Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- 1 Human origins, natural selection and the evolution of ethics
- 2 Sex determination, brain sex and sexual behaviour
- 3 Inappropriate lifestyle and congenital disability in children: basic principles of growth, toxicology, teratogenesis and mutagenesis
- 4 Substance abuse and parenthood: biological mechanisms – bioethical responsibilities
- 5 Fertility awareness: the ovulatory method of birth control, ageing gametes and congenital malformation in children
- 6 Understanding child abuse and its biological consequences
- 7 The state of wellbeing: basic principles, coping strategies and individual mastery
- 8 The state of wellbeing: on the end-of-life care and euthanasia
- 9 Current reproductive technologies: achievements and desired goals
- 10 The recombinant DNA technologies
- 11 Stem cells, nuclear transfer and cloning technology
- 12 Human-dominated ecosystems: re-evaluating environmental priorities
- 13 Human-dominated ecosystems: reclaiming the future for following generations
- 14 Human-dominated ecosystems: warfare = fitness enhancement or losing strategy?
- 15 Human-dominated ecosystems: reworking bioethical frontiers
- Further reading
- Index
6 - Understanding child abuse and its biological consequences
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 17 February 2010
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- 1 Human origins, natural selection and the evolution of ethics
- 2 Sex determination, brain sex and sexual behaviour
- 3 Inappropriate lifestyle and congenital disability in children: basic principles of growth, toxicology, teratogenesis and mutagenesis
- 4 Substance abuse and parenthood: biological mechanisms – bioethical responsibilities
- 5 Fertility awareness: the ovulatory method of birth control, ageing gametes and congenital malformation in children
- 6 Understanding child abuse and its biological consequences
- 7 The state of wellbeing: basic principles, coping strategies and individual mastery
- 8 The state of wellbeing: on the end-of-life care and euthanasia
- 9 Current reproductive technologies: achievements and desired goals
- 10 The recombinant DNA technologies
- 11 Stem cells, nuclear transfer and cloning technology
- 12 Human-dominated ecosystems: re-evaluating environmental priorities
- 13 Human-dominated ecosystems: reclaiming the future for following generations
- 14 Human-dominated ecosystems: warfare = fitness enhancement or losing strategy?
- 15 Human-dominated ecosystems: reworking bioethical frontiers
- Further reading
- Index
Summary
Her early childhood memories seemed entirely focused on punishment, whether it was with beatings, or being given away to strangers, or being made to do other awful things she didn't specify but which felt bad, hurt, tasted bad, smelled bad or whatever, all of these terrible memories dominated …
The above quote typifies the recurring theme of Mary Bell's life story who, at age 11 years, strangled two little boys aged 3 and 4. What happened to Mary Bell from the moment of her birth and which influenced her maturing awareness, can only be guessed at. A life of unrelenting abuse is, however, the sad lot of numerous, potentially normal, healthy children whose personal experience with violence leads, as in the above example, to an exceptional form of retaliatory behaviour. According to the author Gitta Sereny, the 11-year-old Mary was not a murderess but a severely damaged child whom no one helped in her despair and who was unable to realize her intrinsic potential. However, it must be said that Sereny's point of view is grounded in the belief of the innate goodness of all human beings, a belief which is open to challenge. In instances of unwitnessed murder, where no one knows what really transpired, there cannot be clearcut explanations. It is possible that Mary Bell's adult memory was distorted and questionable as to detail. We must also be aware that by placing the violator centre stage we, by inference, deny the victim's full significance and may be committing an ethical breach of justice.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Bioscience Ethics , pp. 106 - 123Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2009