Since the Convention of the Rights of the Child written in 1989, child protection has become a domain of public interest. In 2016, the World Health Organization defines child maltreatment as all types of abuse and neglect towards any individual under 18 (Organisation Mondiale de la Santé, 2020). Maltreatment in childhood can have an impact on the long run on both physical and mental health ; and psychologists have their part to play in child welfare. But social workers must be aware : according to the National Research Council and Institute of Medecine, child abuse can take different forms depending on the family’s culture (Shonkoff et Phillips, 2000). Culture combines “the shared values, behaviors, beliefs, norms, traditions, customs, and ideas of subgroups of individuals” (Elliott & Urquiza, 2006), and it influences children’s development as well as parents’ educational practices (Shonkoff et Phillips, 2000, cités par Korbin, 2002). In this article, we will present a non-exhaustive literature review of studies investigating cultural specificities of child welfare. Today’s researchers use an intercultural comparison method between abusive and non-abusive parents, but we would like to specify that during the studies, families were controlled in order to prevent violence towards children. Also, social actions were implemented if needed.
As we said, educational differences can appear between cultures. For example, Hill, Bush & Roosa (2003; as cited in Elliott, & Urquiza, 2006) had shown that mothers have different definitions of maltreatment itself, depending on culture of belonging, obedience strategies, and manifestation of affection. Authors explain the discrepancy by the acculturation phenomenon, which may modify the cognitive representation of parenting strategies and their consequences on children. Another example is the use of corporal punishment: frequently used by some ethnic groups toward children as a manner of respecting parental authority, it is forbidden in a lot of countries. For instance, Haitian parents in Quebec can commonly use physical punishment, breaking with Quebec laws and principles of the Convention of the Rights of the Child (Tourigny & Bouchard, 1994).
Social insertion is also a matter of interest in the struggle against maltreatment. Gracia & Musitu highlighted in 2003 the difference between violent and non-violent parents depending on their nationality (Spanish or Colombian) in community insertion and participation. Indeed, non-violent Colombian parents are more interested in community activities and participating in institutions’s daily life (e.g., school, church), in comparison with non-violent Spanish parents. This result shows for Colombians an important sense of membership and a personal investment in social environments; more than Spanish families.
Finally, it is more than necessary to mention the over-representation of certain populations in child protection systems. Such an inequality might be due to the fact that members of the majority community (protection service staff, teachers, etc.) seems to be biased in the reporting of child abuse. Indeed, Barth’s study shows that, in similar situations (in terms of circumstances and events), the majority population (belonging to the country’s culture) is more likely to report acts of violence depending on whether they involve children of colour or white children to child protection institutions (2005; as cited in Elliott & Urquiza, 2006). This fact deals directly with stereotypes and racism, and needs to be taken into account in social services.
Moreover, looking at the cultural specificities of individualistic groups, there is a bias in the sources of reports of abuse. In fact, Tourigny and Bouchard (1994) demonstrated in their study that reports of children from ethnic minorities come mainly from public sources (police, school employees, Social Services Centers) compared to children from the majority ethnic group. For the authors, the over-representation of public sources could actually be an under-representation of private sources. The privileged explanation in the study is the following : there is a certain cultural attitude from families of close and extended ethnic minorities, who see themselves as responsible for the well-being of their members. Friends and neighbours are less likely to seek help from outside the family.
Conclusion:
Firstly, the concept of “cultural competence”, first described by James Green in 1982 as “ethnic competence”, allows us to make a clear link between social work and culture in child abuse situations. Cultural competence is a more than current concern, for several reasons: the majority/minority transition predicted by demographic trends; disparities in disease care; and finally, the fact that colour-abused children will unfortunately be more prone to the harmful consequences of violence and neglect than children belonging to the cultural majority (Korbin, 2002). It is also relevant to note that the social worker and the family with whom he or she works, even if they share a common tradition and culture, may encounter communication problems as significant as if they had been from different cultures (education, socio-economic status, gender, age, etc.).
Bibliographie :
Elliott, K., & Urquiza, A. (2006). Ethnicity, Culture, and Child Maltreatment. Journal of Social Issues, 62(4), 787-809.
Gracia, E., & Musitu, G. (2003). Social isolation from communities and child maltreatment: a cross-cultural comparison. Child Abuse and Neglect, 27, 153-168.
Korbin, J. E. (2002). Culture and child maltreatment: cultural competence and beyond. Child Abuse and Neglect, 26(6-7), 637-644.
Organisation Mondiale de la Santé (2020, juin). La maltraitance des enfants. Consulté le 29 octobre 2020 sur https://www.who.int/fr/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/child-maltreatment
Tourigny, M., & Bouchard, C. (1994). Incidence et caractéristiques des signalements d’enfants maltraités: Comparaison interculturelle. Child Abuse & Neglect, 18(10), 797‑808.