NCJ Number
199084
Journal
Child Abuse Review Volume: 11 Issue: 6 Dated: November – December 2002 Pages: 380-393
Date Published
November 2002
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the protection of Black and other ethnic minority children’s mental health.
Abstract
Noting the inequitable, oppressive, and poor quality of adult services for Black and other ethnic minority families is beginning to be addressed, the author contends that the mental health needs of children and adolescents in culturally diverse societies still receive little attention. Following a discussion of the ways in which issues of citizenship, nationality, race, and immigration provide a context in which racist and oppressive practices, legislation, and public policies can go unchecked, leaving the mental health needs of minority children to be unmet, the author argues that welfare services themselves often fail to listen and respond to the needs and concerns of Black communities. Citing evidence that there is a tremendous need for the mental health concerns of all children in a culturally diverse society to be considered, the author describes a series of assumptions and stereotypes made concerning Black and other ethnic minority children and their families that often prevent mental health practitioners from recognizing the special needs and issues of these children and adolescents. Focusing on five components that comprise culturally competent care, the author argues that an awareness and acceptance of cultural differences, the capacity for cultural self-awareness, understanding the dynamics of difference, developing basic knowledge about a child’s future, and adapting practice skills to fit the cultural context of the child and family are all effective techniques for ensuring that the culture and mental health of Black and other ethnic minority children and young people is protected. References