scholarly journals Can an evolutionary perspective shed light on maternal abuse of children?

2020 ◽  
pp. 135910452097441
Author(s):  
Bernadette Wren ◽  
John Launer ◽  
Graham Music ◽  
Michael J Reiss ◽  
Annie Swanepoel
Keyword(s):  
Child Abuse ◽  
Physical Abuse ◽  
Emotional Abuse ◽  
Child Psychology ◽  
Models Of Care ◽  
Case Description ◽  
Evolutionary Perspective ◽  
Theory Of Evolution ◽  
Maternal Abuse ◽  
Shed Light

Although the theory of evolution lies at the heart of contemporary biology, its influence on the study of child psychology and psychiatry has been limited. In earlier work we have argued that evolutionary thinking has much of value for clinicians. Here, we explore the possible significance of evolutionary theory for understanding child abuse by mothers, particularly neglect, emotional abuse and physical abuse. We draw on the research of anthropologists, primatologists and evolutionary theorists to make predictions about the environmental circumstances under which one would expect such abuse to be more prevalent. We discuss how in modern, Western cultures there is less understanding of the circumstances that may influence, even predispose, a mother to limit her emotional and material commitment to an infant or child. We use four short vignettes of clinical cases and one longer case description to illustrate the insights offered to clinicians by an evolutionary approach. We see our work both as contributing to greater understanding of these matters and as facilitating more compassionate models of care and intervention for women in such circumstances.

Safeguarding children

2021 ◽  
pp. 175573802199585
Author(s):  
Sabana Shaikh ◽  
Rubena Ali Malik
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Child Abuse ◽  
Healthcare Professional ◽  
Physical Abuse ◽  
Emotional Abuse ◽  
Multidisciplinary Meetings ◽  
The Family ◽  
Abuse And Neglect ◽  
Psychological Harm

It is the duty of every healthcare professional to ensure they prioritise the welfare of a child by protecting them from physical or psychological harm. Forms of child abuse include physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse and neglect. A child subjected to emotional abuse or neglect can present with ambiguous symptoms, making the abuse difficult to detect. Safeguarding concerns must be acted upon according to local procedures, guided by the child safeguarding lead and the practice safeguarding policy. Safeguarding multidisciplinary meetings can be an effective way of communicating with various professionals involved with the family.

scholarly journals Epidemiological and Forensic Aspects of Physical Abuse of Minors

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ndoye El Hadji Oumar
Keyword(s):  
Child Abuse ◽  
Physical Abuse ◽  
Emotional Abuse ◽  
The Body ◽  
National Hospital ◽  
Medicine Department ◽  
The Family ◽  
Young Subjects ◽  
Negligent Treatment ◽  
The Relationship

Child abuse is a phenomenon whose magnitude remains unknown in Africa. It includes all forms of physical and/or emotional abuse, sexual abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, or commercial exploitation.This is a prospective descriptive study, with systematic case-by-case recruitment of victims of physical abuse of minors received in the forensic medicine department of the Ignace Deen National Hospital over a twelve (12) month period, from July 20, 2016 to July 19, 2017.The study included 218 cases of child abuse out of 1110 patients who were seen for any reason, a proportion of 20%. Victims aged between 11 and 15 years old were the most represented with 46.7% and more than half were out of school with 59.6%, girls were the most represented in our study with 73.3% with a sex ratio M/F = 0.36. The relationship between the victim and the aggressor was familial in (44%). The injuries were found all over the body. 77.60% of the victims had a total work disability of less than or equal to 20 days. Physical abuse is common in Conakry. Young subjects are the most affected, especially student summary. Minors constitute a fragile population, dependent and vulnerable to the assaults to which they are subjected, both inside and outside the family sphere.

scholarly journals CHILD ABUSE AND ADULT MENTAL HEALTH: DOES GENDER MATTER?

