Re: neighorhood contributions to child maltreatment

["Alex Bierman" <abierman@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Kathie:

Here is a combination of some of my working writings on this topic:  

"Objective" measures of structural characteristics tend to be correlated
with "subjective" indicators of neighborhood problems or "disorder"
(Ross, Mirowsky, and Pribesh 2001; see also Ewart and Suchday 2002). 
Research also indicates moderate to strong relationships between
respondent and observer ratings of neighborhoods (Andresen, Malmstrom,
Miller, & Wolinsky 2006; Perkins & Taylor 1996), and longitudinal
research indicates that that measures of psychological distress do not
predict changes in perceptions of neighborhood disorder (Hill, Ross, &
Angel 2005), suggesting that residents of neighborhoods can provide
accurate indications of neighborhood conditions.  In addition, some have
pointed out research showing that the construct validity of respondents’
assessments of neighborhoods is higher than observers’ assessments,
supporting the argument that residents of neighborhoods are at least as
able to describe their neighborhoods as outside observers (see Ross et
al. 2001:571).  

There is also a larger question regarding this topic.  Do you want to
examine the way the structure of the neighborhood influences
maltreatment, or the influence of individual experience with
neighborhood conditions?  If it is the latter, you may wish to use
respondent self-reports, even if these self reports are less
"objective," because they reflect personal experience with neighborhood
conditions (even if these experiences may not match with another
person's in the same conditions).

Best,

Alex Bierman

Assistant Professor
336 Santa Susana Hall
Sociology Department
California State University, Northridge
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge, CA 91330-8318



>>> "kathie mm" <kkmalley@xxxxxxxxxxx> 05/13/08 10:00 PM >>>
My colleagues and I are interested in the contribution of neigborhood
variables to the occurrence of child maltreatment and its outcomes. Does
anyone know of any studies indicating the extent to which children's and
adult's self-reports on neighborhood characteristics--i.e., their
perceptions of neighborhood characteristics--show some consistency with
"more objective" measures of neighborhood characteristics?
I would appreciate any input on this question.
Kathie Malley-Morrison
Boston University