NCJ Number
136178
Journal
American Behavioral Scientist Volume: 5 Issue: 3 Dated: (January-February 1992) Pages: 258-274
Date Published
1992
Length
17 pages
Annotation
Data obtained from the First National Family Violence Survey conducted in 1976 and the Second National Family Violence Survey conducted in 1985 examined the relationship between poverty and child maltreatment.
Abstract
The 1976 survey consisted of 2,143 families with at least one child living at home between the ages of 3 and 17 years. To assure a sufficient number of couples to analyze spousal violence, the study excluded subjects not residing with a member of the opposite sex. Single parent homes were included in the second survey. Respondents were interviewed in-person for the first survey and queried by telephone for the second. Levels of violence were termed: "overall," "severe," and "very severe." The 1976 findings indicated "severe" violence was 250 percent higher and "overall" violence 12 percent higher in households with incomes below the poverty line. The 1985 findings show "overall" violence was 4 percent higher in families with poverty incomes. The difference in findings between the two surveys can be attributed to differences in samples and interviewing techniques. Though results from both surveys support the claim that child abuse occurs among all social classes, children from families with annual incomes below the poverty line are more likely to experience violence with higher rates for "severe" and "very severe" violence occurring more in single parent homes. 5 tables, 6 notes, and 37 references