Under-Intervention Versus Over-Intervention

Authors

Dorothy Roberts, Northwestern University School of Law

Abstract

The article argues that the racial disparity in the U.S. child welfare system, particularly the overrepresentation of Black and brown children, is not merely a result of societal conditions but is deeply rooted in systemic bias and policy choices. The child welfare system disproportionately targets poor, Black families, often removing children for reasons related to poverty rather than severe abuse or neglect. This disparity perpetuates harm to families and communities, contradicting principles of democracy and human rights. The article calls for a shift in focus from debating whether the causes of disparity are internal or external to addressing the systemic issues and policy decisions that perpetuate racial inequality.

Disciplines

Civil Rights and Discrimination | Law | Law and Race | Social Welfare Law

Recommended Citation

Dorothy Roberts, Under-Intervention Versus Over-Intervention, 3 Cardozo Pub. L. Pol’y & Ethics J. 371 (2005).
Available at: https://larc.cardozo.yu.edu/cplpej/vol3/iss2/5