CHILD ABUSE THEORIESSOC 5870

Dr. M. C. Sengstock, Ph.D. C.C.S.

Theories of Child Abuse From Psychology, Sociology,

Medicine

Categories of Theories & Applications

• Explanatory Theories – Psychological Theories– Environmental Models– Life Crisis Theory– Social Learning Theory– Family Dynamics Theory– Social Psychological vs. Psychodynamic Models

• Theoretically Based Attempts to Correct Abusive Parental Behavior

• Public Issues

Psychological Theories of Child Abuse (#1)

• Mental Illness Model: – Child Abuse Unthinkable – Abusers Mentally Ill

– May Be True of Most Extreme – <5% (Kempe)• Parent As Deprived Child:

– Abusive Parent Was Never Loved As Child – “Hostility Sponge” – Take Anger Out On Children

– Therapists Must Supply This Missing Love • Psychological (Character Trait) Models:

– Lists of Traits of Abusive Parents (cf. Lists Below)

Adults Who Abuse Children:Psychological

Characteristics (EX 1)• They Have Mental or Psychological Problems:– Self-Expressed Anger– Anger Control Problems– Depression – Anxiety– Low Tolerance for Frustration– Low Self Esteem– Rigid in Their Views– Deficit in Empathy – “Taking Role of the Other”

Psychological Characteristics (EX 2)

• Many Family & Interpersonal Problems:– Marital Problems– History of Having Been Abused Themselves– Deficits in Positive Interactions With the Child …

– & With Other Family Members– Tend to Be Isolated– Also Try To Isolate the Family From Outsiders to Hide Their Behavior

Psychological Characteristics (EX 3)

• Abusive Parents Also Tend to Have:– Physical Health Problems– Perceive Life in General to Be Stressful

– May Have Substance Dependence or Abuse– Tend to Have “Physiological Over-Activity” …

– I.e., Tend to Have a Physiological Reaction When Child Misbehaves – Unable to React in a Rational Manner

Psychological Characteristics (ctd)

• Difficulties in Parenting:– Unrealistic Expectations of Children (Jackson Prison)

– Tend to Disregard Child’s Needs– Poor Child Management Skills (Little Training)

– Poor Problem-Solving Skills With Children – Inconsistent in Approach to Parenting– See Parental Role As Stressful, Intrusive– View Children In Negative Manner– Little Communication, Interaction with Children

Psychological Theories of Child Abuse (#2)

• Psychodynamic Model: “Mothering Imprint”– Focuses on MOTHER’s Early Childhood Experience

– MOTHER Must Have “Bonded” With HER Mother in 1st 24 Hours of Life

– If She Did Not, She Can NEVER Bond With Anyone Ever – Including Her Own Child!

– If True, No Adopted Child Could Ever Bond– No Child of the 50s – When Children Were Place in Nurseries Immediately – Could Bond Either!

Psychological Theories of Child Abuse (#3)

• Authoritarian Personality Theory• Developed by Adorno to Explain Nazi Horrors

• Nazis Never Developed Internal Social Control

• Dependent On Outside Control (Police) • Assume Everyone Else Is Like That• Children Must Have Outside Rules …• & Severe Punishment If They Are Broken • Develop Minor Rules, Severe Punishments• May Apply to Some Very Severe Abuse

Environmental Models (#1)

• Socio-Economic Model:– Assumes Abusive Parents Lower Class– Have the Stresses of Lower Class Life– Cure Child Abuse By Curing Poverty– Also Give Birth Control Information– Problem: Not All Abusive Parents Are Lower Class

– Some Lower Class Parents Are Model Parents

Environmental Models (#2)

• Linkage Theory (M. Straus)• Adaptation of Environmental Model• Lower Class Parents Know Life Is Difficult

• Attempt to Teach Child to Be Tough to Deal With the Stresses of Adult Life

• Support for Theory: Lower Class Parents Who Send Kids to College Are Less Abusive

• Straus Does Not Use This Theory Anymore

Life Crisis Theory• Suggests Abusive Parents Are Over-Stressed–Numerous Stressful Events– Not Any Single Stress (Such As Poverty)– Sample Stresses: Divorce, Job Change, Marriage, New Baby, etc.

– Holmes & Rahe Stress Scale• Abusive Parents Do Have More Stresses• Abused Elders Have Similar Stress Levels

• Many High Stress Families Do NOT Abuse

Social Learning TheoriesFocus: Parents Learning About Child Rearing

• Inadequate Learning Theory:– Inadequate Knowledge Re Normal Behavior– Unrealistic Expectations of Children– Lack Knowledge of Child Management

• Adequate Learning – Wrong Kind– Parents Have Clear Ideas About Children– Committed to Using Severe Punishments– Often Based on Religion or Family Traditions

Family Structure Models• Family Setting Plays Role in Child Treatment– Family Interaction Patterns Play Role:– Parents Influence Each Other RE Child Mgmt

• Family Dynamics: – Family Interactions Affect Child Management

– Unstable Triad: Father – Mother – Child – Childhood Alliances – Can Produce Problematic Child-Rearing

Social Psychological Model(vs. Psychodynamic Model)

Richard Gelles’ Model – Complex Factors: – Social Status of Parent (Age, Sex, SES, Ethnic)

– Class/Community Values (Violence, Children)– Parents’ Socialization Experiences – Situational Stress (Structure; Stress from Child)

– Psychodynamic Stress (Mental Problems; Substance Abuse; Personality Control)

– Immediate Precipitating Situation (Argument, Household Event, Child Misbehavior)

– Child Abuse (Single; Repeated; Physical; Psychological)

Correcting Abusive Parental Action

Several Approaches, Including:• Systems Approach • Dealing With Parental Stress• Joint Approach With Parents• Training in Child Rearing• Anti-Isolation• Alternate Tension-Release Mechanisms

Systems Approach • Does NOT Look At Any Single Factor• Focuses On Numerous Factors:

– Family Life– Community Factors– Economic Environment– Extended Family Influences – Economic Influence of Other Parents

Dealing With Parental Stress

Assumes Abusive Parents Are Unhappy People:

• Abusive Parents Feel Unloved• “Mothering the Parent”:

– Therapists Help Parents Deal With Their Issues

– Sadly, Some Issues Take Years to Resolve• EX: PACT Mother & Sons:

– Mother’s Counselor: Don’t Remove Kids!• What To Do With Children In Meantime?

Joint Approach With Parents

• Some Counselors Refuse to See Just 1 Parent

• Assume BOTH Parents Involved– EX: Mother Abusing Child(ren)– Husband Abusing Mother, or …– Husband Goading Mother to Improve Child’s Behavior

• Treating Only 1 Parent Is Useless• Wife Comes Home to Husband’s Criticism:

– “When You Gonna Get Yer Act Together So the Kid Comes Home?”

Training in Child Rearing

• Help Parent Understand Normal Child Behavior

• Help Parents Deal With Misbehavior in More Constructive & Non-Abusive Manner

• Many Parents Have Unrealistic Expectations About Children Providing Satisfaction

• Help Parents Relinquish These Expectations & Find Other Outlets for Personal Rewards

Anti-Isolation• Many Abusive Parents Are Essentially Isolates:– Have Few Adult Friends – No One to Call Upon In Times of Difficulty– “Agoraphobia” – Very Uncomfortable With People

– Some Therapists Will Only Use Group Therapy• Aim to Give Members Experiences Working with Others– EX: Week’s Assignment: “Go Out & Get Mail!”

Alternate Tension-Release Mechanisms

• Teach Parents Alternative Mechanisms for Dealing with Tensions – Other Than Violence

• Different from Psychoanalytic Method – Which Contends That Aggressive Feelings Must Be Expressed to Get Rid of Them

• Help People (Adults & Children) Deal with Frustrations Without resorting to Violence

• UNREALISTIC to Attempt to Avoid Stress & Scary Stories – Must Learn to Deal With Them!

Public Issues Related to Child Abuse

U.S. Society Has Ambivalence Re Child Abuse

3 Dimensions• Ambivalence in View of Parents & Children

• Ambivalence Re Dealing With Child Abuse• Ambivalence Re Physical Punishment

Ambivalence in View of Parents & Children

• Outrage at Abuse – Consider Abusive Parents to Be Crazy Monsters …

BUT• Protective of Parents’ Rights – Reluctant to Take Any Measures to Interfere in A Parent’s Decisions Regarding His/Her Children

Uncertainty RE Dealing With Child Abuse

What To Do When A Parent Is Abusive?• Take Child From Parent(s)?• How Bad Does Abuse Have to Be to Remove?

• What To Do With Child Once Removed?• Who Should Have Custody? Relative? Foster?

• Who Should Pay for His/Her Care?• How to Decide When Should Child Be Returned to Parents?

Ambivalence Re Physical Punishment

• U.S. Society Clearly Disagrees With Extreme Physical Punishment to Endangerment

• Most U.S. Parents Clearly Believe That Physical Punishment is Necessary for Raising Children Adequately

• Considerable Disagreement Over Point at Which “Punishment” Moves From “Normal” to “Extreme”

Problems With the SystemSystem Problems Re Child Abuse Management:• Reporters Often Uncertain Re Process• Administrators Prefer Internal Reports – 2011:

– Penn State Football Asst Coach Jerry Sandusky – Sexually Abused Several Young Boys– Reports Only Sent to Coach Paterno & Administration

– State Police Frank Noonen: Never Heard of This!• Many System Personnel Condone Abuse!

– Judge William Adams – Texas Family Court – Beat Disabled 16 Year Old Daughter, Hilary, in 2004

– Daughter’s Video Posted On-Line in 2011

Looking to the Future• How Do We Deal With Child Abuse?• Before Our Approach Will Work …• We Need to Come to Terms With Ambivalence

• Reach Agreement Over Appropriate Child-Rearing Practices

• What Is Appropriate Discipline?• What Is Abusive? • What to Do When Discipline Becomes Abuse?