R. Shor, Child maltreatment: Differences in perceptions between parents in low income and middle income neighbourhoods, BR J SOC W, 30(2), 2000, pp. 165-178
A comparison of perceptions of situations of child maltreatment by parents
in a low income deprived neighbourhood and a middle income neighbourhood ha
s been the subject of a study conducted in Israel. The findings of the rese
arch, in which 110 families were interviewed, indicated that what differed
between these samples was not only the beliefs regarding effective and appr
opriate child-rearing practices but also the rationale behind these beliefs
. The findings also indicated that parental practices could be considered a
s maltreatment in one socio-ecological context and not in another. Parents
in the low income deprived neighbourhood emphasized the risk in their neigh
bourhood as the rationale for monitoring and controlling their children's b
ehaviour. In the middle income neighbourhood, parents believed they could u
se less restrictive methods in their child-rearing practices. The need to c
onsider the adaptive nature of parenting behaviours within their socio-ecol
ogical context when assessing and intervening in situations of child maltre
atment is discussed.