NCJ Number
48771
Date Published
1978
Length
32 pages
Annotation
AN OVERVIEW OF CHILD ABUSE -- CAUSES, CONSEQUENCES, THE BATTERED CHILD SYNDROME -- IS PRESENTED IN TESTIMONY BEFORE A COMMITTEE OF THE CANADIAN SENATE.
Abstract
THE WITNESS, A PSYCHIATRIST, RESEARCHER, AND AUTHOR OF A TEXT ON THE BATTERED CHILD SYNDROME, FOCUSES ON CHILD ABUSE AS AN ANTECEDENT TO CRIME; I.E., THE IDEA THAT VIOLENCE BREEDS VIOLENCE. THE HISTORY OF CHILD ABUSE AND CHILD ABUSE LEGISLATION IS REVIEWED, WITH REFERENCE TO THE TENDENCY OF THE MEDICAL, SOCIAL WORK, AND LEGAL PROFESSIONS TO DENY THE EXISTENCE OF THE PROBLEM. STATISTICS ON THE INCIDENCE OF CHILD ABUSE IN CANADA, THE UNITED STATES, AND ENGLAND ARE REVIEWED, AND THE TYPES OF INJURIES SEEN ON BATTERED CHILDREN ARE DESCRIBED. A CLASSIFICATION OF CHILD MALTREATMENT -- INFANTICIDE, THE WASTED AND NEGLECTED CHILD, THE BEATEN, BURNT, OR SADISTICALLY INJURED CHILD, AND THE BATTERED CHILD -- IS DISCUSSED, WITH REFERENCE TO CASE EXAMPLES OF EACH CLASSIFICATION. CHARACTERISTICS OF PARENTS WHO INFLICT TRAUMA ON THEIR CHILDREN ARE DISCUSSED, IT IS POINTED OUT THAT EMOTIONAL OR PHYSICAL MALTREATMENT DURING CHILDHOOD IS A COMMON EXPERIENCE OF CHILD-ABUSING PARENTS AND OTHER VIOLENT OFFENDERS. THE HANDLING OF CHILD ABUSE BY SOCIAL AGENCIES, THE MEDICAL PROFESSION, AND THE COURTS IS CRITICIZED, WITH EMPHASIS ON THE INADEQUACY OF SUPERVISION ORDERS BY THE COURT AS A MEANS OF PROTECTING A BATTERED CHILD. THE SENATE COMMITTEE IS URGED TO FOCUS ITS EFFORTS ON PREVENTING CHILD ABUSE. IN HIS RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS POSED BY SENATORS, THE WITNESS DISCUSSES OTHER ASPECTS OF THE CHILD ABUSE PROBLEM, THE EFFECTS OF PHYSICAL DISCIPLINE ON CHILDREN, AND RELATED MATTERS--IN ENGLISH AND FRENCH. (LKM)