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Pei F. Exploring Gender Moderation: The Impact of Neighborhood Factors on Adolescent Internalizing and Externalizing Symptoms. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 11:389. [PMID: 38671606 PMCID: PMC11049324 DOI: 10.3390/children11040389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Limited previous studies investigated the influences of various types of neighborhood factors on adolescent behavior problems. Meanwhile, although previous theoretical frameworks suggested that gender played a significant role in terms of neighborhood impacts on adolescent behavioral problems, few studies investigated the gender differences in such neighborhood influences. Using the year 9 and year 15 data of the national dataset Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS, overly sampled participants from low-income families), this study examined how the neighborhood structural and process factors can affect adolescent behavioral problems (internalizing and externalizing symptoms) and whether gender worked as a significant moderator for such relationships in the U.S. Structural equation models and multigroup SEM were estimated (N = 3411). Findings suggested that residential instability was associated with increased levels of internalizing symptoms among adolescents at age 15, whereas neighborhood social cohesion was linked to reduced levels of externalizing symptoms throughout adolescence. Furthermore, the moderating effects of gender were found for the association between residential instability and internalizing symptoms. Implications of such findings are further discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Pei
- School of Social Work, David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, Syracuse University, White Hall, 440, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA
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Emery C, Abdullah A, Thapa S, Chan KL, Hiu-Kwan C, Lai AHY, Lau BHP, Wekerle C. Desistance from physical abuse in a national study of Nepal: Protective informal social control and self-compassion. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2023:106588. [PMID: 38044251 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Research on the conditions under which perpetrators desist from child maltreatment has seen greater attention as part of the efforts to break the cycle of maltreatment. New theoretical insights suggest that informal actions (herein protective informal social control of child maltreatment) by network members which communicate warmth, empathy with victim distress, and promote the modeling of positive parenting practices are more likely to increase maltreatment desistance. Likewise, parents' desistance from maltreatment is theorized to impact on adolescents' (victim) cognition and self-compassion. OBJECTIVE This study examined the relationship among protective informal social control of child maltreatment (protective ISC_CM) by social networks, physical abuse desistance, and adolescent self-compassion. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING A nationally representative sample of 1100 mothers and their adolescent children (aged 11-15) in Nepal was obtained. METHODS Questionnaires were administered to mothers and their adolescent children independently. Hypotheses were tested using regression models with standard errors corrected for clustering within wards. RESULTS More than 1 in 7 mothers reported perpetrating physical abuse in the past year, and 1 in every 5 adolescents reported being victims of physical abuse. Odds of abuse desistance increase by roughly 10 % for each act of protective ISC_CM reported by the mother. Also, odds of abuse desistance associated with higher adolescent self-compassion, and acts of protective ISC_CM associated with higher levels of adolescent self-compassion. CONCLUSION The findings suggest that interventions to boost desistance from maltreatment and break the cycle of abuse in Nepal, should focus on promoting protective informal social control actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clifton Emery
- Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, HKU Centennial Campus, PokFuLam Road, Hong Kong.
| | - Alhassan Abdullah
- College of Education, Psychology and Social Work, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
| | - Srijana Thapa
- Department of Child Welfare Studies, Namseoul University, South Korea
| | - Ko Ling Chan
- Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong.
| | - Cheryl Hiu-Kwan
- Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, HKU Centennial Campus, PokFuLam Road, Hong Kong.
| | - Angel Hor-Yan Lai
- Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong.
| | - Bobo Hi-Po Lau
- Department of Counselling and Psychology, Hong Kong Shue Yan University, Hong Kong.
