Protective Informal Social Control of Child Maltreatment and Child Abuse Injury in Seoul

J Interpers Violence. 2015 Nov;30(18):3324-39. doi: 10.1177/0886260514554422. Epub 2014 Nov 11.

Abstract

Previous findings on the relationship between neighborhood informal social control and child abuse have been mixed. We implemented a scale created by Emery, Trung, and Wu to study protective informal social control of child maltreatment (ISC_CM) by neighbors in a three-stage random cluster sample of 541 families in Seoul, South Korea. Random-effects regression models found that protective ISC_CM significantly moderated the relationship between very severe abuse and child injuries. Very severe abuse was associated with fewer injuries when levels of protective ISC_CM were higher. Implications are discussed.

Keywords: ISC_CM; child abuse; informal social control; injury.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Child
  • Child Abuse / prevention & control*
  • Child Abuse / statistics & numerical data
  • Family Characteristics
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Intimate Partner Violence / statistics & numerical data
  • Male
  • Parent-Child Relations
  • Residence Characteristics
  • Seoul
  • Social Control, Informal*