... The first African American to receive a Ph.D in political science was Ralph Bunche, in 1934. ... more ... The first African American to receive a Ph.D in political science was Ralph Bunche, in 1934. ... 164 The Journal of Negro Education ... Other factors such as gender and type of institution were included in the model, in which Tenure, Race, Gender, RaceGender, and Public/Private ...
This article examines the myth of bad credit in the Black community. Historically, Blacks have ha... more This article examines the myth of bad credit in the Black community. Historically, Blacks have had higher savings rates and lower use of credit than Whites. Discrimination in lending led to an aversion to credit. Later, Blacks believed their credit to be bad, even among many better qualified Black loan applicants. The authors find that there is no statistically signifi cant difference in the average level of "bad credit" among Blacks and Whites who have been turned down for loans or who have not applied for loans, as seen in national data sets mea suring wealth and expenditures. Contrary to conventional wisdom, no statistically signifi cant difference exists in bad credit rates between Black and White households at the lowest and highest wealth levels. The authors contend that the observed differences in the bad credit rates between Blacks and Whites in the middle wealth range are attributable to different treatment of Blacks and Whites in credit markets.
Abstract This paper examines the relationship between childhood abuse and subsequent involvement ... more Abstract This paper examines the relationship between childhood abuse and subsequent involvement in juvenile violence, either as a victim or perpetrator. We ask, does childhood abuse lead directly to involvement in juvenile violence, or do attitudes towards violence act as a factor in such involvement? By comparing the rates of American black and white juvenile violence we are able to
This article examines conflicting visions of the racial composition of the maltreated populations... more This article examines conflicting visions of the racial composition of the maltreated populations. The National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) data shows Blacks are overrepresented among reported and substantiated abuse and neglect cases, while the National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect (NIS) shows no apparent overrepresentation of children of color. To understand the conflicting evidence, the authors produce from NIS approximate measures of maltreatment rates in NCANDS. Maltreatment rates is broken down into allegation, report and substantiation components. Without disaggregating the data by welfare status, all or most of the racial gap in official maltreatment is found to arise from racial differences in allegations. Disaggregation changes the results. Among welfare cases, on average, half of the Black-White gap in maltreatment is due to racial differences in substantiation. Among nonwelfare cases, about half of the racial gap in official maltreatment is due to racial differences in allegations.
ABSTRACT This paper models racialized perceptions of child welfare workers and tests the hypothes... more ABSTRACT This paper models racialized perceptions of child welfare workers and tests the hypothesis that these perceptions contribute to the racial disproportionality in reported and/or substantiated child maltreatment. A method is adopted which captures the salient features of racial stereotypes deriving from visual representations of neglectful situations that meet state definitions of child maltreatment and reportable offenses. Caseworkers are shown pictures of a neglectful situation that randomly varies with respect to whether a child in the picture is black or white or whether there is no child at all pictured. If things that “look black” are more likely to be perceived of by caseworkers as reportable offenses or to meet state definitions of child maltreatment than things that “look white,” then this indicates racialized perceptions. Data are collected from a sample of all caseworkers from every county in Minnesota for 2005.Linear and logistic fixed effects models are estimated for the responses as to whether the situation in the picture meets the state definition and whether the offense is reportable. Independent variables include: the respondent's age, gender, and race; whether the respondent was born in the Twin Cities, majored in social work, was an intake worker, or worked in Hennepin County. The results show statistically significant impacts of the black baby vignette (compared to no baby or white baby) on the likelihood that respondents agree that the situation depicted in the picture meets the state definition of neglect and is reportable.Also estimated are the impacts of these racialized beliefs on racial disproportionalities in reported and substantiated child maltreatment rates across counties. There are strong and statistically significant impacts of indices of caseworker racialized beliefs on racial disproporationalities in reported and substantiated maltreatment rates.
