Child Abuse

1
Child Abuse

• Anne Kennedy
• CRMI003

2
Outline

• Exam
• Socialization
• Childhood Experience
• Family Abuse
• Institutional Abuse
• Summary Points

3
Exam Issues

• Question
• Students can bring in examples from media to
  illustrate points in the exam as long as it is
  relevant

4
Introduction

• Ann Oakley wrote in 1994
• childhood is not only something to be studied,
  it is something we all hold within us a set of
  memories, a collection of ideas (p.28).
• Fundamental right of every child, to experience a
  childhood that promotes a positive sense of
  self-identity, self-respect and self-control.

5
Socialization

• In 1970, Danzinger wrote, a child is socialized
  by belonging to a particular culture at a certain
  stage in its history (P.18)
• Chief Executive of the Childrens Society We
  need to better understand the experiences of
  children in our society if we are to make the UK
  a better place for children to grow up in (2006)

6

• For many children of all cultures and classes
  the dominating feature of childhood is that of
  powerlessness and lack of control over what
  happens to them (Lansdown, 199434).
• Children are active in constructing their own
  social worlds and reflecting upon and
  understanding its meaning and significance to
  their own personal lives (France et al.,
  2000151 cited in Mullender et al., 20024).

7

• Need to consider the messages that individuals
  take away from their life experiences and how
  this informs their understanding.

8
Definition

• Childrens Act 1989 when someones actions have
  caused a child to suffer significant harm to
  their health or development
• Significant harm
• Punishing a child too much
• Hitting or shaking a child
• Constantly criticising, threatening or rejecting
• Sexual interference with or assaulting a child
• Not looking after a child not giving them
  enough to eat, ignoring them, not playing or
  talking with them or not making sure they are safe

9

• Children are most at risk where they should be
  safest within their families. Children are in
  fact more likely to be murdered, physically
  assaulted, sexually abused, abducted and
  subjected to harmful traditional practices and
  mental violence by family members than by
  strangers
• (Innocenti Digest, 1997 5).

10

• Findings revealed by the Department of Health
  show that
• On the 31st of March 2001 there were 26,800
  children on the child protection register in
  England, and that there were more boys than girls
  on the register at this time (2001a1).
• In 2000/2001 this Department noted that, local
  authorities in England looked after 58,900
  children at the 31 March 2001
• Of this figure 36,600 (62) of children in care
  at this time, were placed there as a result of
  abuse or neglect (2001b8)

11

• UK parents are allowed to hit their children, as
  far as it doesnt leave a mark (Bhandari,
  20069)
• Children not protected by law unless assault is
  judged to go beyond reasonable chastisement,
  usually meaning causing serious physical injury
  (Davis Bourhill, 199736-37).
• Harsh physical punishment of children leads to
  development of emotional behavioural problems
• Much abuse begins as physical punishment that
  goes too far (Nobes et al., 1999887).
• Rarely is routine violence against children
  questioned. It is encouraged within families as
  an instrument of discipline punishment
  (Davis Bourhill, 199756).

12

• Children, especially dependent children, are
  particularly vulnerable to forms of mental
  violence by parents and others ranging from
  verbal abuse, sarcasm and belittling, through
  forms of humiliation, harassment and isolation
  not involving physical violence (Innocent
  Digest, 19978-9).
• In the abusive family environment, the exercise
  of parental power is arbitrary, capricious and
  absolute. Rules are erratic, inconsistent, or
  patently unfair (Herman, 200298).

13

• Alternative forms of discipline such as
• reasoning with the child or young person, and
  raising awareness of how their actions reflect on
  themselves and impact on others, suggest more
  appropriate methods of discipline.
• In doing so, the fact that the parent does not
  exact retaliation implies a certain respect for
  the childs ability to take responsibility for
  his or her actions (Danzinger, 197799-100).

14

• Kevin Browne Child Psychology Unit Liverpool
  University
• One of the biggest predictors for child homicide
  is a history of violence in the parents
  background. And so one of the most significant
  risk factors that health visitors and midwives
  should be looking for is spouse abuse in the
  family prior to the arrival of the child.

