NCJ Number
74692
Date Published
1981
Length
35 pages
Annotation
This collection of nine papers focuses on the economic and social causes of child abuse and neglect to counter the psychodynamic medical approach which dominates current research and treatment.
Abstract
The first article documents the thesis that poverty creates stresses on parents that can provoke child abuse and neglect, as well as providing a hazardous environment that makes child neglect especially dangerous. The problem of child abuse is reviewed within the historic context of the child welfare movement, followed by an examination of the consequences of the medical approach as exemplified in the battered child syndrome. Another paper traces the involvement of the juvenile courts with abused and neglected children, with particular emphasis on due process rights and the courts' increasing reliance on psychiatric judgments. Reports are then presented of three indepth small sample empirical studies of various aspects of child abuse and neglect cases. The project conducted in Mercer County, N.J. found that most abuse and neglect cases were located in the poorest areas of Trenton rather than more affluent towns. A study of poor, child-maltreating families in northern New Jersey provides a portrait of the abusing family and reveals inadequate intervention strategies. A followup analysis of traumatized children cites high frequencies of chronic illness and learning and behavior problems, and relates these findings to other research on the effects of living in poverty on young children. An ecological framework for explaining child maltreatment focuses on the influence of the immediate social environment, particularly the neighborhood. A critical assessment of services for maltreating families concludes that most are ineffective and describes alternative programs that appear to address the needs of many abusive families. The final article presents an overview of child abuse and then discusses the failure of Government efforts to deal with the problem since the 1960's. Radical suggestions for reform are offered, including redefinition of childrens' rights in law, full employment and income guarantees, a national health maintenance system, and a universal day care system. References accompany each paper. An index is provided.