NCJ Number
37056
Date Published
1974
Length
169 pages
Annotation
REPORT ON THE FINDINGS OF A REGIONAL STUDY WHICH EMPLOYED QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEYS AND PERSONAL INTERVIEWS TO DETERMINE AND EVALUATE THE INCIDENCE AND NATURE OF REPORTED CHILD ABUSE.
Abstract
THE SEVEN STATES SURVEYED WERE ALABAMA, GEORGIA, KENTUCKY, MISSISSIPPI, NORTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA, AND TENNESSEE. COMPARATIVE DATA ARE PRESENTED ON THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ABUSED CHILD, THE ABUSE INCIDENCE, THE NATURE OF THE ABUSE, THE PARENT/SUBSTITUTE(S) OF THE ABUSED CHILD, AND THE PERPETRATOR. ANALYSIS OF THE INCIDENTS OF REPORTED CASES OVER THE FIVE-YEAR STUDY PERIOD (1968 TO 1972) SUGGESTS THAT WHILE ABUSIVE INCIDENTS MAY BE ON THE INCREASE, CHANGES IN THE REPORTING OF INCIDENTS MAY BE MORE ADEQUATELY EXPLAINED BY CHANGES IN CHILD ABUSE REPORTING LAWS, THE MECHANISMS FOR IMPLEMENTING THE LAWS, AND/OR HEIGHTENED PUBLIC AWARENESS. MOST ABUSED CHILDREN WERE UNDER SIX YEARS OF AGE, MALE, AND WHITE. THE MAJORITY OF THE PARENTS OR PARENT SUBSTITUTES WERE OVER THE AGE OF 25, LIVING WITH THEIR SPOUSE, AND EMPLOYED, AND HAD LOW EDUCATIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL LEVELS. FACTORS POSITIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH CONFIRMED ABUSE CASES INCLUDED THE EXISTENCE OF PRIOR ABUSE, FORMAL SOURCES OF REFERRAL, PROMPT OFFICIAL ASSISTANCE IN REPORTED CASES, SERIOUS INJURIES, THE NEED FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT, AND MALE PERPETRATORS. THE YOUNGEST CHILDREN WERE MORE SERIOUSLY INJURED THAN WERE OLDER ONES AND PERPETRATORS TENDED TO INJURE CHILDREN OF THEIR OWN SEX. OTHER VARIABLES AFFECTED BY THE SEX OF THE PERPETRATOR WERE TYPE OF INJURY, TIME OF INCIDENT, AND SERIOUSNESS OF INJURIES. SEE NCJ-37059 FOR A RELATED DOCUMENT.