You Think, I Think, But What Do We Think? Perceptions of Child Maltreatment among Afro-Caribbean Parents and Child Welfare Workers in Alberta
Abstract
There is limited global research into what one group perceives another group is thinking about child maltreatment; whether there is congruence or incongruence in these perceptions and whether this impacts the child maltreatment decision-making process. The primary objective of this study was to understand the meaning of child maltreatment for Afro-Caribbean parents and child welfare workers as well as the experiences that have informed these views. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight parents and six child welfare workers in Calgary. Findings were interpreted and discussed using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach. The dual lens of co-orientation theory and critical race theory provided the theoretical foundation for this research.
Findings indicate that both parents and child welfare workers rely on multiple factors to inform their understanding of child maltreatment. Both identify the importance of the law as well as socio-cultural norms as gateways through which they define child maltreatment. However, the process of operationalisation of these and other factors is different for each participant and represents the areas of incongruence between parents and child welfare workers. To frame the meaning of child maltreatment, parents rely on their recollection and understanding of how they were raised. They also visualise an expected outcome for their children, framed within the context of their perception of what is required to achieve that desired outcome within the existing environment. The perception that parents have emigrated from countries with little or no laws related to child maltreatment was noted by some child welfare workers. Yet, as immigrants, many of these same parents feel they continue to operate with limited information or guidelines related to appropriate parenting.
These findings demonstrate the need for improved educational supports for members of this population on child maltreatment within Canada and additional research on the experiences of ethnic minorities within the child welfare system. It also reinforces the need for focus on anti-black racism training for child welfare workers and highlights the need to address inconsistencies in child maltreatment legislation and guidelines.
Description
Keywords
Social Work, Ethnic and Racial Studies
Citation
Hamilton-Henry, A. A. (2017). You Think, I Think, But What Do We Think? Perceptions of Child Maltreatment among Afro-Caribbean Parents and Child Welfare Workers in Alberta (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/28733