Academic literature on the topic 'Children abuse'

In recent years the issue of children’s contact with non-resident parents has been increasingly debated. The policy gaze has focused on contested contact when there are allegations of domestic abuse. Some commentators argue that in circumstances of domestic abuse, contact with an abusive father may not be in the ‘best interests’ of the child. To support these claims they point to evidence that domestic abuse adversely affects children, and domestic abuse often continues following separation. Children’s views of contact in circumstances of domestic abuse remain underresearched, as such their views on this issue have been missing from policy debates. The research aims to uncover how children view and experience contact with nonresident fathers when in the context of domestic abuse. A qualitative methodology was developed for the research. In-depth interviews were carried out with both children and their mothers. The findings confirm that conceptualisations of domestic abuse that focus on discrete acts or incidents of violence do not correspond with children’s and mother’s accounts of abuse. Domestic abuse was a constant in the lives of children and mothers. Children were exposed to domestic abuse before and following parental separation. The research uncovers the complex negotiations children make when family relationships are characterised by abuse. Children identified domestic abuse as a core issue when forming views about contact with their fathers. They tried to make sense of and developed their own analysis of their fathers’ abuse and strategies to cope with it. Children also highlighted a range of issues beyond domestic abuse that influenced their views about contact. The role children should have in disputes about contact in is contested. Children may be considered incompetent to form a view or their views are constructed as a product of parental manipulation. The research provides insights into children’s experiences of participating in contact disputes. It points to limitations in current Scottish legal mechanisms that are designed to take children’s views into account and questions the respect afforded to children’s participation in disputes. The thesis concludes by highlighting the theoretical, policy and practice implications that result from this research.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Teachers College, Columbia University, 1986.<br>Typescript; issued also on microfilm. Sponsor: Leslie R. Williams. Dissertation Committee: Karen B. Kepler-Zumwalt. Bibliography: leaves 247-259.

Background: There is a growing clinical and research interest into emotional abuse and its detrimental impact on child welfare and development, yet increasing evidence suggests that it remains both under-recognised and under-reported. Objectives: The primary objective of this study was to describe the prevalence and nature of emotional abuse experienced by a random sample of children referred to a multi-agency Child Protection team, located within an NHS board, due to concerns about maltreatment. The secondary objective of this study was to examine the prevalence of children within the sample who were disabled. Method: The study was a retrospective case note survey. Random samples of 108 case files were selected and reviewed using the Maltreatment Classification Record Abstraction Instrument – MCRAI (Trickett et al., 2009). Fifteen items of parental behaviour regarded as emotionally abusive were coded and organised into four subtypes of emotional abuse. This information was applied to two psychological maltreatment frameworks. Non parametric and descriptive statistics were used for data analysis Results: There was a significant difference found in the identification of emotional abuse between clinician reporting, n=33 (30.6%), at the time of referral and the use of the extraction tool with either psychological framework, n=78(72.2%). There was only a small number of children with a disability identified within the random sample who had experienced abuse and/or neglect n=12. Conclusions: Greater awareness and understanding of emotional abuse would be valuable in ensuring that children’s psychological needs are met and to avoid the detrimental impact of this form of abuse. Clinicians would also benefit from a greater understanding of the complexities of disabilities and how these can impact on child protection investigations.

This study was designed to differentiate the significant demographic and familial factors found in families when reunification is successful versus when reunification fails in cases of child removal due to physical abuse and domestic violence. The purpose of this study was to identify which, if any of these factors, lead to successful reunification. Content analysis of adjudicated cases of child abuse in San Bernardino County was used to transform qualitative information into quantitative data.

This study is an examination of the emotional abuse of children, where it is the main or sole form of abuse. The ultimate aim of this applied social work project is to make a contribution to intervention in cases of psychological maltreatment. Intervention lacks credibility without some definition of the problem and an understanding of its prevalence, location and manifestation, as well as an appreciation of the type of intervention required. At the outset of the current project, an exploration of professional concerns, the wider context of child abuse and a review of the relevant literature revealed that, although defining emotional abuse has been partially addressed, there are substantial gaps and deficiencies in the knowledge of the prevalence, location, manifestation and intervention relating to emotional abuse. In order to facilitate intervention, these deficiencies were addressed in the current project. Both quantitative and qualitative data was required in order to address different aspects of the issues to be explored. Triangulation was therefore an integral part of the design, information being obtained from three sources: semi-structured interviews with child protection professionals, a population survey and in-depth interviews with adult emotional abuse survivors. The main outcome of the study was an increase in empirical knowledge in the areas of deficit and, consequently, a contribution to credible intervention. Specifically, a suggested operational definition and an indication of prevalence were both provided. Emotional abuse was found to occur in a broad range of families although it was more frequently located in those exposed to multiple stressors. It was most clearly manifested through behaviours which constituted a misuse of power. Concerning intervention itself, a notable contribution of the study was the identification of important life-lines for emotionally abused children. These provided the children with unconditional, positive regard and countered their sense of isolation and rejection