Mothers' personal social networks and child maltreatment

Bibliographic Data

ID5817848
AuthorsSuzanne Salzinger (New York State Psychiatric Institute), Sandra J Kaplan, Sandra Kaplan, Connie Artemyeff
Year1983
Volume92
Issue1
Pages68-76
Publication date1983-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Abnormal Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0021-843X • E-ISSN: 1939-1846
PublisherAmerican Psychological Association (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1037//0021-843x.92.1.68
PMID6833635
OpenAlexW2110513314
LanguageEN
Citations received31
References cited10

The social networks of 32 mothers in families being treated in a hospital-based program for indicated cases of child abuse and neglect were compared to the networks of a demographically comparable control group of 24 mothers whose children were not subject to maltreatment. The clinic mothers were found to be more isolated and more insulated from other people in their -networks. Their isolation reflected a deficiency primarily in their peer connections, and their insularity served to separate their immediate families from their peer connections and from the rest of their families. Child and adolescent maltreatment has become more noticeable to the public in recent years as our information-gathering systems have become more efficient and reports issued have revealed its deleterious effects on children (American Health Association, 1976; American Humane Association, 1978; Konopka, 1975; Straus, Gelles, & Steinmetz, 1980; Child Protective Services, Note 1). Severe maltreatment of children by members of their families is unsanctioned by all social communities. There are cultural differences in disciplinary child-rearing practices that share some of the attributes of violence, as described in Erlanger's (1974) review, but nevertheless, there are limits and standards set by all social groups regulating such behavior and specifying the contexts in which and the extent to which it is permitted. The behavior we are concerned with, child maltreatment severe enough to be indicated by Child Protective Services, falls outside these limits and is considered a problem in every social group. Its persistence within the

Child neglect · Child rearing · Isolation · Social isolation · Child Abuse and Trauma · Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health · Homelessness and Social Issues

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