PSYCHOSOCIAL ECOLOGY OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT (FROM CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT - ISSUES ON INNOVATION AND IMPLEMENTATION - V 1, 1978, BY MICHAEL L LAUDERDALE, ET AL - SEE NCJ-59268)

• NCJ Number: 59271
• Author(s): D J BESHAROV
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 15 pages
• Corporate Author: US Dept of Health and Human Services
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

SUMMARY FINDINGS FROM RESEARCH GRANTS ON CHILD ABUSE, ITS CAUSES, PREVENTION, AND TREATMENT, ARE REPORTED, AS DETERMINED BY THE NATIONAL CENTER ON CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT.

Abstract

FOLLOWING A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ROLE OF THE NATIONAL CENTER ON CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT IN THE AREAS OF RESEARCH, STATE GRANTS, DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS, AND INFORMATION DISSEMINATION, CHILD ABUSE IS DEFINED IN TERMS OF SUBJECTIVE OR CULTURAL VIEWS OF WHAT CONSTITUTES ABUSING PARENTAL BEHAVIOR. WHILE SEVERE ABUSE IS GENERALLY VIEWED BY MOST OBSERVERS AS MORALLY AND LEGALLY UNACCEPTABLE, THERE ARE GRAY' AREAS OF PARENTAL BEHAVIOR, SUCH AS VARYING DEGREES OF CORPORAL PUNISHMENT. IN VIEWING THE PSYCHOSOCIAL ECOLOGY OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT, ABUSING BEHAVIOR IS A FUNCTION OF THE ABUSING PERSON AND THE ENVIRONMENT ACTING UPON HIM. CHANGE IN THIS AREA MUST BE ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH THE DESIGN AND MANIPULATION OF SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS. THE GOAL OF RESEARCH AND DEMONSTRATIONS IS TO DETERMINE WHAT FORMS OF INTERVENTION AND INSTITUTIONS ARE MOST EFFECTIVE AT PREVENTING AND TREATING CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT. STRATEGIES FOR DEALING WITH CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT FALL INTO THE THREE CATEGORIES OF PRIMARY PREVENTION, SECONDARY PREVENTION, AND TREATMENT. PRIMARY PREVENTION DEALS WITH THOSE CULTURAL AND INSTITUTIONAL FORCES WHICH AFFECT THE SPECIFIC LIFE SITUATION AND INTRAPERSONAL FORCES AFFECTING ALL PERSONS WITHIN A COMMUNITY. SECONDARY PREVENTION DEALS WITH THOSE INSTITUTIONAL, SPECIFIC LIFE SITUATION, AND INTRAPERSONAL FORCES WITHIN FAMILIES WITH SPECIAL NEEDS WHO MIGHT, BUT FOR THESE SERVICES, ABUSE OR NEGLECT THEIR CHILDREN. TREATMENT DEALS WITH THE FACTORS AFFECTING FAMILIES WHO HAVE ALREADY ABUSED OR NEGLECTED THEIR CHILDREN. RESEARCH PLANS FOR THE FUTURE SHOULD AIM AT DEVELOPING MEANS FOR DEALING WITH CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT IN EACH OF THE THREE AREAS DEFINED. SOME RESEARCH WORK THAT ALREADY HAS BEEN DONE IN THESE AREAS IS DESCRIBED BRIEFLY. ILLUSTRATED DIAGRAMS AND CHARTS ENHANCE THE TEXT. (RCB)