Culture and child maltreatment: cultural competence and beyond.

OBJECTIVE The objective of this article is to comment on current issues in the relationship between culture and child maltreatment. METHOD A review of the literature on culture and child maltreatment is the basis of the article. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION While attention has been directed to the relationship between culture and maltreatment for more than 20 years, there is a need for further development in this area. Efforts need to be made to "unpack" culture, to promote understanding culture in context, and to enhance research on child maltreatment and culture.