Child Maltreatment and Neighborhood Foreclosures

• In Event: Neighborhood Change and Crime

Abstract

Foreclosures are highly stressful events and have been tied to a number of social ills, including increases in neighborhood crime, poor health outcomes, domestic violence, and lower property values. This paper examines whether changes in neighborhood foreclosure rates, particularly during the housing crisis, influence child maltreatment. We employ a unique data set from Ohio that captures annual foreclosure and child maltreatment data at the census tract level. Using a generalized least squares model with a correlated panel and panel-specific first order autocorrelation structure, we assess the influence of foreclosure on child maltreatment. We find a positive relationship between foreclosures and child maltreatment net of both neighborhood and spatial controls. The results suggest the importance of considering neighborhood stressors for understanding child maltreatment and integrating neighborhood-based strategies to enhance prevention.

Authors

• Danielle Wallace, Arizona State University

• Alyssa Chamberlain, Arizona State University