Child maltreatment midterm 1

What is Child Maltreatment?

• The Harm or risk of harm experienced by a child or youth while in the care of someone they depend on or trust? (eg. Parent, caregiver, teacher, guardian, family member).

• Key point: Harm my be actual or potential, and the trusted relationship is central.

What are Acts of Commission? Give an example.

• Child abuse or in other words, the deliberate actions by an adult or caregiver that causes harm or risk of harm

• eg. Physical assault.

What are Acts of Omission? Give an example

• This is Child Neglect, but can also be defined as failure to provide the minimum necessary care required for healthy, normative child development.

• eg. Not providing food, shleter, clothing.

What are the five types of Child Maltreatment in Canada?

• Physical Abuse.

• Sexual Abuse.

• Neglect.

• Emotional Harm.

• Exposure to Intimate Partner Violance.

What is Physical abuse in Child Maltreatment? Give an example.

• The use of unreasonable force by an adult or youth that causes or risks physical injury to a child.

• eg. Hitting, punching, kicking, biting.

What is Sexual Abuse in Child Maltreatment? Give an example

• Involvement of a child in sexual activity for sexual pleasure or exposure to sexual content.

• eg. Oral sex or fondling.

What is Neglect and some forms of Neglect?

• This is the Failure to provide basic physical and psychological necessities of life.

• Forms of Neglect:

  • Failure to Supervise: May lead to physical or sexual harm.

  • Physical Neglect: Inadequate food, clothing, shelter, hygiene, unsafe living conditions.

  • Medical Neglect: Failure to obtain medical or dental care.

  • Psychological Neglect: Failure to obtain mental health treatment when needed.

  • Educational neglect: Failure to enroll child in school or knowingly allowing chronic truancy.

What is Emotional Harm in Child Maltreatment? Give an example.

• Defined as adult behaviours that harm a child emotionally, psychologically, or spiritually.

• eg Hostile, unreasonable, abusive treatment.

What is Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence in Child Maltreatment?

• Defined as a child being aware of violence occurring between caregivers or family members.

• Exposure may include:

  • Seeing violence.

  • hearing violence.

  • Observing injured, bruises or aftermath.

  • Exposure to Emotional or coercive violence.

What are the Different Levels of substantiation in Child Maltreatment in Canada?

• Substantiated: Evidence shows maltreatment occurred.

• Suspected: Insufficient evidence to confirm or rule out.

• Unsubstantiated (unfounded): Evidence indicates maltreatment did not occur.

• Risk-only: No confirmed maltreatment; assessment of future risk.

What did the Batterd Child Syndrome in 1962 do for Child Maltreatment Research?

• Identified child abuse as a medical, psychological and social issue.

• Introduced use of radiological evidence to detect repeated injured.

• Asserted professional duty to protect children.

What did the Battered Child Syndrome in 1962 trigger for Child Maltreatment Research?

• Explosion of research.

• Mandatory reporting discussions.

• Policy Development.

What is The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act?

• Was passed in 1974.

• This also federalized child protection.

• Funding was provided to states who had mandated reporting systems.

Who was Ambroise Tardiuet?

• Documented child Maltreatment in the 1860s more specially physical and sexual abuse and Child labor harms.

• His observations were ignored due to the lack fo societal readiness.

Why are some Challenges with studying Child Maltreatment?

• Lack of clear definitions.

• Overlap between maltreatment types.

• Secrecy within families.

• Only identified children are studied.

• Problems with memory -based research.

• Ethical impossibility of experimental designs.

• Effects may emerge later in development.

• Need for longitudinal research

What is Infanticide in Child Maltreatment? give an example.

• This is the kissing of an infant/newborn.

• eg. abandoning a newborn to die.

What is Tabula Rasa?

• This is defined as “blank slate view of children”

• Coined by Locke.

What is the SPCC?

• Society for the prevention of Cruelty to Children.

• Founded in 1875.

What is Juvenile Court?

• Court system that deals with delinquency and dependency/neglect.

What is Parens Patriae?

• The state as the ultimate guardian fror those unable to protect themselves.

What is CPS?

• Child Protective Services.

What is Retrospective design? give an example.

• Study relying on memory of past events.

• eg. Adults reporting childhood abuse history.

What is Longitudinal Research? Give an example.

• Follows the participants of a study over time.

• Eg. tracking outcomes of maltreated children over 10 years.

What is Poverty? give an example.

• This is inadequate income/resources for an acceptable living standard.

• Eg. food insecurity/housing instability.

What is SES? Give an example.

• Social standing which is often measured by income/education.

• eg. Matching study groups by parent education and income.

What is Correlational Reserach? give an example.

• Measures variables without manipulation.

• Eg. time left alone vs. vocabulary size.

What is an Operational Definition? Give an example.

• Measurable, precise definition.

• Eg. responds to crying within five minutes.

What is NCCAN?

• National clearinghouse on child abuse/neglect.

What is Dispositional Hearing?

• Judge makes a decision about child’s best interest.

What are Risk Factors?

