Chapter 14: Children on Different

Developmental PathsChild Maltreatment: Abuse and

Neglect

Kati Tumaneng (for Drs. Cook and Cook)

Child Maltreatment: Abuse and Neglect Before they grow up, about 1 in every 5

girls and 1 in every 9 boys in the United States will experience some form of sexual abuse (Finkelhor, 1994; Mash & Wolfe, 1999).

Each year, 1 in every 10 children endures severe physical violence committed by a parent or caregiver (Mash & Wolfe, 1999; Srauss & Gelles, 1986).

Child Abuse:http://www.geocities.com/afterthestorm1/childabuse.htm

Types and Frequency of Child Maltreatment Child maltreatment – A general category

including all situations where parents or other persons in charge of a child’s well-being harm the child or otherwise neglect the child’s needs.

Physical abuse – Abuse that causes physical harm to a child (Mash & Wolfe, 1999).

Neglect – Failure to provide for a child’s basic physical, educational, or psychological needs (Mash & Wolfe, 1999).

Fact Sheet: http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/info/mhgu/pdfs/Sheet19.pdf

Types and Frequency of Child Maltreatment Sexual abuse – Abuse that includes fondling a

child’s genitals or breasts, committing intercourse or other sexual acts with a child, exposing the child to indecent acts, and/or involving the child in pornography.

Psychological abuse – Abuse that includes verbal put-downs and other behavior that terrorizes, threatens, rejects, or isolates children.

Typically considerable overlap among categories.

Types and Frequency of Child Maltreatment US laws require anyone who works with children

to report suspected cases (Mash & Wolfe, 1999). In 1999, nearly 3 million reports received (US

Department of Health and Human Services, 2001).

Overall, rates highest for infants under 1 year and tend to decline as children age (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2001).

Child Maltreatment Cases Reported to US Child Protection Agencies in 1999

(US Department of Health and Human Services, 2001)

Types and Frequency of Child Maltreatment Boys most likely to suffer

physical abuse between the ages of 4 and 11, while girls most often abused between 12 and 15.

Girls four times more likely to be sexually abused than boys.

Abuse rates higher for most ethnic minority groups.

U.S. Rates of Child Maltreatmentby Race and Ethnicity, 1999

(US Department of Health and Human Services, 2001)

Perpetrators of US Child Maltreatment Cases, 1999

(US Department of Health and Human Services, 2001)

Effects of Child Maltreatment:Physical Abuse Impossible to determine exact effect that any form of

maltreatment will have on a given child. Children who have suffered physical abuse often have

problems with aggression and hostility. Rates of violent offenses and crime twice as high for

those physically abused (McCord, 1983; Wekerle & Wolfe, 1996).

Most do not grow up to be abusers themselves – 70% develop more positive parenting skills (Kaufman & Zigler, 1989).

Child Abuse and Neglect:http://nccanch.acf.hhs.gov/topics/overview/impact.cfm

Effects of Child Maltreatment:Physical Abuse Compulsive compliance – A behavior pattern

seen among some physically abused children: ready and quick responses aimed at pleasing adults by complying with their demands and wishes (Crittenden & DiLalla, 1988; Wekerle & Wolfe, 1996).

Language delays and poor academic performance associated with physical abuse.

Effects of Child Maltreatment:Neglect Cognitive and academic achievement of

neglected children worse than for those physically abused (Wekerle & Wolfe, 1996).

Language delays, intelligence deficits, and lackluster academic performance common.

Poor impulse control, highly dependent on teachers.

Socially withdrawn.

Effects of Child Maltreatment:Sexual Abuse Effects depend on frequency and length of

time that abuses occurred. Depression and increase in sexual behavior

often seen with sexual abuse. About half show signs of PTSD.

Child Sexual Abuse: http://www.ncptsd.va.gov/facts/specific/fs_child_sexual_abuse.html

Prevention Solutions not easy and must address

multiple factors One successful program:Title I Child-Parent Center, Chicago

Preschool for low-income children

Parent training, job training

Family services

Prevention:http://pcaa.convio.net/site/DocServer/an_approach_to_prevention.pdf?docID=121

Table on Slide 6: from Cook, J. L., & Cook, G. (2005). Child development: Principles and perspectives (1st ed.) (p. 575). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Picture on Slide 7: from Cook, J. L., & Cook, G. (2005). Child development: Principles and perspectives (1st ed.) (p. 577). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Graph on Slide 8: from Cook, J. L., & Cook, G. (2005). Child development: Principles and perspectives (1st ed.) (p. 575). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Graph on Slide 9: from Cook, J. L., & Cook, G. (2005). Child development: Principles and perspectives (1st ed.) (p. 576). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

All other images retrieved from Microsoft PowerPoint Clip Art.