NCJ Number
57660
Date Published
1977
Length
11 pages
Annotation
A CHANGE IN PROFESSIONAL APPROACHES TO CHILD ABUSE AWAY FROM AN EXCLUSIVE ORIENTATION ON THE INDIVIDUAL TO AN APPROACH WHICH FOSTERS INTERDEPENDENCE IS URGED IN THIS ARTICLE.
Abstract
THAT CHILD ABUSE PROFESSIONALS HAVE FAILED TO RECOGNIZE THAT INDIVIDUALS BECOME STRONGER PERSONALITIES ONLY IN RELATION TO OTHERS MAY ACCOUNT FOR THE LIMITED SUCCESS OF PROFESSIONAL INTERVENTION. IN PART THIS HAS RESULTED FROM THE SHARP BOUNDARIES WHICH HAVE BEEN DRAWN BETWEEN HELPERS AND THE HELPED. PROFESSIONAL HELPERS HAVE SOUGHT TO ENSURE THAT THERE IS LITTLE MUTUAL INTERACTION BETWEEN THEM AND THEIR PATIENTS. THEY SEEK TO PLACE SUCH CONTACTS SOLELY IN AN OFFICIAL SETTING IN WHICH THE HELPERS ARE THE DOMINANT AUTHORITY FIGURES. THE OBJECT OF SUCH AN APPROACH IS TO HAVE TROUBLED INDIVIDUALS BECOME MORE LIKE PROFESSIONAL HELPERS AND ASSUME FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR PROBLEMS. YET BOTH THE NOTION OF INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY AND BARRIERS BETWEEN HELPERS AND THE HELPED ARE BEING CHALLENGED BY THEORIES WHICH STRESS THE INTERDEPENDENCE OF PROBLEMS AND PEOPLE. THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE PROBLEMS OF CHILD ABUSERS COULD BE SERIOUSLY RELATED TO THE SOCIAL FABRIC HAS, UNFORTUNATELY, NEVER BEEN SERIOUSLY ADDRESSED BY POLICYMAKERS OR RESEARCHERS. YET, EFFORTS HAVE BEEN MADE BY THEOLOGIANS, POLITICAL AND SOCIAL THEORISTS TO STUDY THE DYNAMICS OF INTERDEPENDENCE. IT IS EVIDENT THAT ASSUMPTION OF PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY CAN TAKE PLACE ONLY IN AN ATMOSPHERE OF HEALTHY COMMUNITY AND INTERDEPENDENCE. THE DEVELOPMENT OF SUCH AN ATMOSPHERE IN WORKING WITH ABUSIVE FAMILIES MAY LESSEN THE PROFESSIONAL PESSIMISM OVER THE POSSIBILITY OF HELPING SUCH FAMILIES. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (KCP)