| | - Christine Wekerle
- Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S4L8, Canada
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Emery CR, Abdullah A, Jordan LP. Protective Community Norms and Mental Health Risks for Severe Physical Abuse: Lessons From a Nationally Representative Study of Ghana. JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 2023; 38:8593-8618. [PMID: 36843448 DOI: 10.1177/08862605231156418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Although it has become axiomatic to quote an African proverb in discussions of child well-being, attempts to draw concrete and positive lessons from how African communities respond to and mitigate child maltreatment are comparatively few. This study tested the hypothesis that the collective value of Abiriwatia in Ghana, which supports legitimate norms of community obligations to care for children, could be protective against physical abuse. It also examined the claim that knowledge of the familial situation of community members, generated through Abiriwatia, may help them to act to mitigate the risk of caregiver's borderline personality disorder (BPD) features. We obtained a nationally representative sample of 1,100 female caregivers from 22 Ghanaian settlements and tested the hypotheses using multilevel models. Controlling for community-level physical abuse, living in a community with high levels of Abiriwatia childcare and community authority values is associated with lower levels of very severe physical abuse, and Abiriwatia childcare may mitigate risk from the caregiver's BPD features. Within Ghana, encouraging positive and protective aspects of traditional Ghanaian values and working to reinstate respect for these values may have positive outcomes for children. Interventions to reduce child maltreatment should be developed with reference to Abiriwatia childcare values.
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Abdullah A, Jordan LP, Emery CR. The protective effects of the collective cultural value of abiriwatia against child neglect: Results from a nationally representative survey. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2023; 138:106068. [PMID: 36764174 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Over the past 20 years, there has been a growing commitment to strengthen community norms-to foster informal support for families and enhance community commitment to protect children from child abuse and neglect. The current study examined the relationship between child neglect and normative interpretations of the dominant cultural value of abiriwatia in Ghana. It was hypothesized that the norms of abiriwatia were associated with lower incidence of child neglect. METHODS We used a random, stratified four-stage cluster design to select a nationally representative sample of 1100 female caregivers in Ghana. Norms of the cultural value of abiriwatia were measured using a new 11-item Likert scale questionnaire developed by the authors, and child neglect was measured using the Conflict Tactics Scale. RESULTS Factor analysis of the abiriwatia scale retained three factors, community authority, collective childcare, and lineage, as the core norms of abiriwatia. We found that the abiriwatia norm of community authority was associated with fewer instances of child neglect. Norms of community responsibility for childcare were negatively associated with child neglect frequency (B = -0.31, p < .05). However, the relationship between the abiriwatia norm of lineage and child neglect was positive (B = 0.24, p < .05). CONCLUSION The protective associations among the norms of community authority and collective childcare and child neglect suggest that traditional practices that strengthen and enforce the collective norms of abiriwatia, including storytelling, family byelaws, community durbars (community meetings), taboos, and reciprocal farming activities (nnoboa) could be protective against neglect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alhassan Abdullah
- College of Education, Psychology and Social Work, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
| | - Lucy P Jordan
- Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, HKU Centennial Campus, PokFuLam Road, Hong Kong.
| | - Clifton R Emery
- Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, HKU Centennial Campus, PokFuLam Road, Hong Kong.
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Abdullah A, Emery CR. Dose-Response Relationship Between Protective Family Informal Social Control and Chronic Child Neglect: Does Household Size Matter? JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 2023; 38:5404-5429. [PMID: 36154516 DOI: 10.1177/08862605221123280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Larger households, involving more children, are theorized as potential risk factors for child maltreatment-resource dilution theory. But qualitative evidence shows that in collective societies, like Ghana, more adult family members may act against neglect, through protective informal social control, which helps to reduce the frequency of neglect. Family members intervention in neglect situations will be more consistent and sustained due to the sanctioned collective responsibility to care for children in the community. The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis that having more adult family members in the household, who have the will and agency to intervene, will predict less chronic neglect. A three-stage probability proportional to size cluster sample of Ghana was collected from 1,100 primary caregiving mothers. One mother was interviewed in each