Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-22dnz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-28T15:33:10.053Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Child abuse and neglect

from Medical topics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 December 2014

By
Kevin D. Browne  and
Catherine Hamilton-Giachritsis
Edited by
Susan Ayers ,
Andrew Baum ,
Chris McManus ,
Stanton Newman ,
Kenneth Wallston ,
John Weinman  and
Robert West
Kevin D. Browne
Affiliation:
University of Birmingham
Catherine Hamilton-Giachritsis
Affiliation:
University of Birmingham
Susan Ayers
Affiliation:
University of Sussex
Andrew Baum
Affiliation:
University of Pittsburgh
Chris McManus
Affiliation:
St Mary's Hospital Medical School
Stanton Newman
Affiliation:
University College and Middlesex School of Medicine
Kenneth Wallston
Affiliation:
Vanderbilt University School of Nursing
John Weinman
Affiliation:
United Medical and Dental Schools of Guy's and St Thomas's
Robert West
Affiliation:
St George's Hospital Medical School, University of London
Get access

Summary

Introduction

Prevention of child maltreatment is traditionally classified into three levels: primary prevention (universal services aimed at the whole population); secondary prevention (targeted services for families identified as in need of further support); and tertiary prevention (services offered once difficulties have occurred). However, increasingly it has been argued that child maltreatment should be considered within the broader context of child welfare, families and communities (World Health Organization, 1998a, b). This approach assists in moving the focus away from child protection professionals to highlighting the role of the Health and Social Services in general. This has been termed the public health approach which promotes child care and protection within the broader context of child welfare, families and communities.

For example, the Health Service can look at areas of service provision for families and children, where good practice can impact on child welfare; specifically, pregnancy and childbirth-related services (primary prevention), targeting resources to families at risk of child maltreatment (secondary prevention) and the management of childhood health and illness (secondary and tertiary prevention). Families who come into contact with health and social services can be assessed in terms of need by considering the following three factors (Department of Health, 2000):

  • Assessment of children's development needs in general

  • Assessment of the parent(s) capacity to respond appropriately to their child's needs

  • Assessment of the wider social and environmental factors that impact on the capacity to parent.

Type
Chapter
Information
Cambridge Handbook of Psychology, Health and Medicine , pp. 619 - 625
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2007

