined the association of income inequality with child maltreatment.…”

Facteurs susceptibles d’influencer le bien-être des familles d’enfants d’âge préscolaire et scolaire en milieu rural

“…Les recherches de Coulton et ses collègues (1995; montrent que le niveau de pauvreté du quartier, le fardeau de garde et l'instabilité économique et résidentielle peuvent expli-quer, en partie, la variance des taux de mauvais traitements observés dans les communautés. Le nomadisme territorial comme facteur associé à la négligence parentale est aussi mis en évidence par les recherches de Zuravin (1989) ainsi que de Bouchard, LeBossé et Dumont (1995).…”

Perceived neighborhood social disorder and residents’ attitudes toward reporting child physical abuse

“…The relationship between rates of child maltreatment and different neighborhood characteristics, such as social impoverishment, poverty, demographic composition, and deviant behavior, has been well established (e.g., Bouchard, 1987;Coulton, Korbin, & Su, 1999;Coulton, Korbin, Su, & Chow, 1995;Drake & Pandey, 1996;Garbarino & Sherman, 1980;Nelson & Baldwin, 2002;Vinson, Baldry, & Hargreaves, 1996;Zuravin, 1989). However, the way in which these neighborhood characteristics influence rates of child maltreatment still remains a matter not fully understood that deserves further research attention (Coulton et al, 1999;Gracia & Musitu, 2003;Korbin, 2003).…”