household, and responses were limited to one focal child. When sample was restricted to those with chronic neglect (neglect > 1), 596 mothers remained in the data. The children have experienced 11 times neglect in the past year, and lived in households with average size of 6 members. Chronic neglect was measured using the Conflict Tactics Scale. Dose-response protective informal social control by family members was measured using the newly developed context-based scale for measuring protective informal social control of child neglect (ISC_CM2). Results from the random effects regressions models showed a negative relationship between dose-response protective informal social control and chronic neglect, and the interaction with household size was negative and significant. Ghanaian families should be sensitized to take advantage of the communal living practices, extended family systems and compound housing structures, as traditional mechanisms to promote collectivity and interventions in observed acts of neglect to protect children. The evidence contradicts the resource dilution theory's conceptualization of large household as risks factors of neglect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alhassan Abdullah
- Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam Road, Hong Kong
| | - Clifton R Emery
- Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam Road, Hong Kong
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Abdullah A, Emery CR. Caregivers' perceptions of informal social control practices to reduce child neglect: A qualitative study in Ghana. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2022; 133:105848. [PMID: 36044791 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2022.105848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 07/31/2022] [Accepted: 08/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rational choice deterrence theory suggests that caregiving behavior, which includes abusive and neglectful behavior, can be influenced or manipulated via informal social control strategies enacted by neighbors, family members and friends in the social network. The literature identifies two forms of informal social control that have the potential to influence maltreating caregiver behavior, protective vs punitive, with the latter having more contrasting evidence related to its influence on maltreating caregiving practices. OBJECTIVE To examine the perceptions and meanings female caregivers associate with protective and punitive informal social control strategies that have been enacted against them. METHODS 17 female caregivers from Ghana, who self-reported their involvement in neglectful acts, were purposively selected to engage in river of life oral history narrative interviews. Narrative accounts from the caregivers were analyzed thematically using Taguette software package. RESULTS The findings showed that protective informal social control in child neglect are interpreted via values and norms of childcare that have been institutionalized in the community. Caregivers perceived protective informal social control to have impact on their level of respect/influence, authority in the family or community, and to elicit internal consequences: shame, guilty feelings and embarrassment. Punitive informal social control approaches were considered as misplaced interventions that had ulterior motives of satisfying the neighbors' hatred/dislike of the perpetrator and quest for revenge. CONCLUSION The findings suggest that the development of a fruitful theoretical framework to explain the effectiveness of informal social control should prioritize the social values and legitimate norms of the community. Implications for practice and theory development are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alhassan Abdullah
- Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, HKU Centennial Campus, PokFuLam Road, Hong Kong.
| | - Clifton R Emery
- Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, HKU Centennial Campus, PokFuLam Road, Hong Kong.
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Abdullah A, Jordan LP, Lu S, Emery CR. Collective value of Abiriwatia and protective informal social control of child neglect: Findings from a Nationally Representative Survey in Ghana. HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE IN THE COMMUNITY 2022; 30:e5745-e5754. [PMID: 36124633 DOI: 10.1111/hsc.14005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Evidence of the protective role of informal social control by community members (family members, friends, and neighbours) in child neglect has received considerable attention. Likewise, the protective effects of informal social control interventions in neglect are theorised to be common and highly efficacious in communities that have sanctioned informal interventions through collective social values and norms. Yet, no research has examined this theoretical postulation within the field of community/neighbourhood research in child maltreatment. We tested the theory-driven hypothesis by examining the interaction effects of protective informal social control of neglect and the collective value of Abiriwatia (a collective value based on lineage with norms on collective childcare duties) against the frequency of child neglect. Data consist of 616 caregivers' self-report of child neglect in the past year, from the Ghana Families and Neighbourhood Study. Hypotheses were tested using random effects regression models with standard errors corrected for settlement/community clusters. Protective informal social control of child neglect was significantly associated with fewer neglect in the past year (B = -0.79, p < 0.05). The interaction between protective informal social control of child neglect and the collective value of Abiriwatia was negative (B = -0.07, p < 0.05). The findings suggest that strengthening the collective normative commitment to childcare would promote family members' intervention to protect against neglect situations, and their intervention can deter further acts of neglect. Community neglect prevention programmes should take advantage of the findings to strengthen community norms that sanction collective childcare duties. Community child protection committees of the Department of Social Welfare should develop social groups and informal associations to strengthen Abiriwatia in Ghana.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alhassan Abdullah
