Re: Racism

[aron shlonsky <shlonsky@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Vernon,

Try these.

Ards, S., C. Chung, et al. (1998). "The effects of sample selection bias on 
racial differences in child abuse reporting." Child Abuse & Neglect 22(2): 
103-115.
         Examined whether design features of Wave 1, 1980 National 
Incidence Study (NIS) data resulted in sample selection bias (SSB) when 
certain victims of maltreatment were excluded. Logistic regression models 
for the probability of child abuse report to child protective services were 
estimated using maximum likelihood methods for 511 Black and 2,499 White 
child abuse cases. The models were estimated with and without correction 
for SSB using a 2-step procedure (J. Heckman, 1979). Substantial 
differences were found in the characteristics of Black and White victims by 
source of report and by type of maltreatment, and within each racial group 
between sampled agencies and nonsampled agencies. SSB affected the 
estimation of child abuse reporting rates for both races. In the Black 
sample, however, SSB reduced the statistical significance of the impacts of 
reporting agency and physical and sexual abuse on report rates. In the 
White sample, most significant factors in the basic model remained 
statistically significant with correction for SSB. The authors suggest that 
conclusions about racial differences in child maltreatment be reached 
cautiously, given the NIS study design. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2000 
APA, all rights reserved)

Ards, S. and A. Harrell (1993). "Reporting of child maltreatment: A 
secondary analysis of the National Incidence surveys." Child Abuse & 
Neglect 17(3): 337-344.
         Examined the discrepancies between child maltreatment cases known 
to Child Protective Services (CPS) agencies and those known to 
professionals who regularly come into contact with children: teachers, 
hospital personnel, law enforcement officers, court personnel, and social 
service workers. Analysis is based on the 1980 and 1986 National Study of 
the Incidence and Severity of Child Abuse and Neglect. Research yielded 3 
major findings. First, older victims were less likely than younger victims 
to be known to CPS agencies. Second, there is a hierarchy of type of abuse 
reported to CPS agencies, with sexual abuse being at the top of the list 
and educational neglect at the bottom of the list. Third, the victims' 
race, sex, and income did not play a role in whether or not a case was 
reported to CPS agencies. (French & Spanish abstracts) (PsycINFO Database 
Record (c) 2000 APA, all rights reserved)

You may also want to go to http://www.nccd-crc.org and follow the links to 
Children's Research Center.  They've done some really good work on 
measuring whether certain risk assessment tools function in a racially 
biased manner.

Rick Barth at UNC has also done some work in this area.

Good luck!



At 12:23 AM 1/20/2002 -0500, you wrote:
>I am doing a paper on racism in child welfare.
>
>Would appreciate any citations that refer to the impact of racism on child
>protective services.
>
>Thanks

Aron Shlonsky, MSW, MPH
Research Associate
UC Berkeley
School of Social Welfare
Center for Social Services Research
16 Haviland Hall, #7400
Berkeley, CA  94720-7400
(510) 642-8139
shlonsky@uclink4.berkeley.edu