This article tests the hypothesis that judicial arbitrariness dominated alimony or child support ... more This article tests the hypothesis that judicial arbitrariness dominated alimony or child support appeals in the pre-no-fault era by analyzing data on all alimony and child support appeals in the District of Columbia from 1950 through 1980. Censored regression analysis is used to isolate the impacts of race and morals grounds for divorce on changes in alimony and child support awards from trial to appeal. The results show large race effects but small morals effects. Judicial discretion- measured by unexplained gaps in awards-dominated relevant economic factors in determining changes in alimony and child support awards during the pre-no-fault era.
Abstract This paper describes a corporate-sponsored research effort whose goal was to help consum... more Abstract This paper describes a corporate-sponsored research effort whose goal was to help consumers obtain and maintain good credit through consumer education. Freddie Mac in collaboration with five historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and three ...
This article examines the myth of bad credit in the Black community. Historically, Blacks have ha... more This article examines the myth of bad credit in the Black community. Historically, Blacks have had higher savings rates and lower use of credit than Whites. Discrimination in lending led to an aversion to credit. Later, Blacks believed their credit to be bad, even among many better qualified Black loan applicants. The authors find that there is no statistically signifi cant difference in the average level of "bad credit" among Blacks and Whites who have been turned down for loans or who have not applied for loans, as seen in national data sets mea suring wealth and expenditures. Contrary to conventional wisdom, no statistically signifi cant difference exists in bad credit rates between Black and White households at the lowest and highest wealth levels. The authors contend that the observed differences in the bad credit rates between Blacks and Whites in the middle wealth range are attributable to different treatment of Blacks and Whites in credit markets.
This article examines the myth of bad credit in the Black community. Historically, Blacks have ha... more This article examines the myth of bad credit in the Black community. Historically, Blacks have had higher savings rates and lower use of credit than Whites. Discrimination in lending led to an aversion to credit. Later, Blacks believed their credit to be bad, even among many better qualified Black loan applicants. The authors find that there is no statistically signifi cant difference in the average level of "bad credit" among Blacks and Whites who have been turned down for loans or who have not applied for loans, as seen in national data sets mea suring wealth and expenditures. Contrary to conventional wisdom, no statistically signifi cant difference exists in bad credit rates between Black and White households at the lowest and highest wealth levels. The authors contend that the observed differences in the bad credit rates between Blacks and Whites in the middle wealth range are attributable to different treatment of Blacks and Whites in credit markets.
This article tests the hypothesis that judicial arbitrariness dominated alimony or child support ... more This article tests the hypothesis that judicial arbitrariness dominated alimony or child support appeals in the pre-no-fault era by analyzing data on all alimony and child support appeals in the District of Columbia from 1950 through 1980. Censored regression analysis is used to isolate the impacts of race and morals grounds for divorce on changes in alimony and child support
Abstract This paper examines the relationship between childhood abuse and subsequent involvement ... more Abstract This paper examines the relationship between childhood abuse and subsequent involvement in juvenile violence, either as a victim or perpetrator. We ask, does childhood abuse lead directly to involvement in juvenile violence, or do attitudes towards violence act as a factor in such involvement? By comparing the rates of American black and white juvenile violence we are able to
