NCJ Number
100412
Editor(s)
A Carmi,
H Zimrin
Date Published
1984
Length
215 pages
Annotation
Fifteen articles cover the phenomenon of child abuse; legal, psychiatric, and pathological issues in child abuse; and the sexually abused child.
Abstract
A study of the child-abuse phenomenon reviews causal factors identified in research and the effectiveness of treatment methods that have targeted these factors. A comparison of Western and non-Western child-rearing practices identifies cultural factors that inhibit or foster child abuse. One article argues for a definition of child abuse that encompasses damage to a child's developmental potential. Articles on legal issues pertaining to child abuse survey relevant U.S. law, review West German law intended to protect the medically neglected child and North American law that deals with religious doctrines contributing to children's medical neglect, and consider the criminal process as well as professional intervention. Other papers present a psychiatrist's view of child abuse and discuss how certain aspects of divorce may emotionally abuse children. Articles on the sexually abused child discuss father-daughter incest and the protection of children in sexual assault cases. Papers addressing child abuse and pathology focus on the battered child syndrome and the forensic pathologist's role in investigating child abuse deaths. Chapter references and a series subject index.