Examining the Association between Census-tract Level Eviction Filings and Child Maltreatment Reports in Metro Atlanta during the COVID-19 Pandemic Open Access

Le, Gordon (Spring 2022)

Permanent URL: https://etd.library.emory.edu/concern/etds/8c97kr771?locale=en
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Abstract

Background. The COVID-19 pandemic has placed millions of renters at risk of eviction, posing a great threat to children, families, as well as public health and social service systems. CDC and county-related eviction moratoriums protected families from being removed from their homes, however, it has not stopped eviction filings. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between filings and maltreatment reports in Georgia as well as the impact of the CDC eviction moratorium on this relationship.

Methods. Eviction filing and maltreatment report data from DeKalb and Fulton County between May and December 2020 were aggregated to the census tract level, rates for both measures were calculated (eviction filings per 100 occupied housing units and reports per 1000 children ages 0-18). American Community Survey data from 2015 and 2019 provided tract-level estimates of demographic and socioeconomic characteristics and were evaluated as confounders. A negative binomial mixed effects model was used to assess the relationship between tract- level eviction filing rate and maltreatment report rate. Analyses also assessed the impact of the eviction moratorium through an interaction term.

Results. Accounting for census-tract level covariates and random effects, there was a positive association between eviction filing rates and total maltreatment report rates in DeKalb and Fulton County. Additionally, there was a positive association between eviction filing rates and substantiated maltreatment report rates. The CDC eviction moratorium did not affect these relationships.

Table of Contents

Literature Review.............................................................................................................................1 

Child Abuse and Neglect .....................................................................................................1 

The Impact of COVID-19 on Child Maltreatment ..............................................................4 

Evictions ..............................................................................................................................7 

Evictions during the COVID-19 Pandemic .........................................................................8 

Child Maltreatment and Evictions in Georgia during COVID-19.....................................12 

How Evictions May Be Related to Child Abuse and Neglect ...........................................13

Methods..........................................................................................................................................17 

Results ............................................................................................................................................22 

Discussion ......................................................................................................................................27 

References ......................................................................................................................................33 

Tables and Figures .........................................................................................................................39

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