Reports to CPS agencies of child maltreatment cases come from a variety of community sources. Whi... more Reports to CPS agencies of child maltreatment cases come from a variety of community sources. Which kinds of cases are underreported, overreported, or not reported at all, and why? We address these questions by examining the discrepancies between cases known to CPS agencies and those known to professionals who regularly come into contact with children: teachers, hospital personnel, law enforcement officers, court personnel, and social service workers. The analysis is based on the 1980 and 1986 National Study of the Incidence and Prevalence of Child Abuse and Neglect. Our research yielded three major findings. First, older victims were less likely than younger victims to be known to CPS agencies. Second, there is a hierarchy of type of abuse reported to CPS agencies, with sexual abuse being at the top of the list and educational neglect at the bottom of the list. Third, the victims' race, sex, and income did not play a role in whether or not a case was reported to CPS agencies.Les signalements auprés des autorités de la protection de l'enfance proviennent de plusieurs sources dans une communauté. Il reste à savoir quels types de cas sont sous-signalés, lesquels sont sur-signalés ou encore passent sous silence, et pourquoi il en est ainsi. Dans cette étude, les auteurs ont cherché des réponses en comparant les cas signalés aux autorité de la protection de l'enfance avec les cas connus des intervenants qui sont en contact avec les enfants de façon régulière, c-à-d les enseignants, le personnel hospitalier, les agents de la police, le personnel dans les tribunaux et les travailleurs sociaux. L'étude s'est basée sur les données recueillies en 1980 et 1986 dans des enquêtes statistiques nationales aux E.-U. sur l'incidence et la prévalence de la négligence et des mauvais traitements. L'étude a révélé trois constats. D'abord, les signalements aux autorités portaient plutôt sur de jeunes enfants. En deuxiéme lieu, il existe une hiérarchie dans les types de maltraitance, les abus sexuels occupant la premiére place et la négligence par rapport aux besoins éducationnels se trouvant en dernier lieu. La troisiéme observation note que ni la race, ni le sexe ou le niveau des revenus de la victime jouent un rôle déterminant par rapport aux signalements.Los reportes de casos de maltrato a los niños a las agencias de CPS llegan de una variedad de sitios en la comunidad. Cuáles de estos casos son demasiado, muy poco o no reportados en absoluto, y porqué? Respondemos estas preguntas al examinar las discrepancias entre los casos conocidos a las agencias de CPS y aquellos conocidos a los profesionales que regularmente entran en contacto con niños—maestros, personal de hospitales, oficiales de la ley, personal de las cortes, y empleados del servicio social. El análisis está basado en el Estudio Nacional de Incidencia y Prevalencia del Abuso y la Negligencia a los Niños del 1980 y 1986. Esta investigación ofreció tres hallazgos mayores. Primero, las víctimas de más edad eran menos conocidas que las más jóvenes en las agencias de CPS. Segundo, existe una jerarquía del tipo de abuso reportado a las agencias de CPS con el abuso sexual ocupando el primer puesto de la lista y negligencia educacional en último puesto. Tercero, ni la raza, ni el sexo ni los ingresos de la víctima tuvieron que ver en si el caso se reportaba o no a las agencias de CPS.
This article examines conflicting visions of the racial composition of the maltreated populations... more This article examines conflicting visions of the racial composition of the maltreated populations. The National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) data shows Blacks are overrepresented among reported and substantiated abuse and neglect cases, while the National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect (NIS) shows no apparent overrepresentation of children of color. To understand the conflicting evidence, the authors produce from NIS approximate measures of maltreatment rates in NCANDS. Maltreatment rates is broken down into allegation, report and substantiation components. Without disaggregating the data by welfare status, all or most of the racial gap in official maltreatment is found to arise from racial differences in allegations. Disaggregation changes the results. Among welfare cases, on average, half of the Black-White gap in maltreatment is due to racial differences in substantiation. Among nonwelfare cases, about half of the racial gap in official maltreatment is due to racial differences in allegations.
Some authors point to growing public awareness and financial stress on families to explain the in... more Some authors point to growing public awareness and financial stress on families to explain the increased number of child maltreatment reports over the past decade. This paper tests the relative importance of these two factors in explaining the increase. It compares and evaluates two conceptual models to see how well they predict the surge in child maltreatment reports over the last decade and the variability of reports across communities. A better understanding of the factors associated with child maltreatment will aid social service agencies in their attempt to mitigate further maltreatment of children.
