The moderating effect of substance abuse service accessibility on the relationship between child maltreatment and neighborhood alcohol availability

Abstract

This study investigates how the relationship between dense concentrations of alcohol retailers and high rates of child maltreatment may be moderated by the presence of substance abuse service facilities. Using a cross-sectional design, the study utilized data from Bergen County, New Jersey on child maltreatment reports, alcohol-selling retailers, substance abuse service facilities, and the United States Census. Findings indicate child maltreatment rates were higher in neighborhoods with lower socioeconomic status and those with greater alcohol outlet density. Neighborhoods with easily accessed substance abuse service facilities had lower rates of child maltreatment. Additionally, the relationship between child maltreatment and alcohol outlet density was moderated by the presence of substance abuse service facilities. The study findings highlight the relevance of making primary prevention approaches readily available and using multi-sector collaboration to reduce child maltreatment.

Parenting and proximity to social services: Lessons from Los Angeles County in the community context of child neglect

“…The current study focuses instead on the path distance from an individual parent’s home to the nearest service of that type, providing an alternative measure of service accessibility. This measure differs from that used by Morton (2013), who examined the distance from the centroid of the census tract to substance abuse services as a neighborhood characteristic. The current study examines the distance from respondents’ homes to services, providing an individualized, rather than neighborhood-level, measure of each subject’s access.…”

“…The current study examines the distance from respondents’ homes to services, providing an individualized, rather than neighborhood-level, measure of each subject’s access. It also employs a more precise approach to measuring service proximity than Morton (2013), who relied on the Euclidean (“as the crow flies”) distance between the tract centroid and service locations, without respect to travel infrastructure. We use path, or road travel distance, which takes into account the ways in which road networks influence geographic access from a source to a target point.…”

“…A greater density of substance abuse services within zip codes, as well as within surrounding zip codes, was associated with higher rates of both child protective services referrals and/or foster care entries. Conversely, Morton’s (2013) study of Census tracts in Bergen County, New Jersey associates proximity to substance abuse treatment services with lower rates of child protective services referrals; and the association between alcohol outlet density (i.e. the number of bars, liquor stores, and restaurant selling beer and/or liquor per square mile) and child protective services referral rates was weakened when substance abuse services were more geographical accessible.…”

“…the number of services per population or per square mile within and surrounding a spatial unit) (Ben-Arieh, 2010; Coulton et al, 1999; Freisthler, 2013; Klein, 2011), via the rate of service utilization by residents (Garbarino, 1976; Garbarino & Crouter, 1978; Garbarino & Sherman, 1980; Klein, 2011), or via the average service expenditure within a spatial unit (Maguire-Jack, 2014; Spearly & Lauderdale, 1983). Additionally, Morton (2013) used the distance from Census tracts’ geographic centers (centroids) and the nearest service location to represent service availability. All four of these measurement approaches fail to account for variation in service access for individuals residing in different locations within the same spatial units, which can be considerable in large areas like zip codes and counties.…”

“…However, in congruence with the theory put forth by Sampson and Groves (1989) that participation in local organizations contributes to neighborhood organization and positive outcomes for residents, Kim and Maguire-Jack (2013) found that participation in community organizations like Parent Teacher Associations was associated with lower levels of verbal abuse of children. Additionally, an emerging literature suggests that the accessibility of certain types of services may help prevent child abuse and neglect (Coulton, Korbin & Su, 1999; Dorsch, Bathman, Foster et al, 2010; Freisthler, 2013; Klein, 2011; Maguire-Jack, 2014b; Morton, 2013; Spearly & Lauderdale, 1983). …”