- College of Education, Psychology and Social Work, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Lucy P Jordan
- Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Shuang Lu
- Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Clifton R Emery
- Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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Emery CR, Abdullah A, Wu S. Legitimacy, incipience, and perception of informal social control of intimate partner violence: Experiment on a Korean parent sample. JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY 2022; 50:3760-3777. [PMID: 35638505 DOI: 10.1002/jcop.22870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Evidence from a growing research literature on the causes and effects of informal social control (ISC) and bystander interventions carried out by nonprofessionals against intimate partner violence (IPV) shows anomalies and unexplained counterintuitive findings. This study employs a new experimental vignette design to examine the hypothesis: high bystander legitimacy (in the eyes of potential perpetrators) will moderate the effects of (1) incipient ISC and (2) perceived ISC, on parent's self-estimated likelihood of perpetrating IPV. The data consist of 210 rural Korean parents randomly drawn from Kyunggi province using a three-stage cluster probability proportional to size approach. Parents were randomly assigned to low and high incipient ISC, perceived ISC, and collective legitimacy conditions, following a 2 × 2 × 2 experimental vignette approach. Hypotheses were tested using regression models with standard errors corrected for district clusters. Incipient ISC was associated with significantly less self-estimated likelihood of perpetrating IPV. An interaction between high bystander legitimacy and incipient ISC was negative (B = -8.88, p < 0.01). The interaction between perceived ISC and legitimacy was not significant. However, the interaction between perceived ISC and female gender was positively associated with self-estimated likelihood of perpetrating IPV (B = 8.61, p < 0.05). The findings suggest that the presence of a legitimate bystander (whom the potential perpetrator believes has a legitimate right to be concerned about his or her family) may deter parents from perpetrating IPV. Programs to boost ISC and bystander intervention should include modules that strengthen collective legitimacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clifton R Emery
- Department of Social Work and Social Administration, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Alhassan Abdullah
- Department of Social Work and Social Administration, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Shali Wu
- School of Management, Kyunghee University, Seoul, South Korea
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Seon J. How does neighborhood affect child maltreatment among immigrant families? CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2021; 122:105300. [PMID: 34481138 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Child maltreatment in immigrant families is understudied, although research suggests that they are at higher risk of child abuse and neglect. While the limited studies on the etiology of child maltreatment among immigrant families have mainly focused on children and their caregivers, this study breaks new ground by examining the neighborhood as an environmental context for child maltreatment among immigrant families. METHODS Following social disorganization theory, this study explores the mechanisms by which neighborhood structural characteristics and social processes affect the maltreatment of children in immigrant families, using the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 372). RESULTS Structural equation modeling revealed that negative neighborhood structural characteristics were positively associated with higher physical assault (β = 0.42, p < .001), higher psychological aggression (β = 0.29, p < .001), and higher neglect (β = 0.19, p < .001) among immigrant families. Conversely, positive neighborhood social processes were associated with lower physical assault (β = -0.37, p < .001) and lower psychological aggression (β = -0.31, p < .001) among immigrant families. In addition, neighborhood social processes mediated the relationship between neighborhood structural characteristics and child physical assault (β = -0.09, p < .001) among immigrant families. CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study highlighted the positive role of neighborhood social processes in reducing child physical assault among immigrant families, even in neighborhoods with negative structural characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jisuk Seon
- Department of Social Welfare, Kyungnam University, Changwon, South Korea.
