
MONDAY, Sept. 25, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Having safer neighborhoods, where families feel less stress, can help prevent child abuse, according to new research that supports this long-suspected theory.When parents feel higher levels of stress or hopelessness about their surroundings, they may have a harder time caring for their children, the study confirms.“To get the best outcomes for kids and to elicit the best parenting, families need a safe, stable, stimulating environment, both at home and in the surrounding community,†said study co-author Katherine Marcal, an assistant professor of social work at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J.“But if you live in a neighborhood where you can’t go outside, can’t go to a park or can’t walk down the sidewalk because there are...