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Published on: September 19, 2019
Ethnicity in child maltreatment research: a content analysis
L E Behl1, J L Crouch, P F May
1Center for the Study of Family Violence and Sexual Assault, Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, De Kalb 60115, USA.
Child Maltreatment
|May 19, 2006
Summary
Child maltreatment research showed modest gains in addressing ethnicity between 1977 and 1998. Few studies focused on ethnicity or included it in analyses, despite slight increases over time.
Area of Science:
- Social Sciences
- Psychology
- Public Health
Background:
- Child maltreatment research has evolved significantly over decades.
- Understanding the role of ethnicity in child maltreatment is crucial for effective interventions.
- Previous research has not consistently incorporated ethnic considerations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the extent to which ethnicity was addressed in child maltreatment research.
- To track trends in the inclusion of ethnicity in research from 1977 to 1998.
- To evaluate the integration of ethnic variables in study design and analysis.
Main Methods:
- Content analysis of 1,133 articles published between 1977 and 1998.
- Journals included: Child Abuse and Neglect, Child Maltreatment, and Journal of Child Sexual Abuse.
- Categorization of articles based on focus on ethnicity and its inclusion in analysis.
Main Results:
- Only 6.7% of the analyzed articles focused on ethnicity.
- While reporting of ethnic composition increased, it was present in only half of recent studies (1995-1998).
- Ethnicity was rarely used as an analytical variable or control, with three-quarters of recent studies omitting it.
Conclusions:
- Despite a slight increase in attention, child maltreatment research inadequately addressed ethnicity during the study period.
- There is a need for greater integration of ethnic considerations in research design and analysis.
- Future research should prioritize the examination of ethnicity to improve understanding and interventions for child maltreatment.
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