How does neighborhood affect child maltreatment among immigrant families?

Abstract

Background: Child maltreatment in immigrant families is understudied, although research suggests that they are at higher risk of child abuse and neglect. While the limited studies on the etiology of child maltreatment among immigrant families have mainly focused on children and their caregivers, this study breaks new ground by examining the neighborhood as an environmental context for child maltreatment among immigrant families.

Methods: Following social disorganization theory, this study explores the mechanisms by which neighborhood structural characteristics and social processes affect the maltreatment of children in immigrant families, using the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 372).

Results: Structural equation modeling revealed that negative neighborhood structural characteristics were positively associated with higher physical assault (β = 0.42, p < .001), higher psychological aggression (β = 0.29, p < .001), and higher neglect (β = 0.19, p < .001) among immigrant families. Conversely, positive neighborhood social processes were associated with lower physical assault (β = -0.37, p < .001) and lower psychological aggression (β = -0.31, p < .001) among immigrant families. In addition, neighborhood social processes mediated the relationship between neighborhood structural characteristics and child physical assault (β = -0.09, p < .001) among immigrant families.

Conclusions: The findings of this study highlighted the positive role of neighborhood social processes in reducing child physical assault among immigrant families, even in neighborhoods with negative structural characteristics.

Keywords: Child maltreatment; Immigrant families; Neighborhood social processes; Neighborhood structural characteristics.