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Spatial Relationships between Neighbourhood Characteristics and Rates of Children from Ethnocultural Communities Reported to Child Protective Services

Relations spatiales entre les caractéristiques des territoires et les taux d’enfants de groupes ethnoculturels signalés à la protection de la jeunesse

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Abstract

Objectives

The objectives of this study were to 1) map the spatial distribution of rates of children reported to Montreal child protective services by ethnocultural group (Black, other visible minorities, not from visible minorities) and (2) estimate the relative contribution of different neighbourhood characteristics to the rates for those groups.

Method

The study covered the 505 Montreal-area census tracts for which complete data were available. The rates of children reported by group (dependent variables) and various territorial characteristics such as poverty (independent variables) were mapped and subjected to multiple linear regression and geographically weighted regression. The results of the geographically weighted regression were then mapped.

Results

The geographic distribution and rates of children reported varied greatly by group, with the Black children having the highest rates. Although neighbourhood characteristics explained 51% of variance for the children who were not members of visible minorities, they were clearly less effective in predicting rates in the case of Black children (18%) and other minorities (18%).

Conclusion

Already well-known neighbourhood risk factors are at work in Montreal, but their influence is not equally strong in all census tracts nor, especially, in all ethnocultural groups. Therefore, when only the distribution and prediction of reports for all children as a whole are examined, important differences are underestimated. Access to and appropriateness of services offered to vulnerable families, including those of visible minorities, could, however, be improved with a better understanding of local dynamics.

Résumé

Objectifs

Les objectifs de cette étude étaient de 1) cartographier la distribution spatiale des taux d’enfants de groupes ethnoculturels signalés à la protection de la jeunesse (enfants noirs, d’autres minorités visibles et non issus des minorités visibles) et 2) estimer la contribution relative de diverses caractéristiques territoriales à ces taux selon les groupes.

Méthode

Cinq cent cinq secteurs de recensement montréalais sont étudiés. Les taux d’enfants signalés selon les groupes (variables dépendantes) et des caractéristiques territoriales comme la pauvreté (variables indépendantes) sont cartographiés puis soumis à des régressions linéaires multiples et géographiquement pondérés (GWR); des résultats GWR sont finalement cartographiés.

Résultats

La distribution spatiale et les taux d’enfants signalés sont très différents selon les groupes, les Noirs présentant le taux moyen d’enfants signalés le plus élevé. Si, en considérant les relations spatiales, les caractéristiques territoriales permettent d’expliquer 51%de la variance pour les enfants non issus des minorités visibles, elles s’avèrent nettement moins efficaces dans la prédiction des taux d’enfants noirs (18 %) et d’autres minorités (18 %).

Conclusion

Les facteurs de risque territoriaux des signalements, déjà bien connus, sont à l’oeuvre à Montréal. Cependant, ils n’agissent pas avec la même intensité selon le secteur de recensement ni, surtout, selon les groupes ethnoculturels. Lorsqu’on s’intéresse seulement à la distribution et la prédiction des signalements de l’ensemble des enfants, on dilue donc des différences importantes. Pourtant, l’accès et l’adéquation des services offerts aux familles vulnérables, dont celles de minorités visibles, peuvent être bonifiés par une meilleure compréhension des dynamiques locales.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. École de psychoéducation, Université de Montréal, P.O. Box 6128, Station Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec, H3C 3J7, Canada

    Sarah Dufour Ph.D.

  2. Centre de recherche du Centre Jeunesse de Montréal — Institut Universitaire, Montréal, QC, Canada

    Chantal Lavergne Ph.D.

  3. Département de géographie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada

    Yuddy Ramos M.Sc.

Authors
  1. Sarah Dufour Ph.D.
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  2. Chantal Lavergne Ph.D.
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  3. Yuddy Ramos M.Sc.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sarah Dufour Ph.D..

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Funding

This research was made possible in part thanks to support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). The translation was made possible in part by funding from the CJM-IU.

Conflict of Interests

None to declare.

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Dufour, S., Lavergne, C. & Ramos, Y. Spatial Relationships between Neighbourhood Characteristics and Rates of Children from Ethnocultural Communities Reported to Child Protective Services. Can J Public Health 106 (Suppl 7), eS21–eS30 (2015). https://doi.org/10.17269/CJPH.106.4833

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