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Jespersen BV, Korbin JE, Spilsbury JC. Older Neighbors and The Neighborhood Context of Child Well-Being: Pathways to Enhancing Social Capital for Children. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY 2021; 68:402-413. [PMID: 33890310 PMCID: PMC8693895 DOI: 10.1002/ajcp.12520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Drawing on Coleman's concept of social capital, researchers have investigated how the quality of neighborhood social networks influences child development and well-being. The role of non-kin older neighbors in advancing child well-being through the enhancement of social capital, however, has been under-studied. Our objective was to delineate specific pathways through which non-kin older neighbors contribute to neighborhood quality for children and families and potentially advance child well-being. We examined open-ended interview data from 400 parents who cared for at least one child under 18 years of age and resided in 20 neighborhoods in Cleveland, Ohio. A subsample of 113 parents connected older neighbors to neighborhood quality for families and children in their narratives. Our analysis identified three primary pathways through which parents positively linked older neighbors to neighborhood quality: older neighbors support parents and children, promote neighborhood safety, and contribute to neighborhood residential stability. These contributions are evidence of intergenerational closure, reciprocated exchange, and informal social control working together to create social capital in neighborhoods for children. It is by enhancing social capital that older neighbors potentially improve child well-being. We discuss the implications of our findings for neighborhood research and practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brooke V. Jespersen
- Case Western Reserve University, Department of Anthropology, 11220 Bellflower Rd., Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA
| | - Jill E. Korbin
- Case Western Reserve University, Department of Anthropology, 11220 Bellflower Rd., Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA
| | - James C. Spilsbury
- Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, Iris S. & Bert L. Wolstein Research Building, 2103 Cornell Road, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA
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Abdullah A, Cudjoe E, Jordan LP, Emery CR. Child polyvictimization in Zongo communities in Ghana: Young people's reflections on systemic resilience enablers. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2021; 119:105075. [PMID: 33934894 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Revised: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Polyvictimization is often commonplace for young people living in violent communities. The situation is no different for young people in Ghanaian Zongo communities where poverty, social disorder and social vices are prevalent due to structural reasons. OBJECTIVE Using the social ecology approach to resilience, the study sought the perspectives of young people about how systemic aspects of community contribute to their positive development in high-risk communities. METHODS Following the short narrative approach, 23 young people ages 18-24 from two Zongo communities in Ghana were engaged in qualitative interviews. FINDINGS Cultural values of solidarity and peer support were common systemic enablers that facilitated young peoples' resilience. These enablers provided context and resources which ensured their survival in cases of neglect and abuse. Cultural values of solidarity exemplified by care for each other among residents created a safe environment and cultural capital contributed to the young peoples' resilience. Additionally, the "base" within Zongo communities provided a social structure that enabled peer support and promoted young peoples' resilience in the face of polyvictimization experiences. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS The findings shift the resilience discourse from a conception of personality traits to one of collective aspects of community systems. They also identify cultural values of solidarity within the community that provide cultural capital for the social functioning of young people dealing with polyvictimization in high-risk environments. The findings provide pathways for professionals to promote resilience and develop resilience-oriented primary preventive measures for adolescents living in high-risk environments in Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alhassan Abdullah
- Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, HKU Centennial Campus, Hong Kong.
| | - Ebenezer Cudjoe
- Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
| | - Lucy P Jordan
- Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, HKU Centennial Campus, Hong Kong.
| | - Clifton R Emery
- Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, HKU Centennial Campus, Hong Kong.
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Emery CR, Wu S, Chan KL. A Comparative Study of Totalitarian Style Partner Control in Seoul and Beijing: Confucian Sex Role Norms, Secrecy, and Missing Data. JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 2021; 36:NP4443-NP4467. [PMID: 29998755 DOI: 10.1177/0886260518787208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Totalitarian style partner control is seldom studied apart from intimate partner violence (IPV) independently as an outcome. This article uses a comparative study of Beijing and Seoul to begin to address this gap in the research. We collected three-stage probability proportional to size cluster samples of married/partnered women from Beijing (n = 301) and Seoul (n = 459), using refusal conversion to keep response rates high. We hypothesized (1) totalitarian style partner control will be positively associated with Confucian sex role norms at the (a) individual and (b) neighborhood levels, (2) totalitarian style partner control will be positively associated with IPV secrecy at the (a) individual and (b) neighborhood levels, and (3) totalitarian style partner control will be positively associated with the need for refusal conversion. Mixed effects (multilevel) regression models supported all three hypotheses at the individual level. Surprisingly, neighborhood socioeconomic status was positively associated with totalitarian style partner control. The combined data conceal important differences between Beijing and Seoul. The rate of totalitarian style partner control is more than 5 times higher in Seoul, and Confucian sex role norms, at both the individual and neighborhood levels, predict totalitarian style control there. Based on our findings, we infer that cultural emphases on face may play very different roles in the etiology of totalitarian partner control in the two cities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clifton R Emery
