Citation

McDonell JR. Soc. Indicators Res. 2007; 83(1): 177-199.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s11205-006-9063-5

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Recent studies highlight the importance of neighborhood context for child and family well-being. Yet challenges to research on neighborhood effects remain; research on young children is sparse, as is research on neighborhood effects on parenting. Measurement also continues to challenge researchers, particularly in devising non-invasive means of gauging neighborhood characteristics. The present study seeks to address these issues by using data from a newly developed observational measure of neighborhood characteristics to examine parent reports of the safety of neighborhood children in the home and self-reports of parenting. The results showed that neighborhood characteristics accounted for 23% of the variance in parent perceptions of children's safety in the home, with neighborhood physical appearance strongly predicting children's safety. Neighborhood effects on self-reported parenting were more modest, accounting for just 6% of the variance in parents' reports of nurturing interactions with their children; vigilance for the safety of the neighborhood was a significant predictor. The study has implications for observational measurement of neighborhood effects and for policy and program practices to improve child and family well-being through neighborhood change.

Language: en