ABSTRACT Research has found wide disparities in loan denial rates among different racial/ ethnic ... more ABSTRACT Research has found wide disparities in loan denial rates among different racial/ ethnic groups. Two competing explanations for these gaps arise. One argument is that these disparities result from underlying racial disparities in credit worthiness. A competing view is that the disparities arise from a pattern of racial discrimination among mortgage lenders. This paper adopts a stratification economics approach to evaluate these competing claims. Using Freddie Mac’s Consumer Credit Survey dataset, we test the hypothesis that measures of discrimination disappear when one accounts for racial differences in credit scores. A novel contribution of the paper, built upon the premise that inter-group inequalities sustain themselves through self-fulfilling mechanisms, is to test the hypothesis that loan denials explain misperceptions of credit worthiness. We demonstrate that one cause of the appearance of poor credit risk among black applicants is that blacks with good credit risk underestimate their credit worthiness and apply for loans in lower numbers. Our findings suggest that even nondiscriminatory lending behavior has the unintended effect of screening out low-risk blacks and thereby yields higher denial rates among blacks. This in turn confirms prior beliefs about the poor credit of average black applicants. Much, but not all, of the racial disparity in loan outcomes can be explained by racial differences in credit scores and the resulting racial disparity in loan outcomes explains much of the racial difference in false perceptions about bad credit. Thus, a possible self-fulfilling mechanism remains within the credit market that perpetuates views about black bad credit.
ABSTRACT This paper models racialized perceptions of child welfare workers and tests the hypothes... more ABSTRACT This paper models racialized perceptions of child welfare workers and tests the hypothesis that these perceptions contribute to the racial disproportionality in reported and/or substantiated child maltreatment. A method is adopted which captures the salient features of racial stereotypes deriving from visual representations of neglectful situations that meet state definitions of child maltreatment and reportable offenses. Caseworkers are shown pictures of a neglectful situation that randomly varies with respect to whether a child in the picture is black or white or whether there is no child at all pictured. If things that “look black” are more likely to be perceived of by caseworkers as reportable offenses or to meet state definitions of child maltreatment than things that “look white,” then this indicates racialized perceptions. Data are collected from a sample of all caseworkers from every county in Minnesota for 2005.Linear and logistic fixed effects models are estimated for the responses as to whether the situation in the picture meets the state definition and whether the offense is reportable. Independent variables include: the respondent's age, gender, and race; whether the respondent was born in the Twin Cities, majored in social work, was an intake worker, or worked in Hennepin County. The results show statistically significant impacts of the black baby vignette (compared to no baby or white baby) on the likelihood that respondents agree that the situation depicted in the picture meets the state definition of neglect and is reportable.Also estimated are the impacts of these racialized beliefs on racial disproportionalities in reported and substantiated child maltreatment rates across counties. There are strong and statistically significant impacts of indices of caseworker racialized beliefs on racial disproporationalities in reported and substantiated maltreatment rates.
This article examines conflicting visions of the racial composition of the maltreated populations... more This article examines conflicting visions of the racial composition of the maltreated populations. The National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) data shows Blacks are overrepresented among reported and substantiated abuse and neglect cases, while the National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect (NIS) shows no apparent overrepresentation of children of color. To understand the conflicting evidence, the authors produce from NIS approximate measures of maltreatment rates in NCANDS. Maltreatment rates is broken down into allegation, report and substantiation components. Without disaggregating the data by welfare status, all or most of the racial gap in official maltreatment is found to arise from racial differences in allegations. Disaggregation changes the results. Among welfare cases, on average, half of the Black-White gap in maltreatment is due to racial differences in substantiation. Among nonwelfare cases, about half of the racial gap in official maltreatment is due to racial differences in allegations.
... The first African American to receive a Ph.D in political science was Ralph Bunche, in 1934. ... more ... The first African American to receive a Ph.D in political science was Ralph Bunche, in 1934. ... 164 The Journal of Negro Education ... Other factors such as gender and type of institution were included in the model, in which Tenure, Race, Gender, RaceGender, and Public/Private ...
