NCJ Number
226868
Journal
Child Maltreatment Volume: 14 Issue: 2 Dated: May 2009 Pages: 207-224
Date Published
May 2009
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This study examined the characteristics of child maltreatment among Asian Americans and the underlying cultural and social factors associated with these characteristics.
Abstract
Highlights of study findings include: (1) the rate of child maltreatment among Asian Americans was disproportionately low; (2) a high rate of physical abuse and low rates of neglect and sexual abuse were found among Asian American victims; (3) protective factors which may lead to low probability of child maltreatment include emphasis on family harmony and reputation and the indulgence to infants and toddlers; (4) risk factors of child maltreatment, especially physical abuse include: parental authority and beliefs in physical punishment; and (5) coexisting factors which may prohibit child maltreatment from being disclosed include children’s obedience to parents and families’ invisibility to authorities. Asian Americans have been one of the fastest growing minority groups in the United States since 1900. The existing literature has identified various significant differences in child maltreatment among Asian Americans as compared to other racial/ethnic groups in the United States. This article provides a systematic review of the characteristics of child maltreatment among Asian Americans and a theoretical explanatory framework for these characteristics. Figures and references