NCJ Number
58925
Journal
Bulletin of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Volume: 4 Issue: 3 Dated: (1976) Pages: 235-243
Date Published
1976
Length
9 pages
Annotation
RESEARCH ASPECTS OF THE BATTERED CHILD SYNDROME INCLUDE DISCUSSIONS ON CHARACTERISTICS OF ABUSING PARENTS AND BATTERED CHILDREN, AND MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES OF SOCIAL WORKERS INVOLVED WITH ABUSE CASES.
Abstract
IN TERMS OF MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY, THE BATTERED CHILD IS A PROBLEM OF MAJOR CONCERN TO SOCIETY. DOCTORS HAVE ESTIMATED THAT THERE ARE 10,000 TO 15,000 CASES ANNUALLY IN THE UNITED STATES, WITH A MORTALITY RATE OF 10 PERCENT. RECENT OBSERVATIONS HAVE SUGGESTED THAT BATTERING PARENTS ARE NOT CONFINED TO ANY PARTICULAR PERSONALITY TYPE, INTELLIGENCE LEVEL, OR SOCIAL CLASS. SOME AUTHORS, HOWEVER, HAVE NOTED THAT MOST BATTERING PARENTS ARE YOUNG AND FROM THE LOWER SOCIAL CLASSES; MENTAL ILLNESS AND SUBNORMALITY HAVE ALSO BEEN NOTED, ALONG WITH CRIMINALITY AND ALCOHOLISM. ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS CAUSING STRESS SUCH AS DIVORCE, UNEMPLOYMENT, AND SEPARATION HAVE ALSO BEEN REGARDED AS CONTRIBUTORY. THE BIRMINGHAM CHILD ABUSE STUDY EXAMINED 134 BATTERED CHILDREN WITH AN AVERAGE AGE OF 18.5 MONTHS; EQUAL NUMBERS OF BOTH SEXES WERE INVOLVED. BRUISES, FRACTURES, SUBDURAL HEMATOMA, MALNUTRITION, AND BURNING WERE THE MOST FREQUENTLY NOTED SIGNS OF ABUSE. FIFTEEN PERCENT OF THE SAMPLE HAD LOW BIRTH WEIGHTS; DIFFICULTIES DURING PREGNANCY DID NOT CORRELATE IN A STATISTICALLY MEANINGFUL WAY. RESULTS SHOWED THAT THE CHILDREN WERE IN SOME RESPECTS LETHARGIC, AND OFTEN EXHIBITED CLINGING BEHAVIOR. MOTHERS WERE FOUND TO BE YOUNG, WITH AN AVERAGE AGE OF 23.5 YEARS. THEY WERE ALSO NEARLY 4 YEARS YOUNGER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE WHEN THEY FIRST GAVE BIRTH. PARENTS WERE PREDOMINANTLY FROM THE LOWER SOCIAL CLASSES. LACK OF FAMILY COHESIVENESS, PREMARITAL CONCEPTION, AND ABNORMAL PERSONALITIES WERE ALSO NOTED IN A MAJORITY OF CASES. IT IS ARGUED THAT SOCIAL WORKERS HAVE BEEN 'TOO SOFT' AND HAVE MISJUDGED SITUATIONS BECAUSE OF THEIR ENTHUSIASM FOR KEEPING CHILD AND FAMILY TOGETHER. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT SOCIAL, MEDICAL, AND LEGAL ACTION MUST BE AUTHORITATIVE, INTRUSIVE, AND INSISTENT IF THE SITUATION IS TO BE IMPROVED. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (LWM)