This article examines the myth of bad credit in the Black community. Historically, Blacks have ha... more This article examines the myth of bad credit in the Black community. Historically, Blacks have had higher savings rates and lower use of credit than Whites. Discrimination in lending led to an aversion to credit. Later, Blacks believed their credit to be bad, even among many better qualified Black loan applicants. The authors find that there is no statistically signifi cant difference in the average level of "bad credit" among Blacks and Whites who have been turned down for loans or who have not applied for loans, as seen in national data sets mea suring wealth and expenditures. Contrary to conventional wisdom, no statistically signifi cant difference exists in bad credit rates between Black and White households at the lowest and highest wealth levels. The authors contend that the observed differences in the bad credit rates between Blacks and Whites in the middle wealth range are attributable to different treatment of Blacks and Whites in credit markets.
Abstract This paper examines the relationship between childhood abuse and subsequent involvement ... more Abstract This paper examines the relationship between childhood abuse and subsequent involvement in juvenile violence, either as a victim or perpetrator. We ask, does childhood abuse lead directly to involvement in juvenile violence, or do attitudes towards violence act as a factor in such involvement? By comparing the rates of American black and white juvenile violence we are able to
This article examines conflicting visions of the racial composition of the maltreated populations... more This article examines conflicting visions of the racial composition of the maltreated populations. The National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) data shows Blacks are overrepresented among reported and substantiated abuse and neglect cases, while the National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect (NIS) shows no apparent overrepresentation of children of color. To understand the conflicting evidence, the authors produce from NIS approximate measures of maltreatment rates in NCANDS. Maltreatment rates is broken down into allegation, report and substantiation components. Without disaggregating the data by welfare status, all or most of the racial gap in official maltreatment is found to arise from racial differences in allegations. Disaggregation changes the results. Among welfare cases, on average, half of the Black-White gap in maltreatment is due to racial differences in substantiation. Among nonwelfare cases, about half of the racial gap in official maltreatment is due to racial differences in allegations.
ABSTRACT This paper models racialized perceptions of child welfare workers and tests the hypothes... more ABSTRACT This paper models racialized perceptions of child welfare workers and tests the hypothesis that these perceptions contribute to the racial disproportionality in reported and/or substantiated child maltreatment. A method is adopted which captures the salient features of racial stereotypes deriving from visual representations of neglectful situations that meet state definitions of child maltreatment and reportable offenses. Caseworkers are shown pictures of a neglectful situation that randomly varies with respect to whether a child in the picture is black or white or whether there is no child at all pictured. If things that “look black” are more likely to be perceived of by caseworkers as reportable offenses or to meet state definitions of child maltreatment than things that “look white,” then this indicates racialized perceptions. Data are collected from a sample of all caseworkers from every county in Minnesota for 2005.Linear and logistic fixed effects models are estimated for the responses as to whether the situation in the picture meets the state definition and whether the offense is reportable. Independent variables include: the respondent's age, gender, and race; whether the respondent was born in the Twin Cities, majored in social work, was an intake worker, or worked in Hennepin County. The results show statistically significant impacts of the black baby vignette (compared to no baby or white baby) on the likelihood that respondents agree that the situation depicted in the picture meets the state definition of neglect and is reportable.Also estimated are the impacts of these racialized beliefs on racial disproportionalities in reported and substantiated child maltreatment rates across counties. There are strong and statistically significant impacts of indices of caseworker racialized beliefs on racial disproporationalities in reported and substantiated maltreatment rates.
This article tests the hypothesis that judicial arbitrariness dominated alimony or child support ... more This article tests the hypothesis that judicial arbitrariness dominated alimony or child support appeals in the pre-no-fault era by analyzing data on all alimony and child support appeals in the District of Columbia from 1950 through 1980. Censored regression analysis is used to isolate the impacts of race and morals grounds for divorce on changes in alimony and child support awards from trial to appeal. The results show large race effects but small morals effects. Judicial discretion- measured by unexplained gaps in awards-dominated relevant economic factors in determining changes in alimony and child support awards during the pre-no-fault era.
