Gender and ethnic differences for Hispanic children referred to child protective services

Current research on child maltreatment examines differences between Hispanics and non-Hispanics and between female and male children/youth in the overall population. However, this research does not shed light on whether ethnicity-associated differences hold for each gender. Similarly, where gender differences are reported without regard of ethnicity, one does not know whether these differences hold within ethnic groups. In order to fill these gaps, we use the National Study of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW) Child Protective Services (CPS) sample (N = 5501) of children in the United States who were referred for investigation of child maltreatment in 1999 and 2000. Regression analyses examine ethnic/gender differences on seven criteria: type of maltreatment, out-of-home placement, family income, health insurance, health ratings, behavior problems and school performance. Selected findings include: the absence of an educational performance advantage for Hispanic girls, the very young age of Hispanic children in placement, and the very high likelihood of physical abuse for Hispanic boys. Findings demonstrate the need to examine the combined impact of ethnicity and gender in producing knowledge that enhances the cultural competency of child welfare services.