Disproportionality & Disparity in Child Welfare

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“Yet American political development has been organized around the dynamics of race, and conflict over race are embedded in the structure of all social policies” (Katz, 2001) as stated in Midgley and Livermore, 2009, p.263)

All the children

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of the world

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October 2012 2

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Implicit Bias

Social Structure

Child Welfare Professionals

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OBJECTIVES: Define Disproportionality & Disparity

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Identify Structural theory of society

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Define Implicit bias

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Identify Decision Making Points

THE IMPACT OF

Implicit Bias

Social Structure

Child Welfare Professionals

DISPROPORTIONALITY & Disparity

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Analysis of the impact of structural theory & implicit bias on child welfare professional decision making and disproportionality & disparity How can CASA address this issue?

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The difference between the percentage of children of a certain race/ethnicity in the child welfare system and their percentage in the overall population.

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“Disparity means unequal treatment when comparing a racial or ethnic minority to a non-minority. This can be observed in many forms including decision points (e.g., reporting, investigation, substantiation, foster care placement, exit), treatment, services, or resources.” (Hill, 2006)

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  

Racial/ethnic bias in maltreatment referrals? management/treatment of minority children’s maltreatment cases? Risk Factors:      

 

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Chronic poverty? Teen Pregnancy Incarceration Substance Abuse Domestic Violence Single parent household

Social Structure? Higher incidence of neglect and/or abuse? Fletcher CASA National DO NO HARM Presentation 2013

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AS YOUTH 

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Increased hospitalizations → Increased mental health concerns → Educational troubles→ Juvenile criminal behaviors Annie E. Casey Fact sheet 2002

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AS ADULTS 

   

↑ physical illness & risky health behaviors ↑mental illness ↓education attainment Poor employment Homelessness

Ahrens, DuBois, Garrison, Spencer, Richardson & Lozano, 2011

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Number State

Af. Am.

White

Hispanic

Asian

Am. Ind.

1

Wyoming

5.3

0.9

0.9

0.2

0.9

2

Utah

4.7

0.8

1.4

0.5

3.5

3

Wisconsin

4.1

0.6

1.8

0.2

3.9

4

California

3.9

0.8

0.9

0.2

1.9

5

Iowa

3.4

0.8

0.9

0.79

5.7

6

New Hampshire

2.4

0.9

1.6

0.5

3.6

--

United States

2.0

0.7

0.9

0.2

2.1

Summers, Wood & Russell 2012

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BASIC TENETS    

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Invisible Distinctive Stable arrangement Patterned institutional interactions Patterned individual interactions

THEORIES 

Critical social theory

Critical Race/Ethnic Theory  Anti-oppressive Theory  Feminism 



Critical Realism 

Bhaskar

 Human agency and social

structure  Structure is evident by human behavior  Antecedent social structures

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Lewis, 2000; Mullalay 2010 13

UNITED STATES

BASIC TENETS    

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Invisible Distinctive Stable arrangement Patterned institutional interactions Patterned individual interactions

     

___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________

Racism is integral to U.S. life and permeates all aspects of our Lewis, 2000; Mullalay 2010 institutions and culture. 4/7/13

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Bias: an unfair preference for or dislike of… Explicit: fully and clearly expressed or demonstrated. Implicit: implied rater than expressly (Encarta Dictionary, 2013) stated.

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Who is the welfare Queen? 4/7/13

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Implicit Bias: An implied rather than expressly stated unfair preference or dislike which is hidden even from the originator. Unconscious. “Prejudices that persist even as our explicit attitudes evolve,” Dr. Mahzarin Banaji All people are socialized into society and therefore inherit the biases, stereotypes, and racist attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of the larger society. (Gong, 2012)

(Ponterotto, 2006Sue et al. 1998)

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It’s invisible It keeps the social structure in place It becomes visible in the decisions we make regarding ourselves and others

1. 2. 3.

1. 2. 3. 4.

1. 2. 3.

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Rate of call back interviews Moving to the other side of the street Clutching the purse, locking the car door

Stereotypes

Asians are… Hispanics are…. Blacks are… Whites are…. Native Americans are… Fletcher CASA National DO NO HARM Presentation 2013

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       

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Identification → Social worker involvement Reporting Intake Initial Assessment → Court involvement Family Assessment Planning → CASA involvement Service Provision Case Closure Fletcher CASA National DO NO HARM Presentation 2013

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Child Welfare System Decision Tree:

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Source: WisconsinFletcher Legislative Fiscal Bureau, 2009 CASA National DO NO HARM Presentation 2013

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Social Structure

YES!