- The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
- Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Shali Wu
- Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Ko-Ling Chan
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong
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Abdullah A, R Emery C, P Jordan L. Neighbourhood collective efficacy and protective effects on child maltreatment: A systematic literature review. HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE IN THE COMMUNITY 2020; 28:1863-1883. [PMID: 32564490 DOI: 10.1111/hsc.13047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Revised: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Research within the community-based child protection approach has used the neighbourhood collective efficacy theory of social disorganisation to focus on investigating the social conditions and processes that facilitate residents' ability to intervene or protect children from parental maltreatment. However, much of the research into the protective effects of neighbourhood collective efficacy on child maltreatment has yielded mixed results. In a review of empirical studies published between 2008 and 2019, we investigated the sources of these mixed findings and the pathways through which neighbourhood collective efficacy could protect children from parental maltreatment. Following the PRISMA guidelines for systematic literature reviews yielded 21 empirical research articles on the subject that were critically examined in line with the theoretical underpinning and research questions. Evidence suggests both direct and sequential pathways in which increased social cohesion and informal social control (ISC) protect against parents' maltreatment behaviours. Higher levels of neighbourhood social cohesion were found to be a potential primary preventive strategy against risk factors for maltreatment. The use of ISC measures from the traditional collective efficacy scale account for the mixed findings and limited research on the direct and indirect forms of ISC. Moreover, the transactional processes posited by collective efficacy theory that link neighbourhood social cohesion to ISC have yet to be examined and confirmed with respect to child maltreatment. Studies addressing these theoretical and methodological gaps are encouraged, in particular, studies examining ISC dimensions using item measures of specific residents' actions within child maltreatment behaviours. The results provide implications for community-based child protection practice, in terms of promoting cultural norms and values that foster social cohesion and facilitate ISC interventions within neighbourhoods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alhassan Abdullah
- Department of Social Work and Social Administration, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
| | - Clifton R Emery
- Department of Social Work and Social Administration, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
| | - Lucy P Jordan
- Department of Social Work and Social Administration, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
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Emery CR, Eremina T, Arenas C, Kim J, Chan KL. When Bigger Is Better: Household Size, Abuse Injuries, Neglect, and Family Response in Novosibirsk, Russia. JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 2020; 35:1035-1051. [PMID: 29294655 DOI: 10.1177/0886260517692333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Although previous research has demonstrated larger households to be at higher risk of physical abuse and neglect of children, we argue that unilateral conceptualization of larger households as a risk factor is inappropriate. Application of resource dilution theory must capture the possibility that larger families may have more members with both the agency and will to intervene against child maltreatment. We hypothesized a negative interaction between household size and protective informal social control by family members in predicting abuse injuries and neglect. A three-stage probability proportional to size cluster sample representative of Novosibirsk, Russia, was collected from 306 cohabiting couples. One parent in each household was interviewed. A focal child was selected using most recent birthday. When responses limited to families with minor children (below age 18) were selected, 172 families remained in the data. Physical abuse and neglect were measured using the Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS). Protective informal social control by family members was measured using the Informal Social Control of Child Maltreatment (ISC_CM) Scale. Models were tested using random effects regression and logistic regression. Nearly 7% of focal children were injured in the last year, 10% were neglected. Consistent with previous research, protective informal social control was associated with lower odds of injury and fewer instances of neglect. The significant negative interaction between household size and protective control is consistent with the idea that larger households may be protective when adult family members intervene against maltreatment to protect children. Replication and further investigation of protective ISC_CM in Western populations is much needed. Future research should not conceptualize or measure household size as a unilateral risk factor.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Ko Ling Chan
- Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
- Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong
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Emery CR, Wu S. A Tale of Two Confucian Capitals: The Role of Friends and Secrecy in Beijing and Seoul. Violence Against Women 2019; 26:458-481. [DOI: 10.1177/1077801219833826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
How do your friends respond to intimate partner violence (IPV), and does it make a difference? This article examines the relationships between wives’ IPV secrecy, Confucian sex-role norms, informal social control by friends, totalitarian style partner control by husbands, and husbands’ IPV in a study of Beijing and Seoul. Hypotheses were tested using a three-stage cluster sample of 760 married/partnered women from Beijing ( n = 301) and Seoul ( n = 459). Multilevel regression models run on the combined data found that totalitarian partner control by husbands was positively associated with husband IPV severity. Friends’ protective approaches to informal social control of IPV were associated with less husband IPV severity, but punitive approaches were marginally associated with more. However, the combined findings gloss over very different findings for the two cities. The authors argue that the etiology of much IPV in Beijing is better characterized by social disorganization, but the etiology of much IPV in Seoul is better characterized by totalitarian control (deviant order).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shali Wu
- Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea
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Emery CR, Yang H, Kim O, Ko Y. A Multiplicative Approach to Polyvictimization: A Study of Intimate Partner Violence Types as Risk Factors for Child Polyvictimization in South Korea. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:E783. [PMID: 30836658 PMCID: PMC6427648 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16050783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Revised: 02/16/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Drawing on a new typology of intimate partner violence (IPV), this paper tests the relationship between indicators of totalitarian and anarchic IPV and child polyvictimization incidence and severity. The paper argues for and utilizes a quantitative approach to study polyvictimization severity. Polyvictimization is operationalized as a multiplicative relationship between physical abuse and neglect in a random sample of 204 children from Kyunggi province, South Korea. The indicator of totalitarian IPV significantly predicted polyvictimization severity and incidence even when a traditional measure of intimate terrorism was held constant. The indicator of anarchic IPV significantly predicted polyvictimization severity but not incidence when a traditional measure of intimate terrorism was held constant. Implications are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hyerin Yang
- Transitional Justice Working Group, Seoul 03142, Korea.
- Yonsei University School of Social Welfare, Seoul 139-720, Korea.
| | - Oksoo Kim
- Yonsei University School of Social Welfare, Seoul 139-720, Korea.
| | - Yoonjeong Ko
- Yonsei University School of Social Welfare, Seoul 139-720, Korea.
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Emery CR, Wu S, Yang H, Lee H, Kim J, Chan KL. Informal Control by Family and Risk Markers for Alcohol Abuse/Dependence in Seoul. JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 2019; 34:1000-1020. [PMID: 27161846 DOI: 10.1177/0886260516647003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Although previous research documents a reliable relationship between physical intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization and alcoholism, relatively little research has examined new theoretical constructs in IPV research that may increase risk for or help buffer women from alcohol abuse/dependence. The purpose of the present study was to examine informal social control of IPV by family members as a protective factor against and coercive control as a risk factor for alcohol abuse/dependence in a small population sample of married women in Seoul, South Korea. We hypothesized that (a) informal social control by family members would be negatively associated with victim alcohol abuse/dependence and (b) husband's coercive control would be positively associated with victim alcohol abuse/dependence. We measured alcohol abuse/dependence (CAGE scale), IPV and coercive control by husbands, and informal social control of IPV (ISC_IPV) by extended family members in a three-stage random cluster sample of 462 married women in Seoul, South Korea. Both random effects regression and zero-inflated Poisson regression models found that ISC_IPV by extended family members was associated with a significantly lower CAGE scores, and coercive control was associated with significantly higher CAGE scores. Interventions to boost ISC_IPV by extended family members may mitigate some of the risk of alcohol abuse/dependence by victims.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shali Wu
- Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea
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Urgelles J, Donohue B, Holland J, Denby R, Chow G, Plant CP, Allen DN. Examination of the relationship between social support and treatment outcomes in mothers referred by Child Protective Services utilizing the Significant Other Support Scale. JOURNAL OF FAMILY SOCIAL WORK 2017; 20:213-232. [PMID: 31551651 PMCID: PMC6758540 DOI: 10.1080/10522158.2016.1276991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Supportive social networks may play an important role in recovery for mothers within the umbrella of Child Protective Services (CPS). However, investigators have yet to assess how the quality of significant other support assists family-based treatment. In this study the influence of significant others was examined in the family-based treatment of 38 mothers who were referred for behavioral treatment by CPS. The Significant Other Support Scale (SOSS) was empirically developed, and subsequently utilized to assess the extent to which participants' significant others were perceived by treatment providers to support the participants' goals during treatment sessions. Results indicated that SOSS scores (but not participant and significant other session attendance) were associated with lower participant child abuse potential and drug use frequency at the conclusion of treatment. There was no relationship found between SOSS scores and participant session attendance. However, there was a positive correlation between SOSS scores and significant other session attendance (r = .489, p < .01). The results of this study suggest the quality of significant other support during treatment sessions in this population of mothers may be more important to improving treatment outcomes than session attendance per se. Future directions are discussed in light of the results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Urgelles
- School of Social Work, University of Nevada, Las Vegas,
Nevada, USA
| | - Brad Donohue
- School of Social Work, University of Nevada, Las Vegas,
Nevada, USA
| | | | - Ramona Denby
- School of Social Work, University of Nevada, Las Vegas,
Nevada, USA
| | - Graig Chow
- School of Social Work, University of Nevada, Las Vegas,
Nevada, USA
| | | | - Daniel N. Allen
- School of Social Work, University of Nevada, Las Vegas,
Nevada, USA
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Xie QW, Sun X, Chen M, Qiao DP, Chan KL. What prevents Chinese parents from reporting possible cases of child sexual abuse to authority? A holistic-interactionistic approach. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2017; 64:19-31. [PMID: 27992830 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2016.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2016] [Revised: 10/05/2016] [Accepted: 12/12/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The reporting of suspected CSA cases to authorities in a timely manner is important in preventing continued abuse and protecting abused children at early ages. The current study seeks to explore parents' intentions of reporting their own children's CSA experiences to authorities as well as their reporting willingness when they become aware of possible CSA cases happening to children in other families. Two rounds of semi-structured interviews were conducted among a sample of 26 parents in Beijing; these parents were purposefully selected so as to be diverse in terms of gender, age, and socioeconomic status. The data were analyzed thematically. The findings showed that the reporting of suspected CSA to authorities was a choice made by only a few Chinese parents; it was often even a last resort. By using a holistic-interactionistic approach, the interaction between Chinese parents' intentions of reporting CSA and the Chinese socio-cultural context was analyzed as a dynamic and continuously ongoing process. The impacts of the definition and perceptions of CSA on reporting, the balance of children's rights and parents' power, and the double effect of informal social control are discussed. The implications, both locally and globally, are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Wen Xie
- Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.
| | - Xiaoyue Sun
- Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.
| | - Mengtong Chen
- Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.
| | - Dong Ping Qiao
- School of Social Development and Public Policy, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, PR China.
| | - Ko Ling Chan
- Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong; School of Social Welfare, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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Emery CR, Thapa S, Do MH, Chan KL. Do family order and neighbor intervention against intimate partner violence protect children from abuse? Findings from Kathmandu. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2015; 41:170-181. [PMID: 25455214 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2014.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2014] [Revised: 09/11/2014] [Accepted: 10/03/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Drawing on previous research on intimate partner violence, child maltreatment, and informal social control, we hypothesized relationships between child abuse severity and (1) protective informal social control of intimate partner violence (ISC_IPV) by neighbors, (2) intimate terrorism, (3) family order, and (4) the power of mothers in intimate relationships. In what we believe may be a first study of physical child abuse by parents in Nepal, we used a three stage cluster approach to draw a random sample of 300 families in Kathmandu. Random effects regression models were used to test the study hypotheses. The analyses found support for hypotheses one and two, but with an important caveat. Although observed (actual) protective ISC_IPV had the hypothesized negative association with child abuse severity, in one of our models perceived protective ISC_IPV was positively associated with child abuse severity. The models clarify that the overall direction of protective ISC_IPV appears to be negative (protective), but the positive finding is important to consider for both research and practice. A significant relationship between family order and child abuse severity was found, but the direction was negative rather than positive as in hypothesis three. Implications for neighborhood research and typological research on IPV and child maltreatment are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clifton R Emery
- School of Social Welfare, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Mi Hyang Do
- Namseoul University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ko Ling Chan
- Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Hong Kong, China
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