[Incidence and characteristics in identification of abused children: cross-cultural comparison]

This study compared the incidence and characteristics of reported child abuse cases in two different ethnic groups. Incidence was calculated based on the total number of cases (N = 2,854) reported to child protection authorities between July 17, 1988 and March 31, 1989. In a sample of 953 reports, the following were examined: the source of the reporting, type of abuse, substantiation and age of the child. The incidence was found to be slightly higher among Haitian group compared to French-Canadian group. In the former case, reporting tended to originate with public authorities such as the police or school personnel. Cases tended to consist mainly of physical abuse, with very few cases of sexual abuse. Most involved adolescents. These results suggest that child-rearing practices of Haitian families are in conflict with the values of the host community, and that there exist similar value-based conflicts between Haitian parents and their children.