Abstract This paper describes a corporate-sponsored research effort whose goal was to help consum... more Abstract This paper describes a corporate-sponsored research effort whose goal was to help consumers obtain and maintain good credit through consumer education. Freddie Mac in collaboration with five historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and three ...
This article examines the myth of bad credit in the Black community. Historically, Blacks have ha... more This article examines the myth of bad credit in the Black community. Historically, Blacks have had higher savings rates and lower use of credit than Whites. Discrimination in lending led to an aversion to credit. Later, Blacks believed their credit to be bad, even among many better qualified Black loan applicants. The authors find that there is no statistically signifi cant difference in the average level of "bad credit" among Blacks and Whites who have been turned down for loans or who have not applied for loans, as seen in national data sets mea suring wealth and expenditures. Contrary to conventional wisdom, no statistically signifi cant difference exists in bad credit rates between Black and White households at the lowest and highest wealth levels. The authors contend that the observed differences in the bad credit rates between Blacks and Whites in the middle wealth range are attributable to different treatment of Blacks and Whites in credit markets.
This article examines the myth of bad credit in the Black community. Historically, Blacks have ha... more This article examines the myth of bad credit in the Black community. Historically, Blacks have had higher savings rates and lower use of credit than Whites. Discrimination in lending led to an aversion to credit. Later, Blacks believed their credit to be bad, even among many better qualified Black loan applicants. The authors find that there is no statistically signifi cant difference in the average level of "bad credit" among Blacks and Whites who have been turned down for loans or who have not applied for loans, as seen in national data sets mea suring wealth and expenditures. Contrary to conventional wisdom, no statistically signifi cant difference exists in bad credit rates between Black and White households at the lowest and highest wealth levels. The authors contend that the observed differences in the bad credit rates between Blacks and Whites in the middle wealth range are attributable to different treatment of Blacks and Whites in credit markets.
This article tests the hypothesis that judicial arbitrariness dominated alimony or child support ... more This article tests the hypothesis that judicial arbitrariness dominated alimony or child support appeals in the pre-no-fault era by analyzing data on all alimony and child support appeals in the District of Columbia from 1950 through 1980. Censored regression analysis is used to isolate the impacts of race and morals grounds for divorce on changes in alimony and child support
Abstract This paper examines the relationship between childhood abuse and subsequent involvement ... more Abstract This paper examines the relationship between childhood abuse and subsequent involvement in juvenile violence, either as a victim or perpetrator. We ask, does childhood abuse lead directly to involvement in juvenile violence, or do attitudes towards violence act as a factor in such involvement? By comparing the rates of American black and white juvenile violence we are able to
Reports to CPS agencies of child maltreatment cases come from a variety of community sources. Whi... more Reports to CPS agencies of child maltreatment cases come from a variety of community sources. Which kinds of cases are underreported, overreported, or not reported at all, and why? We address these questions by examining the discrepancies between cases known to CPS agencies and those known to professionals who regularly come into contact with children: teachers, hospital personnel, law enforcement officers, court personnel, and social service workers. The analysis is based on the 1980 and 1986 National Study of the Incidence and Prevalence of Child Abuse and Neglect. Our research yielded three major findings. First, older victims were less likely than younger victims to be known to CPS agencies. Second, there is a hierarchy of type of abuse reported to CPS agencies, with sexual abuse being at the top of the list