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The Role of Neighbors and the Government in Neighborhood‐Based Child Protection
Author(s) -
Korbin Jill E.,
Coulton Claudia J.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
journal of social issues
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.618
H-Index - 122
eISSN - 1540-4560
pISSN - 0022-4537
DOI - 10.1111/j.1540-4560.1996.tb01584.x
Subject(s) - harm , neglect , government (linguistics) , child protection , child abuse , child neglect , psychology , action (physics) , poison control , suicide prevention , human factors and ergonomics , criminology , environmental health , social psychology , medicine , psychiatry , nursing , linguistics , philosophy , physics , quantum mechanics
This paper addresses the policy recommendation that child protection efforts be reoriented to the neighborhood level. Residents of neighborhoods with varying rates of reported child maltreatment were questioned as to the roles of neighbors and/or the government in preventing child abuse and neglect. Residents in all neighborhoods were more optimistic that neighbors could prevent child maltreatment than they were about government action. Actions by neighbors involved reporting and providing assistance. There was less certainty about what the government could or should do. While reporting of child maltreatment was viewed as an important responsibility that could prevent serious harm and even death, neighborhood residents felt this responsibility was compromised by the potential of retaliation from neighborhood adults and children. Because economic and social conditions are inextricably bound together, child maltreatment prevention programs must be embedded within comprehensive efforts to strengthen communities.