Child Maltreatment
Volume 21, Issue 1, 2016, Pages 3-15

Child Maltreatment and Migration: A Population-Based Study Among Immigrant and Native Adolescents in Switzerland (Article)

Schick M.* , Schönbucher V. , Landolt M.A. , Schnyder U. , Xu W. , Maier T. , Mohler-Kuo M.
  • a Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
  • b Psychiatric Services of the Canton of St. Gallen-North, Wil, Switzerland
  • c Department of Psychosomatics and Psychiatry, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland, Division of Child and Adolescent Health Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
  • d Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
  • e Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
  • f Psychiatric Services of the Canton of St. Gallen-North, Wil, Switzerland
  • g Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland

Abstract

Background: Prevalence rates of child maltreatment (CM) can differ substantially between countries and ethnicities. Reasons, however, are complex and not sufficiently understood. Method: This epidemiological study examined prevalence and risk factors of various types of CM in a population-based representative sample of native and immigrant adolescents in Switzerland (N = 6,787). Results: The prevalence of CM in general was lowest in the native group, higher in the Western immigrant group, and highest in the non-Western immigrant groups. An immigrant background was related to an overrepresentation of several risk factors for CM. Adjusted odds ratio of an immigrant background were still significant for physical and emotional abuse but not for neglect and sexual assault. Conclusions: Differences in the prevalence of CM across ethnographic origins are at least partially related to socioeconomic and ecologic risk factors. The distribution of risk factors may vary depending on the contexts of migration. © 2015, The Author(s) 2015.

Author Keywords

immigrant families Child maltreatment Neglect Epidemiology sociocultural factors Adolescents

Index Keywords

demography human epidemiology risk assessment Ethnic Groups statistics and numerical data ethnic group Residence Characteristics Humans migrant Adolescent male Emigrants and Immigrants female Socioeconomic Factors risk factor Risk Factors socioeconomics Child Welfare cultural factor prevalence Child Abuse Cultural Characteristics exposure to violence Switzerland Child
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84954311237&doi=10.1177%2f1077559515617019&partnerID=40&md5=5f7dabbb337b66d855bd9861b7ed902f
DOI: 10.1177/1077559515617019
ISSN: 10775595
Cited by: 5
Original Language: English