Implicit Bias

Child Welfare Professionals

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INDIVIDUAL

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GROUP

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AWARENESS AWARENESS AWARENESS Recruit/Diversify with CASAs of other ethnicities Intentionally interact with others Decision making tools

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Attend trainings 

Know Who You Are Undoing Racism Facing History Facing Ourselves

AWARENESS  

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 

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Come to grips with your own bias Understand the impact of your own bias Trosch, 2012; Gong, J. 2012.

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TITLE

AUTHOR

Thinking Fast and Slow

Daniel Kahneman

Hidden Brain

Shankar Vendantam

Race Matters in Child Welfare: The Overrepresentation of African American Children in the System Developing Cross-Cultural Competence Whistling Vivaldi: How Stereotypes Affect Us and What we Can Do (issues of our time) Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking Shattered Bonds

Dennette M. Derezotes, John Poetner & Mark F. Testa

How We Decide

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Jonah Leher

Eleanor W. Lynch & Marci J. Hanson Claude M. Steele Malcolm Gladwell

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Dorothy Roberts 25

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Ahrens, K. R., DuBois, D. L., Garrison, M., Spencer, R., Richardson, L.P., Lozano, P. (2011). Qualitative exploration of relationships with important non-parental adults in the lives of youth in foster care. Children and Youth Services Review 33 1012-1023.

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Annie E. Casey Foundation (2002). Fact Sheet. Race Matters: Unequal Opportunity Within the Child Welfare System. Retrieved from http://www.aecf.org/upload/publicationfiles/fact_sheet11.pdf

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Derezotes, D. M., Poertner, J., & Testa, M. F. (2005). Book Review. Race matters in child welfare: The overrepresentation of african americans in the system. Washington, D.C: Child Welfare League of America. Retrieved from http://rsw.sagepub.com/content/19/1/135

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Encarta Dictionary (2013)

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Gong, J. (2012). Uncovering Implicit Bias. Retrieved on 4 March 2013 from: http://thurj.org/ss/2011/02/1458/comment-page-1

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Hill, R. B., (2006). Synthesis of research on disproportionality in child welfare: An update. An Casey Family Programs.

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Kang, J. (2009). Implicit bias a primer for courts. The National Center for State Courts and Race and Ethnic Fairness in the Courts.

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Lewis, P (2000). “Realism, causality and the problem and social structure.” Journal of the Theory of Social Behavior 30(3): 249-268.

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Midgley, J. and Livermore, M., eds. (2009). The Handbook of Social Policy, 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA.: Sage Publications.



Mullaly, B. (2010). Challenging Oppression and Confronting Privilege, 2nd ed. Oxford: New York

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Ponterotto, J. (2006). European American (White) Racial Identity Development, Mental health and Prejudice (chapter 5). Retrieved on 20 November 2011 from www.sagepub.com/upm-data/11558-chapter5.pdf

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Roberts, D., (2002). Shattered Bonds: The Color of Child Welfare. Basic Books: New York

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

Trosch, L. A., (2012). Addressing Racial Disproportionality and Disparity in Child Welfare. Podcast Retrieved from http://podcast.casaforchildren.org/addressing-racialdisproportionality-and-disparity-in-child-welfare.

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Wisconsin Legislative Fiscal Bureau. (2009). Informational paper 52: Child welfare services in Wisconsin. Retrieved April 22, 2009, from http://dcf.wi.gov/mission_and_goals.htm.

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Summers, A., Wood, M. S., & Russell, J., (2012). Disproportionality rates for children of color in foster care. The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges.

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CASA National Conference

Do No Harm Book List

TITLE

AUTHOR

How We Decide Thinking Fast and Slow Hidden Brain Race Matters in Child Welfare: The Overrepresentation of African American Children in the System Developing Cross-Cultural Competence Whistling Vivaldi: How Stereotypes Affect Us and What we Can Do (issues of our time) Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking Shattered Bonds

Jonah Leher Daniel Kahneman Shankar Vendantam Dennette M. Derezotes, John Poetner & Mark F. Testa Eleanor W. Lynch & Marci J. Hanson Claude M. Steele

Malcolm Gladwell Dorothy Roberts