Transracial mothering and maltreatment: are black/white biracial children at higher risk?

Posted in Articles, Media Archive, Social Work, United States on 2013-04-25 00:36Z by Steven

Transracial mothering and maltreatment: are black/white biracial children at higher risk?

Child Welfare
Volume 91, Number 1 (January-February 2012)
pages 55-77

Mary E. Rauktis, Research Assistant Professor of Social Work
University of Pittsburgh

Rachel A. Fusco, Assistant Professor of Social Work
University of Pittsburgh

The number of people identifying as biracial is rapidly growing, though little is known about the experiences of interracial families. Previous work indicates that biracial children may be at elevated risk of entering the child welfare system. This could underscore additional risks faced by these families. This document includes data from the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN), a project funded by the Administration on Children, Youth, and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and distributed by the National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect. LONGSCAN data were used to examine familial risks associated with child maltreatment. White mothers of white children were compared to white mothers of biracial children with the hypothesis that interracial families would have less social and community support. Results showed that the women were similar in terms of mental health and parenting behaviors. There were no differences in maternal age, employment status, or presence of a partner. However, mothers of biracial children were poorer, had more alcohol use, and decreased social support. They experienced more intimate partner violence and lower neighborhood satisfaction. Findings have implications for intervention programs focused on reducing social isolation within interracial families.

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