15

• At least 750,000 children a year witness
  domestic violence (DOH, 200316).
• US - more than three million children are
  annually estimated to witness acts of domestic
  violence (McAlistair Groves, 1999124).
• Veil of secrecy surrounds violence in families.
• Intervention to protect their mothers has
  resulted in the child actually killing the
  abuser, albeit such cases are rare (Morley
  Mullender, 1994).

16

• Child contact arrangements in England and Wales
  29 children in 13 families were killed in the
  period 1994 2004 (Saunders, 20044)
• Figure could easily be a misrepresentation as the
  Government has not collected statistics on child
  contact homicides (Saunders, 20047).
• To illustrate the inevitable vulnerability of
  children and young people caught up in such
  situations, several of these homicides occurred
  during over night stays (Saunders, 20045).

17
Impact?

• What exactly does it mean for children to
  witness domestic violence? (McGee, 200061).
• McAlistair Groves there is a need, to take
  account of the many ways children take in
  cultural messages about the use of violence
  (200221).

18

• Young peoples attitudes to violence, sex and
  relationships 1 in 5 young men and 1 in 10
  young women thought that violence towards a
  partner was acceptable in some situations (Home
  Office, 200528).
• The more violence is routinely used and
  witnessed in daily (public) life, and the more
  accepted and unchallenged its use, the more this
  provides a fertile ground for the use and
  acceptance of relationship violence (CRC,
  200113).

19

• Context
• Observing violence,
• Hearing parents fighting and knowing mother is
  being hit but not directly observing the
  violence,
• Observing outcomes (e.g., bruises on the mother)
  but not necessarily observing or hearing the
  violence directly,
• Becoming aware (e.g., mother tells them about it)
  but not necessarily observing or hearing evidence
  of it, or,
• Living in household in which violence occurs but
  not being aware of it (Jouriles et al., 200119).

20

• Not all children young people affected.
• Wolak and Finkelhor
• Range of protective factors, which may help to
  explain their resilience
• the characteristics of the child
• the quality of family support
• the quality of extrafamily support (199895).
• Morley Mullender
• Some children remain perfectly well adjusted
  despite living with abuse
• Practitioners need a heightened awareness of
  possible problems but can never presume
  pathology (199427-28).

21
Institutional Care

• Children looked after by placements
• 38, 400 children were looked after in foster
  placements at 31 March 2001
• 6, 400 children and young people were looked
  after in childrens homes 9including secure
  units
• 3,400 children were placed for adoption
• (DOH, 2000/2001)

22
Haut de la Garenne

• Islands culture of secrecy (BBC News, February
  2008)
• Police excavate bricked- up Colditz cellar at
  ex-childrens home amid fears it hides a mass
  grave (Mail on Sunday, February 2008)
• Secrets behind childrens home (BBC News, 2008)
• Former childcare home alleged child sex abuse
  over a 40-year period
• Childs remains found at former orphanage

23

• Jersey Child Abuse Inquiry
• Largest paedophile investigation since the war
  (approx 40 paedophiles)
• 4 decades of paperwork
• No scandal for the people of Jersey
• Staff encouraged rape by other kids
• Constant beatings
• Staff were told but in denial
• Paedophile - Santa at Jersey kids home

24
Discussion Points

• Shocked by the apparent acceptance of threat to
  children
• Jersey wasnt always as thorough in gathering
  vital evidence about what went on in its
  childrens homes
• Oh, he carries the pillow so you cant hear the
  girls screaming
• Things must have been known we talked about it
  I complained others complained for some
  reason they never took any action and thats just
  wrong

25
Discussion Points

• Famous as a tax haven and a long history of
  discretion and secrecy. Now Panorama asks if this
  has led to victims allegations being ignored and
  those under suspicion escaping punishment

26
Summary

• Dame Mary Marsh, Chief Executive NSPCC
• The UK has been very slow in recognising the
  collective responsibility we have for the
  nations children and the fact that we should
  value them much more, we should respect them much
  more and care for them an awful lot better.

27
Final Thoughts

• Society fails children and young people and is
  instrumental in sustaining the ideologies, which
  perpetuate such actions
• Aim is to bring about a change in societal
  attitudes and traditional mind-sets, which have
  promoted and sustained children as second class
  citizens and therefore inconsequential.