Race, social class, and child abuse: Medical professionals’ stereotypes

What is it about?

This study explored how medical professionals think about race and social class in relation to child abuse. Participants were asked to describe what comes to mind when they think of a typical child abuser who is either Black or poor. The results showed that professionals strongly associated abuse, especially neglect, with both Black and poor families. Many of the words they used were emotionally negative, and the stereotypes tied to race and class often overlapped. These findings suggest that doctors and nurses may unintentionally be biased in how they assess which families are at risk for abuse, even when there’s no clear evidence of harm.

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Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This research highlights a critical problem in child protection: medical professionals may rely on racial and class-based stereotypes when making abuse-related decisions. When certain groups, particularly Black and low-income families, are consistently linked with negative traits like neglect or abusive parenting, there's a higher chance of biased reporting or intervention. The findings challenge the fairness of child welfare practices and call for better education and policy changes to help medical providers recognize and reduce the influence of stereotypes on making their decision-making.