Neighborhood factors and child maltreatment: A mixed method study

虐待儿童影响全国五分之一的儿童，往往会导致深刻的儿童身体，心理和行为后果，这可能会持续整个生命过程。迫切需要采取干预措施防止虐待：除了人类痛苦的不可估量的代价外，虐待每年给社会造成的物质损失总额超过1 000亿美元。虽然大多数预防工作的重点是个人或家庭，邻里是一个关键的环境，既影响虐待率，并可能作为一个潜在的干预目标，以减少虐待。我们在克利夫兰的混合方法研究，俄亥俄州和其他地方的研究发现，邻里结构因素（经济劣势，住宅不稳定，儿童保育负担，移民集中）与更大的虐待有关，即使在考虑家庭和个人因素的影响之后。奇怪的是，自20年前我们的研究以来，克利夫兰的贫困率有所上升，但社区虐待率变化很大：其中许多比率有所下降，有些急剧下降，有些只是略有下降，而其他人则有所增加。为什么？为什么？我们的研究将确定如何可能的差异，随着时间的推移，在邻里生态可能作出贡献：（1）在邻里条件的差异，反映了结构性因素和随之而来的变化，邻里社会进程和不适（不良条件，如枯萎病，犯罪）;（2）组织和提供社会服务的差异，克利夫兰自最初研究以来投入了大量资源;（3）专业人员（被授权）和非专业人员（非被授权）对虐待的定义、报告和证实的差异。我们的基本假设是，结构性因素和不舒适的虐待的影响随着时间的推移发生了变化，因为服务的调节影响，以及在定义/报告的做法，导致变量证实率的变化。为了实现我们的研究目的，我们提出了一个全面的，嵌套的，混合方法的调查，进行全市范围内的面板研究，以及深入调查的20个街区，在那里免费的定性和定量数据将收集和分析，共同更完整地了解3条途径。我们拥有丰富的定量和定性数据存储，可追溯到20年前的邻里条件，服务和定义/报告;这是一个独特的资源，可以揭示这些途径随着时间的推移在影响虐待方面的作用。拟议的研究是创新的：它将比较和对比邻里条件，服务和定义/报告超过20年的时间。这项研究非常重要：全国各地的专家都不确定影响美国虐待率的力量，这项研究将解决的力量。这项研究有很大的潜力，通过确定具体的邻里条件，服务元素，并与减少虐待率的定义/报告的做法，塑造儿童福利政策。此外，由于克利夫兰的条件反映了全国许多城市的条件，因此预期结果将与美国许多城市相关。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Child maltreatment affects 1 in 5 children nationwide and often leads to profound childhood physical, psychological, and behavioral consequences, which may persist throughout the life course. Interventions to prevent maltreatment are critically needed: besides the inestimable cost in human suffering, maltreatment's material costs to society total over $100 billion per year. Though most prevention efforts focus on individuals or families, the neighborhood is a key environment that both influences maltreatment rates and that might serve as a potential intervention target to reduce maltreatment. Our mixed-methods study in Cleveland, OH and research elsewhere found that neighborhood structural factors (economic disadvantage, residential instability, childcare burden, immigrant concentration) are linked to greater maltreatment, even after accounting for the effects of family and individual factors. Paradoxically, since our study 20 years ago, Cleveland's poverty rate has raised, yet neighborhood maltreatment rates have varied widely: Many of these rates have decreased, some sharply, some only slightly, while others have increased. Why? Our study will identify how possible differences over time in neighborhood ecologies may contribute: (1) differences in neighborhood conditions as reflected by structural factors and concomitant changes in neighborhood social processes and dis-amenities (undesirable conditions such as blight, crime); (2) differences in the organization and provision of social services, resources in which Cleveland invested significantly since the initial study; and (3) differences in professionals' (mandated) an non-professionals' (non-mandated) definition, reporting, and substantiation of maltreatment. Our underlying hypothesis is that the effects of structural factors and dis-amenities on maltreatment have changed over time because of the moderating influence of services, as well as changes in definition/reporting practices that result in variable substantiation rates. To achieve our study purpose, we propose a comprehensive, nested, mixed-methods investigation, conducting both a citywide panel study, as well as an in-depth investigation of 20 neighborhoods, where complimentary qualitative and quantitative data will be collected and analyzed jointly for a more complete understanding of the 3 pathways. We have a rich store of quantitative and qualitative data reaching back up to 20 years on neighborhood conditions, services, and definition/reporting; this is a unique resource to reveal these pathways' roles in influencing maltreatment over time. The proposed study is innovative: it will compare and contrast neighborhood conditions, services, and definition/reporting over a 20-year period. The study is highly significant: experts nationwide are unsure of the forces shaping US maltreatment rates, forces which this study will address. The study has significant potential to shape child welfare policy by identifying specific neighborhood conditions, service elements, and definition/reporting practices linked to reduced maltreatment rates. Moreover, because conditions in Cleveland mirror those of many urban areas nationwide, expected results will be relevant to numerous US cities.