Child maltreatment: Differences in perceptions between parents in low income and middle income neighbourhoods

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.