Although child abuse and neglect has been described as a classless phenomenon by numerous writers, researchers and clinicians, the problem of child abuse is most evident among the poor, particularly when there is a problem of substance or drug abuse. While it is true that abuse and neglect can be found in every socioeconomic stratum, statistics show that a disproportionate number of reported cases of abuse and neglect involve low-income families. Studies have shown that poverty status is strongly related to neglect. Poor children are also highly represented among victims of more serious forms of abuse.

It has been argued that low-income families are more likely to be investigated and reported on than middle- and upper-income families. Suggestions have been made that if higher income families were subjected to the same scrutiny, an equal amount of abuse would be found. To date no significant evidence has been presented to support this position. In fact, a comprehensive analysis of possible bias was provided in a 1998 issue of the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, and the researchers found no grounds for such bias. Indeed, they stated their concern that the "myth of classlessness" in child abuse maltreatment could act to prevent poor families and their children from receiving assistance from social service authorities. The authors wrote:

We can no longer afford to cling to untenable positions regarding the equitable distribution of risk to children across class boundaries. We must concentrate our efforts in those areas in which the problems are most severe, and we must devise tools for working with poor families that address the special concerns, problems, and stresses they face. Ultimately, the close association between poverty and child maltreatment suggests that the most effective way to prevent child abuse will be to reduce the number of families in poverty. If child maltreatment is born largely of the stresses and wants associated with being poor, then primary prevention efforts might best target the underlying political, social, and economic structure that perpetuate poverty.

Cross-cultural evidence from Western and Eastern societies also supports the assertion that poverty and child abuse are related. Anthropological studies from New Guinea, Africa, Turkey and South America all have documented the increased risks to children raised in poverty.

The mere existence of poverty has been labeled as a form of societal abuse. Poor children who are denied the basic elements necessary for healthy development suffer many of the same consequences as those from whom these elements are intentionally withheld. Social policy researchers David Gil, Leroy Pelton and others have argued that attributing abuse and neglect to individual or family pathology masks true societal causes of the phenomenon. Further, the individual, as opposed to societal, view of child abuse is seen as a means of promoting certain professional and political interests at the expense of a more lasting solution.

Increased stress is often given as the reason for the association between poverty and abuse. Families with severely restricted incomes are constantly faced with difficult choices and may suffer from inadequate housing, poor health care and malnourishment. Such conditions are seen as neglectful and may contribute to physical, emotional or sexual abuse.

Despite its obvious contributions to increased stress and poor living conditions, poverty is by no means synonymous with abuse or neglect as statutorily defined. Only a relatively small proportion of children living in impoverished families are reported to child protection agencies. Parents of such children, through skill, determination and luck, are frequently able to overcome the burdens of poverty. It is clear, however, that poverty places children at significant risk.

References:

1)         Drake, Brett, and Susan Zuravin. "Bias in Child Maltreatment Reporting: Revisiting the Myth of Classlessness." American Journal of Orthopsychiatry 68, no. 2 (April 1998): 295-304.

2)         Drake, Brett, and Susan Zuravin. In the Shadow of the Poorhouse New York: Basic Books, 1986.

3)         Pelton, Leroy H. The Social Context of Child Abuse and Neglect. New York: Human Sciences Press, 1981.

4)         Pelton, Leroy H. "Child Abuse and Neglect: The Myth of Classlessness." American Journal of Orthopsychiatry 48 (October 1978): 607-617.

Free term papers are not written to satisfy your specific instructions. You can use our professional writing services to buy a custom written research paper, term paper, or essay on Child Abuse at affordable price. CustomTermPapers is the best solution for those who seek help in writing term papers, essays, and research papers related to Child Abuse and other relevant topics.