CHILD ABUSE & CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES

Child Abuse & Children with Disabilities

Child Abuse

Child abuse is a socially defined construct; as such, it does not lend itself to an easy definition. It is a highly controversial and complex concept, subject to constant change that is influenced by a range of political and cultural factors. Historically, the highly publicized case of the abuse of a young girl named Mary Ellen Wilson led to a public outcry resulting in the foundation of the Society for the Prevention of the Cruelty to Children in 1874, which ultimately initiated dramatic changes in society's treatment of children. However, it was not until 1974 when formal legislation was passed in North America that clearly defined a mandate for the reporting of physical child abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and physical neglect.

Estimates of child abuse in North America suggest that about one in every 10 children each year receive harsh physical treatment by a caregiver or parent that puts them at risk for injury and harm. By the age of 18, one in five girls and one in nine boys will experience some form of sexual abuse. Countless other children suffer from emotional abuse and physical neglect.

Physical abuse involves any behavior by a parent that causes physical injury to a child. Physical abuse may occur even though the parent may not have intended to hurt the child, such as in the case of harsh punishment. Physical abuse typically involves a hostile, controlling, and aggressive parenting style. This parenting approach is characterized by a wide range of hurtful actions such as hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning, scalding, drowning, suffocating, punching, and other examples of physical harm. Prenatal exposure to damaging levels of alcohol or drugs may also be included. Physical harm also may be caused when a parent deliberately causes ill health to a child, commonly called Munchausen's Syndrome by Proxy. (Icchetti & Carlson, 1989)

The risk for physical abuse in childhood declines with the child's increasing age. Nearly half of all physical abuse victims are 7 years old or younger. Boys are generally at a slightly greater risk for physical abuse than girls. There is some evidence that vulnerable children may be at a greater risk for physical abuse, such as children born prematurely or children with physical or developmental disabilities. About half of all childhood deaths are a result of physical abuse. Most child deaths, whatever the age of the child, are the result of violence inflicted by males. Death may either be the result of one very violent act of aggression or the accumulation of chronic assaults. Head injuries are the main cause of death.

The histories of the majority of parents who physically abuse their children suggest that they have been physically abused themselves and have suffered maternal rejection and abandonment during their childhood. Typically, physically abusive parents have difficulty controlling their anger, demonstrate hostility and rigidity, have a lack of tolerance for frustration, exhibit low self-esteem, engage in substance abuse, and rarely show empathy. Compared with non abusive parents, abusive parents have been found to have unrealistic expectations and negative perceptions of their children. They also view parenting as more stressful and dissatisfying and exhibit a number of deficits in ...