and educational neglect at the bottom of the list. Third, the victims' race, sex, and income did not play a role in whether or not a case was reported to CPS agencies.Les signalements auprés des autorités de la protection de l'enfance proviennent de plusieurs sources dans une communauté. Il reste à savoir quels types de cas sont sous-signalés, lesquels sont sur-signalés ou encore passent sous silence, et pourquoi il en est ainsi. Dans cette étude, les auteurs ont cherché des réponses en comparant les cas signalés aux autorité de la protection de l'enfance avec les cas connus des intervenants qui sont en contact avec les enfants de façon régulière, c-à-d les enseignants, le personnel hospitalier, les agents de la police, le personnel dans les tribunaux et les travailleurs sociaux. L'étude s'est basée sur les données recueillies en 1980 et 1986 dans des enquêtes statistiques nationales aux E.-U. sur l'incidence et la prévalence de la négligence et des mauvais traitements. L'étude a révélé trois constats. D'abord, les signalements aux autorités portaient plutôt sur de jeunes enfants. En deuxiéme lieu, il existe une hiérarchie dans les types de maltraitance, les abus sexuels occupant la premiére place et la négligence par rapport aux besoins éducationnels se trouvant en dernier lieu. La troisiéme observation note que ni la race, ni le sexe ou le niveau des revenus de la victime jouent un rôle déterminant par rapport aux signalements.Los reportes de casos de maltrato a los niños a las agencias de CPS llegan de una variedad de sitios en la comunidad. Cuáles de estos casos son demasiado, muy poco o no reportados en absoluto, y porqué? Respondemos estas preguntas al examinar las discrepancias entre los casos conocidos a las agencias de CPS y aquellos conocidos a los profesionales que regularmente entran en contacto con niños—maestros, personal de hospitales, oficiales de la ley, personal de las cortes, y empleados del servicio social. El análisis está basado en el Estudio Nacional de Incidencia y Prevalencia del Abuso y la Negligencia a los Niños del 1980 y 1986. Esta investigación ofreció tres hallazgos mayores. Primero, las víctimas de más edad eran menos conocidas que las más jóvenes en las agencias de CPS. Segundo, existe una jerarquía del tipo de abuso reportado a las agencias de CPS con el abuso sexual ocupando el primer puesto de la lista y negligencia educacional en último puesto. Tercero, ni la raza, ni el sexo ni los ingresos de la víctima tuvieron que ver en si el caso se reportaba o no a las agencias de CPS.
This article examines conflicting visions of the racial composition of the maltreated populations... more This article examines conflicting visions of the racial composition of the maltreated populations. The National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) data shows Blacks are overrepresented among reported and substantiated abuse and neglect cases, while the National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect (NIS) shows no apparent overrepresentation of children of color. To understand the conflicting evidence, the authors produce from NIS approximate measures of maltreatment rates in NCANDS. Maltreatment rates is broken down into allegation, report and substantiation components. Without disaggregating the data by welfare status, all or most of the racial gap in official maltreatment is found to arise from racial differences in allegations. Disaggregation changes the results. Among welfare cases, on average, half of the Black-White gap in maltreatment is due to racial differences in substantiation. Among nonwelfare cases, about half of the racial gap in official maltreatment is due to racial differences in allegations.
Some authors point to growing public awareness and financial stress on families to explain the in... more Some authors point to growing public awareness and financial stress on families to explain the increased number of child maltreatment reports over the past decade. This paper tests the relative importance of these two factors in explaining the increase. It compares and evaluates two conceptual models to see how well they predict the surge in child maltreatment reports over the last decade and the variability of reports across communities. A better understanding of the factors associated with child maltreatment will aid social service agencies in their attempt to mitigate further maltreatment of children.