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment and loss, Vol. 1. Attachment. London: Hogarth.
Browne, K. D. (1995a). Preventing child maltreatment through community nursing. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 21, 57–63.Google Scholar
Browne, K. D. (1995b). The prediction of child maltreatment. In Reder, P. & Lucey, C. (Eds.). Assessment of parenting: psychiatric and psychological contributions. London: Routledge.
Browne, K. D. & Hamilton, C. E. (1999). Police recognition of links between spouse abuse and child abuse. Child Maltreatment, 4, 136–47.Google Scholar
Browne, K. D. & Lynch, M. (1995). The nature and extent of child homicide and fatal abuse (Editorial in Special Issue on Fatal Child Abuse), Child Abuse Review, 4, 309–16.Google Scholar
Browne, K. D. & Saqi, S. (1988a). Approaches to screening families high-risk for child abuse. In Browne, K. D., Davies, C. & Stratton, P. (Eds.). Early prediction and prevention of child abuse (pp. 57–86). Chichester: Wiley.
Browne, K. D. & Saqi, S. (1988b). Mother–infant interactions and attachment in physically abusing families. Journal of Reproduction and Infant Psychology, 6, 163–82.Google Scholar
Browne, K. D., Hamilton, C. E., Heggarty, J. & Blissett, J. (2000). Identifying need and protecting children through community nursing home visits. Representing Children, 13(2), 111–23.Google Scholar
Browne, K. D. & Herbert, M. (1997). Preventing family violence. Chichester: J. Wiley.
Browne, K. D., Cartana, C., Momeu, L.et al. (2002). Child abuse and neglect in Romanian families: a National prevalence study. Copenhagen, Denmark: World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe.
Browne, K. D., Hamilton-Giacritsis, C. E., Johnson, R.et al. (2005). Mapping the number and characteristics of children under three in institutions across Europe at risk of harm. Birmingham, UK: University of Birmingham Press (in collaboration with EU/WHO).
Cassidy, J. & Shaver, P. R. (1999). Handbook of attachment: theory, research and clinical applications. New York: Guildford Press.
Creighton, S. J. (1995). Fatal child abuse: how preventable is it?Child Abuse Review, 4, 318–28.Google Scholar
Department of Education and Skills (2005). Statistics of education: referrals, assessments and children and young people on Child Protection Registers Year ending 31st March 2004, England. London: The Stationery Office.
Department of Health (1999). Working together to safeguard children. London: Department of Health Children's Services Branch.
Department of Health, Department of Education and Employment and the Home Office (2000). Framework for the assessment of children in need and their families. London: The Stationery Office.
Dixon, L., Browne, K. D. & Hamilton-Giachritsis, C. E. (2005a). Risk factors of parents abused as children: a mediational analysis of the intergenerational continuity of child maltreatment (Part I). Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 46, 47–57.Google Scholar
Dixon, L., Hamilton-Giachritsis, C. E. & Browne, K. D. (2005b). Behavioural measures of parents abused as children: a mediational analysis of the intergenerational continuity of child maltreatment (Part II). Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 46, 58–68.Google Scholar
Elkan, R., Kendrick, D.Hewitt, M.et al. (2000). The effectiveness of domiciliary health visiting: a systematic review of international studies and a selective review of the British literature. Health Technology Assessment, 4: 1–339.Google Scholar
Glaser, D. (2000). Child aubse and neglect and the brain – a review. Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry, 41(1), 97–116.Google Scholar
Goldberg, S. (2000). Attachment and development. London: Arnold.
Gilbert, N. (1997). Conclusion: a comparative perspective. In Gilbert, N. (Ed.). Combating child abuse: international perspective and trends (pp. 232–40). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Hallet, C. & Birchall, E. (1992). Co-ordination and child protection. London: HMSO.
Hamilton, C. E. & Browne, K. D. (1999). Recurrent abuse during childhood: a survey of referrals to Police child protection units. Child Maltreatment, 4, 275–86.Google Scholar
Hamilton, C. E. & Browne, K. D. (2002). Predicting physical maltreatment. In Browne, K. D., Hanks, H., Stratton, P. & Hamilton, C. (Eds.). Early prediction and prevention of child abuse: a handbook (pp. 41–56). Chichester: Wiley.
Maccoby, E. E. (1980). Social development: psychology growth and the parent–child relationship. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
Morton, N. & Browne, K. D. (1998). Theory and observation of attachment and its relation to child maltreatment: a review. Child Abuse and Neglect, 22(11), 1093–104.Google Scholar
National Commission of Enquiry in the Prevention of Child Abuse. (1996). Childhood Matters, Vols 1 & 2. London: NSPCC.
New, C. & David, M. (1987). For the children's sake: making child care more than a women's business. Harmondsworth: Penguin.
National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (2001). Out of sight. London: NSPCC.
Olds, D. L., Henderson, C. R., Phelps, C.et al. (1993). Effect of prenatal and infancy nurse home visitation on Government spending. Medical Care, 31(2), 155–74.Google Scholar
Olds, D., Eckenrode, J., Henderson, C.et al. (1997). Long-term effects of home visitation on maternal life course and child abuse and neglect: fifteen year follow up of a randomized trial. Journal of the American Medical Association, 278, 637–43.Google Scholar
Olds, D., Henderson, C. & Eckenrode, J. (2002). Preventing child abuse and neglect with prenatal infancy and home visiting by nurses. In Browne, K. D., Hanks, H., Stratton, P. & Hamilton, C. (Eds.). Early prediction and prevention of child abuse: a handbook (pp. 165–82). Chichester: Wiley.
Redar, P. & Duncan, S. (2002). Predicting fatal child abuse and neglect. In Browne, K. D., Hanks, H., Stratton, P. & Hamilton, C. (Eds.). Early prediction and prevention of child abuse: a handbook (pp. 23–40) Chichester: Wiley.
Roberts, J. (1988). Why Are some families more vulnerable to child abuse? In Browne, K. D., Davies, C. & Stratton, P. (Eds.). Early prediction and prevention of child abuse (pp. 43–56). Chichester: Wiley.
Saunders, M. R. (1999). The Triple-P positive parenting program: towards an empirically validated multi-level parenting and family support strategy for the prevention of behaviour and emotional problems in children. Clinical Child and Famliy Psychology Review, 2, 71–90.Google Scholar
Saunders, M. R. & Cann, W. (2002). Promoting positive parenting as an abuse prevention strategy. In Browne, K. D., Hanks, H., Stratton, P. & Hamilton, C. (Eds.). Early prediction and prevention of child abuse: a handbook (pp. 145–64). Chichester: Wiley.
Simpson, J. A. & Rholes, W. S. (1998). Attachment theory and close relationships. New York: Guildford Press.
Sluckin, W., Herbert, M. & Sluckin, A. (1983). Maternal bonding. Oxford: Blackwell.
Solomon, J. & George, C. (1999). Attachment disorganization. New York: Guildford Press.
United Nations (1989). The convention on the rights of the child. New York: United Nations High Commissioner of Human Rights (http://www.ohchr.org/english/).
Wang, C. T. & Harding, K. (1999). Current trends in child abuse reporting and fatalities: the results of the 1998 Annual fifty state survey. Chicago: National Center on Child Abuse Prevention Research.
World Health Organization (1998a). First meeting on strategies for child protection. Padua, Italy, 29–31 October 1998. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe.
World Health Organization (1998b). Essential antenatal, perinatal and postpartum care. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe.
World Health Organization (1999). Report of the consultation on child abuse prevention. WHO, Geneva, 29–31 March 1999. Geneva: WHO.

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×