UNEMPLOYMENT RATES, SINGLE-PARENT DENSITY, AND INDEXES OF CHILD POVERTY - THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF CHILD-ABUSE AND NEGLECT

Objective: There were two main research questions: First, is there a r elationship between rates of child physical abuse, child sexual abuse and child neglect and levels of female and male unemployment, single-p arent density and child poverty in the immediately local area; and sec ond, is this relationship different for different categories of abuse and neglect and different categories of deprivation? Method: Using arc hival data-registered cases of abuse and neglect and official data on child population, social worker ratio, unemployment rates, single-pare nt density, means-tested clothing grants and free school meals for chi ldren-a multiple correlational analysis was carried out of the 5,551 r eferrals and 1,450 registered cases of abuse and neglect in Glasgow, S cotland for the years 1991 through to 1993. Results: Substantial corre lations were found with all indices of deprivation but particularly ph ysical abuse with rates of male unemployment. Lower and more variable correlations were found with female unemployment rates. Sexual abuse a nd neglect rates showed a less consistent relationship with the indice s of deprivation. In general male unemployment rates alone accounted f or two-thirds of the variance in total abuse and neglect rates, other factors adding little or nothing to this. Conclusions: The results dem onstrate the importance of selecting small and relatively homogeneous areas for this kind of analysis to achieve ecological validity. Male u nemployment rates at this level allow for the ranking of areas in term s of priority need. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd.