NCJ Number
32162
Journal
American Journal of Orthopsychiatry Volume: 43 Issue: 4 Dated: (JULY 1973) Pages: 611-621
Date Published
1973
Length
11 pages
Annotation
THIS PAPER CRITICALLY EXAMINES THE PSYCHOPATHOLOGICAL THEORY OF CHILD ABUSE AND FINDS A NUMBER OF DEFICIENCIES WITH THE MODEL; A BROADER, SOCIO-PSYCHOLOGICAL MODEL OF CHILD ABUSE IS THEN PROPOSED.
Abstract
THE AUTHOR STATES THAT THE PSYCHOPATHOLOGICAL MODEL OF CHILD ABUSE IS TOO NARROW. HE STATES THAT IT POSITS A SINGLE CAUSAL VARIABLE (A PRESUMED MENTAL ABBERATION OR DISEASE) TO ACCOUNT FOR CHILD ABUSE, WHILE IT IGNORES OTHER VARIABLES THAT MAY BE EQUALLY OR MORE IMPORTANT CAUSAL FACTORS. SECONDLY, HE ARGUES THAT PSYCHOPATHOLOGY THEORY IS INCONSISTENT IN STATING THAT ABUSE IS CAUSED BY A PATHOLOGY, WHILE MANY OF THE RESEARCH REPORTS STATE ALL ABUSERS ARE NOT PSYCHOPATHS. FINALLY, THE AUTHOR CONTENDS THAT CLOSE EXAMINATION OF THE LITERATURE ON CHILD ABUSE SHOWS THAT IT IS NOT BASED ON RESEARCH THAT MEETS EVEN THE MINIMAL STANDARDS OF EVIDENCE IN SOCIAL SCIENCE. THIS PAPER PROVIDES A MORE DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS OF THE GENERATIVE SOURCES OF CHILD ABUSE. THE ANALYSIS GOES BEYOND THE UNI-CAUSAL APPROACH OF THE PSYCHOPATHOLOGY MODEL; IT ANALYZES SOCIOCULTURAL FEATURES OF THE ABUSER SUCH AS SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, SEX, EMPLOYMENT STATUS, AND PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WITH VIOLENCE, AND IT RELATES THESE TO SUCH FACTORS AS THE AGE, TEMPERAMENT, AND SIB-ORDER OF THE ABUSED CHILD. IN ADDITION, THE SOCIAL CONTEXT OF CHILD ABUSE IS EXAMINED. THE PAPER CONCLUDES WITH A BROADER, SOCIO-PSYCHOLOGICAL MODEL OF CHILD ABUSE AND DISCUSSES THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS APPROACH FOR STRATEGIES OF INTERVENTION IN CHILD ABUSE. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)