Domestic Violence and Child Maltreatment in Black Families Final rept

摘要

There are elevated rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) and child maltreatment (CM) within African American communities and among low-income individuals. Child witnessing of IPV is a major national concern. Children from families characterized by IPV are at increased risk to be victims of CM; approximately 40% of these youth are maltreated. The occurrence of CM, whether through abuse or neglect, represents a gross violation of the rights of a vulnerable and dependent child. CM is a symptom of not just individual or family trouble, but of neighborhood and community problems as well. Given that IPV and CM may occur at a greater rate among low income African Americans, that these individuals are an under-researched population, and that there are multiple pathways that lead to CM, it is important to develop a comprehensive, multifaceted picture of the relation between IPV and CM within this population with attention to both risk and protective factors.