ABSTRACT Research has found wide disparities in loan denial rates among different racial/ ethnic ... more ABSTRACT Research has found wide disparities in loan denial rates among different racial/ ethnic groups. Two competing explanations for these gaps arise. One argument is that these disparities result from underlying racial disparities in credit worthiness. A competing view is that the disparities arise from a pattern of racial discrimination among mortgage lenders. This paper adopts a stratification economics approach to evaluate these competing claims. Using Freddie Mac’s Consumer Credit Survey dataset, we test the hypothesis that measures of discrimination disappear when one accounts for racial differences in credit scores. A novel contribution of the paper, built upon the premise that inter-group inequalities sustain themselves through self-fulfilling mechanisms, is to test the hypothesis that loan denials explain misperceptions of credit worthiness. We demonstrate that one cause of the appearance of poor credit risk among black applicants is that blacks with good credit risk underestimate their credit worthiness and apply for loans in lower numbers. Our findings suggest that even nondiscriminatory lending behavior has the unintended effect of screening out low-risk blacks and thereby yields higher denial rates among blacks. This in turn confirms prior beliefs about the poor credit of average black applicants. Much, but not all, of the racial disparity in loan outcomes can be explained by racial differences in credit scores and the resulting racial disparity in loan outcomes explains much of the racial difference in false perceptions about bad credit. Thus, a possible self-fulfilling mechanism remains within the credit market that perpetuates views about black bad credit.
ABSTRACT This paper models racialized perceptions of child welfare workers and tests the hypothes... more ABSTRACT This paper models racialized perceptions of child welfare workers and tests the hypothesis that these perceptions contribute to the racial disproportionality in reported and/or substantiated child maltreatment. A method is adopted which captures the salient features of racial stereotypes deriving from visual representations of neglectful situations that meet state definitions of child maltreatment and reportable offenses. Caseworkers are shown pictures of a neglectful situation that randomly varies with respect to whether a child in the picture is black or white or whether there is no child at all pictured. If things that “look black” are more likely to be perceived of by caseworkers as reportable offenses or to meet state definitions of child maltreatment than things that “look white,” then this indicates racialized perceptions. Data are collected from a sample of all caseworkers from every county in Minnesota for 2005.Linear and logistic fixed effects models are estimated for the responses as to whether the situation in the picture meets the state definition and whether the offense is reportable. Independent variables include: the respondent's age, gender, and race; whether the respondent was born in the Twin Cities, majored in social work, was an intake worker, or worked in Hennepin County. The results show statistically significant impacts of the black baby vignette (compared to no baby or white baby) on the likelihood that respondents agree that the situation depicted in the picture meets the state definition of neglect and is reportable.Also estimated are the impacts of these racialized beliefs on racial disproportionalities in reported and substantiated child maltreatment rates across counties. There are strong and statistically significant impacts of indices of caseworker racialized beliefs on racial disproporationalities in reported and substantiated maltreatment rates.
This article examines conflicting visions of the racial composition of the maltreated populations... more This article examines conflicting visions of the racial composition of the maltreated populations. The National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) data shows Blacks are overrepresented among reported and substantiated abuse and neglect cases, while the National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect (NIS) shows no apparent overrepresentation of children of color. To understand the conflicting evidence, the authors produce from NIS approximate measures of maltreatment rates in NCANDS. Maltreatment rates is broken down into allegation, report and substantiation components. Without disaggregating the data by welfare status, all or most of the racial gap in official maltreatment is found to arise from racial differences in allegations. Disaggregation changes the results. Among welfare cases, on average, half of the Black-White gap in maltreatment is due to racial differences in substantiation. Among nonwelfare cases, about half of the racial gap in official maltreatment is due to racial differences in allegations.
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Papers by Sheila Ards
Censored regression analysis is used to isolate the impacts of race and morals grounds for divorce on changes in alimony and child support awards from trial to appeal. The results show large race effects but small morals effects. Judicial
discretion- measured by unexplained gaps in awards-dominated relevant economic
factors in determining changes in alimony and child support awards during
the pre-no-fault era.
Censored regression analysis is used to isolate the impacts of race and morals grounds for divorce on changes in alimony and child support awards from trial to appeal. The results show large race effects but small morals effects. Judicial
discretion- measured by unexplained gaps in awards-dominated relevant economic
factors in determining changes in alimony and child support awards during
the pre-no-fault era.