NCJ Number
195014
Date Published
2001
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This booklet is for service providers who work with immigrant families on issues relating to child discipline, child abuse, and child neglect.
Abstract
No ethnic group condones sexual or physical abuse of children, but what constitutes physical abuse varies from family to family and culture to culture. Immigrant families may be fearful and resentful of child protection authorities and police, and may want to avoid involving authorities in family issues because they are considered private. Because of linguistic and other barriers, much information that is readily available to Canadian-born parents doesn't reach many immigrant families. According to the booklet, service providers should be able to discuss with immigrant parents such topics as: (1) the age and period of time a parent can leave a child unattended; (2) whether it is neglect to keep a child out of school; (3) whether putting pressure on a child to meet very high academic standards constitutes abuse; and (4) the extent to which parents can go to prevent a teenage daughter from wearing make-up or dating. The booklet suggests several ways that service providers can help immigrant families prevent child abuse and neglect. It also contains information on finding multilingual resource materials for ethnocultural communities.