CHILD NEGLECT - A STUDY OF THE PERCEPTIONS OF MOTHERS AND CHILD-WELFARE WORKERS

This study explored the perceptions of the seriousness of specific com ponents of child neglect by mothers from three cultural groups and of child welfare workers who perform two different functions. It then com pared the perceptions of the mothers to the workers. Using a factor an alysis to specify four dimensions of child neglect, the findings confi rm that judgments of the seriousness of child neglect vary by the subj ect's role and relationship to children, the mother's cultural group, and the worker's function. The mother's judgements of all categories o f child neglect were more serious than those of the workers. White mot hers rated all dimensions of child neglect as less serious than Africa n American or Hispanic mothers (although only two of these differences were statistically significantly), and investigative workers rated al l dimensions of child neglect as more serious than service caseworkers . Comparisons to previous research and implications are drawn.