NCJ Number
194962
Journal
Child Maltreatment Volume: 7 Issue: 2 Dated: May 2002 Pages: 149-159
Date Published
May 2002
Length
11 pages
Annotation
Through a series of case studies, this article describes a form of pediatric condition falsification (PCF), where a child’s condition or disability is in large part related to their learning.
Abstract
Within the Munchausen by Proxy (MBP) disorder, in which a child is victimized through a form of child abuse called pediatric condition falsification (PCF), a component of the disorder was identified as a form of abuse contained within PCF called educational condition or disability falsification (ECF). These children are typically diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning disabilities, and some behavioral difficulties affecting their school performance. The psychiatric disorder in the parent perpetrator is called factitious disorder by proxy (FDP). Two cases studies, gathered from school personnel and/or from juvenile court referral sources across three States, where school personnel became the focus of psychological manipulation by mothers were presented in order to illustrate the presentation of MBP in an educational setting. This small sample did illustrate the presence of MBP in educational settings. Guidelines for suspecting MBP should lead to raising suspicions about certain patterns of parental behavior leading to the child’s victimization. However, ECF can be more difficult to identify and confirm than PCF. It was recommended that additional longitudinal studies and the examination of adult survivors would increase the knowledge base. Appendix and references