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S935-S935
Author(s):  
Patricia M Morton ◽  
Blakelee Kemp ◽  
Frass Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Child Abuse ◽  
Emotional Abuse ◽  
The United States ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Adult Mental Health ◽  
Maternal Abuse ◽  
Parental Abuse

Abstract Numerous studies have demonstrated that child abuse is associated with poor adult mental health, but few have investigated the extent to which the frequency of different types of abuse increase mental health conditions, especially at the nexus of gender. The present study examines whether parental abuse frequency and abuse perpetrator have distinct effects for men and women on three mental health outcomes—depressive symptoms, generalized anxiety, and global self-reported mental health. Data came from three waves of the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS), comprising a baseline sample of 3,032 adults aged 25-74. Estimating a series of mixed effects models revealed that maternal abuse and frequent abuse during childhood were associated with poorer adult mental health during our 20-year observation period, net of childhood and adult risk factors. Specifically, maternal emotional abuse raised the risk of depression, anxiety, and lower self-rated mental health, and was more strongly associated with depression and anxiety for women than men. Compared to adults who did not experience parental abuse during childhood, adults who experienced frequent emotional and physical abuse by either parent were more likely to experience depression and anxiety and report lower ratings of mental health in adulthood. Frequent child abuse was more strongly associated with anxiety for women than men. These results demonstrate that gender differences in adult mental health have early-life antecedents. Future research investigating the long-term mental health consequences of child abuse should consider the type and magnitude of abuse as well as the perpetrator.

Battered baby syndrome

Trauma ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 216-218
Author(s):  
Shashank Pooniya ◽  
Sanjeev Lalwani ◽  
Nirupam Madaan ◽  
Manju Mehta ◽  
Ashu Bhalla ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Child Abuse ◽  
Physical Abuse ◽  
Emotional Abuse ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Care Centre ◽  
Health Care Centre ◽  
Second Child ◽  
Attending Physician

The problem of battered baby and child abuse is a much underreported condition, easily missed by the attending physician and autopsy surgeon. According to a study by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, India, in 2007, more than two-thirds (69%) of children, particularly in the age group of 5–12 years, faced physical abuse, mostly (89%) by parents. Sexual abuse occurred in over half of them (53%) and every second child faced emotional abuse, mostly by parents (83%). In this presentation, we will be sharing the experience of managing two cases of battered baby syndrome, reported at a tertiary health care centre in India.

scholarly journals CHILD ABUSE AND ADULT MENTAL HEALTH: DOES GENDER MATTER?

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S934-S934
Author(s):  
Patricia M Morton ◽  
Blakelee Kemp ◽  
Frass Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Child Abuse ◽  
Emotional Abuse ◽  
The United States ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Adult Mental Health ◽  
Maternal Abuse ◽  
Parental Abuse

Abstract Numerous studies have demonstrated that child abuse is associated with poor adult mental health, but few have investigated the extent to which the frequency of different types of abuse increase mental health conditions, especially at the nexus of gender. The present study examines whether parental abuse frequency and abuse perpetrator have distinct effects for men and women on three mental health outcomes—depressive symptoms, generalized anxiety, and global self-reported mental health. Data came from three waves of the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS), comprising a baseline sample of 3,032 adults aged 25-74. Estimating a series of mixed effects models revealed that maternal abuse and frequent abuse during childhood were associated with poorer adult mental health during our 20-year observation period, net of childhood and adult risk factors. Specifically, maternal emotional abuse raised the risk of depression, anxiety, and lower self-rated mental health, and was more strongly associated with depression and anxiety for women than men. Compared to adults who did not experience parental abuse during childhood, adults who experienced frequent emotional and physical abuse by either parent were more likely to experience depression and anxiety and report lower ratings of mental health in adulthood. Frequent child abuse was more strongly associated with anxiety for women than men. These results demonstrate that gender differences in adult mental health have early-life antecedents. Future research investigating the long-term mental health consequences of child abuse should consider the type and magnitude of abuse as well as the perpetrator.

scholarly journals Physical, Psychological and Sexual Abuse of the Minor in the Families from the Northwestern Region of Romania- Social and Medical Forensics

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camelia Liana BUHAȘ ◽  
Claudia JUDEA-PUSTA ◽  
Bogdan Adrian BUHAȘ ◽  
Simona BUNGAU ◽  
Adrian Sorin JUDEA ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Child Abuse ◽  
Physical Abuse ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Emotional Abuse ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Forensic Analysis ◽  
Sociological Study ◽  
The Family ◽  
Physical Neglect

Background: In Romania, the abuse within the family of the minor child is a widespread phenomenon, its extent is insufficiently known because of ignorance/not reporting all the existing cases. Methods: The participants of the research are represented by two independent groups from the NW Romania 2007-2011, one for sociological study (1544 parents and 1283 children) and another for forensic statistical study (2761 cases of abused children). The sociological study was carried out by analyzing questionnaires applied in schools located in Bihor County, both to children and parents. The statistical analysis was carried out by studying the cases of the physically, sexually, and psychologically abused minors, recorded at Bihor County Forensic Service. Results: Physical neglect and physical abuse are the most common forms of child abuse. The forensic analysis highlight that most of the victims are male from urban areas. Physical abuse is more common in the 16-18 age group, psychological abuse in children aged between 6-10 yr, and sexual abuse in children under the age of 14 years. Girls were subject to sexual abuse, neglect, and emotional abuse, more frequently in rural areas; boys were most often victims of exploitation, physical, and emotional abuse in both urban and rural areas. Conclusion: The results of the study led to the formulation of general guidelines on this phenomenon and highlight the need for proposals to improve the current situation of child abuse within the family.

scholarly journals Prevalence of Child Abuse and Correlations with Family Factors Among Elementary School-aged Children

2021 ◽  
Vol In Press (In Press) ◽  
Author(s):  
Raheleh Rafaiee ◽  
Fahimeh Mohseni ◽  
Nafiseh Akbarian
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Elementary School ◽  
Child Abuse ◽  
Physical Abuse ◽  
School Children ◽  
Emotional Abuse ◽  
Elementary School Children ◽  
P Value ◽  
School Aged Children ◽  
Abuse And Neglect

Background: The economic pressure on Iranian families has increased in recent years. Objectives: This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of child abuse in three domains of physical abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect among a sample of elementary school children in Iran and compare the results with previous studies from Iran. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 400 elementary school children were selected through multistage cluster sampling from Shahroud, Iran, and assessed for all child abuse domains, except for sexual abuse, using a validated self-administered Persian questionnaire. Demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the participants were collected. Data were statistically analyzed, and a p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The mean age of the participants was 10.83 years (SD = 1.9). Overall, 63.8%, 27%, and 90.3% of children reported emotional abuse, physical abuse, and neglect, respectively. There were significant associations between the mother’s employment status and neglect (P < 0.001), father’s education and physical child abuse (P = 0.03), and father’s smoking and emotional child abuse (P < 0.001). The results showed that lower levels of family socioeconomic status had significant effects on neglect (P = 0.006) and emotional child abuse (P = 0.003). Conclusions: Among the studied children, 73.8% declared at least one type of child abuse. It seems that the prevalence of neglect increased among school-aged children compared to previous studies from Iran. The low socioeconomic status of the family is significantly related to child abuse. Family physicians and school counselors play important roles in identifying and reporting child abuse and neglect. Therefore, they should be more involved in the prevention of child abuse.

The Role of Social Cohesion in Preventing Child Abuse Among Rural Chinese Left-Behind ChildrenThis research was approved by the research ethics committee of Renmin University of China.

2020 ◽  
pp. 088626052095865
Author(s):  
Huiping Zhang ◽  
Aijia Ma ◽  
Yali Li
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Child Abuse ◽  
Physical Abuse ◽  
Social Cohesion ◽  
Emotional Abuse ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Rural Children ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Left Behind

Child abuse is a significant public health issue that can affect children’s physical and mental health. However, few studies have examined rural Chinese left-behind children. The role of social cohesion of rural Chinese communities in the prevention of child abuse remains understudied. The present study aims to investigate certain factors that could reduce child abuse problems, placing a special focus on the protective role of social cohesion, especially for left-behind rural children. Data were collected from a sample of 1,049 school-aged rural children from the largest middle school in China’s Henan Province. It was found that social cohesion directly affected physical abuse and emotional abuse; furthermore, social cohesion was more significantly associated with emotional abuse, whereas sexual abuse was a more significant issue for left-behind children than for those living with their parents. However, the moderating effect of the left-behind status on the association between social cohesion and physical abuse was not significant. Our findings suggest that social cohesion is an important factor for preventing emotional and sexual abuse. Thus, it is necessary to enhance social cohesion in rural Chinese communities with left-behind children to reduce their risk of experiencing child abuse.

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