• These are factors that are characteristics or conditions that increase the likelihood of:

  • Experiencing child maltreatment or

  • Engaging in child maltreatment.

• These factors to not cause maltreatment directly.

What are Protective Factors?

• These are factors that are characteristics or conditions that:

  • Reduce the likelihood of maltreatment, an

  • Buffer or mitigate the negative effects of maltreatment if it occurs.

• Protective factors do not guarantee that maltreatment will not occur.

What is Cumulative risk?

• Child maltreatment is never caused by a single factor.

• Risk increases as multiple factors accumulate and interact across levels.

• Risk can increase for both victimization and perpetration.

What are the 5 Systems in Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory?

• Microsystem (Immediate setting)

  • Refers to the Child’s direct everyday environments.

  • Examples: family home, school./daycare, peer group.

• Mesosystem (connections between microsystems)

  • Refers to interactions between the child’s microsystems.

  • Examples: parent-teacher relationship, how home life affects school performance, family involvement in church and how that shapes friendships.

• Exosystem (indirect settings that still affect the child)

  • Refers to places the child doesn’t directly participate in, but that inference the child’s life.

  • Examples: Parent’s workplace, parent’s social network.

• Macrosystem (culture and broader values)

  • Refers to cultural beliefs, economic systems, laws, social norms.

  • Examples: norms about corporal punishment, cultural beliefs about family privacy.

• Chronosystem (changes over time)

  • Refers to life events and history.

  • Examples: divorce, recession, war, migration, shifting cultural norms about parenting.

What is the Socioecological model used for?

• Maps risk and protective factors.

• Design prevention and intervention strategies.

What are the different levels of the socioecological model?

• Individual level which includes:

  • Child age, gender, disability.

  • Caregiver mental health.

  • Parenting skills.

  • Substance use.

  • Emotional regulation.

  • Interventions:

    • Mental health treatment.

    • Parenting education.

    • Trauma-informed care.

• Relationship (interpersonal level):

  • Parent-child relationship.

  • Family functioning.

  • Interventions:

    • Paarening programs.

    • Family support services.

    • Home visiting programs.

• Community Level:

  • Housing stability.

  • Access to healthcare.

  • Childcare availability.

  • Interventions:

    • Community-based services.

    • On-reserve healthcare.

• Societal level:

  • Poverty reduction policies.

  • Education and healthcare funding.

  • Indigenous self-determination.

  • Interventions:

    • Policy reform.

    • Equitable funding.

    • System accountability.

What were the Risk factors by system in the case of Aiden?

• Microsystem:

  • Suspected developmental delays.

  • Chronic ear infections.

  • Single caregiver under stress.

• Mesosystem:

  • Poor coordination between healthcare, education, and child welfase.welfare

  • Missed appointments due to system barriers.

• Exosystem:

  • Lack of transportation.

  • Inadequate housing.

  • Long waitlists for services.

• Macrosystem:

  • Jurisdictional disputes.

  • Systemic discrimination.

  • Underfunding of indigenous services.

• Chronosystem:

  • Intergenerational trauma.

  • Long-term service gaps.

What are some Gender based maltreatment patterns?

• More allegations against women are for neglect, ~86% of neglect charges.

• More abuse allegations against men ~62%.

• Sexual abuse is predominantly men, ~87% of sexual abuse.

What are some family factors that affect maltreatment?

• Single-parent households.

• Social isolation.

• Domestic/intimate partner violence.

• Large family size (4+ kids).

• Poor communication and family conflict.

What are some child risk factors for maltreatment?

• KIDS ARE NEVER RESPONSIBLE FOR MALTREATMENT.

Why is age a Major riskfactor for maltreatment?

• The highest risk is infants and children under 4.

• Adolescents are also at an increased risk (especially of sexual abuse).

Why are younger children more vulnerable?

• Total dependency.

• Limited communication.

• Physical fragility.

• High caregiving demands.

Why is gender a risk factor for child maltreatment?

• Girls have higher sexual abuse rise.

• Boys have higher physical abuse risk.

How do disabilities or developmental delays affect maltreatment?

• Increased dependency.

• Communication challenges.

• Increased caregiver stress.

How do Difficult temperaments affect child maltreatment?

• Emotional dysregulation.

• Persistent behavioural challenges.

• Risk increases only when combined with caregiver stress.

How does sexual identity affect child maltreatment?

• LGBTQ+ youth report higher rates of maltreatment and threats.

How does race and ethnicity affect child maltreatment?

• Indigenous and racialized children are overrepresented.

• Reflects systemic bias, not cultural pathology.

What are some Parent/caregiver actors in terms of child maltreatment?

• Depression.

• Low self-esteem.

• Substance abuse.

• Emotional instability.

• Poor impulse control.

• parent’s own history of being abused/neglected.

• Young age.

• Criminal involvement.

• Intergenerational trauma.

• Lack of knowledge.

What are some Community Risk factors for maltreatment?

• Poverty.

• Housing instability.

• Lack of childcare.

• Unsafe neighborhoods.

• Limited access to services.

What are some Societal/cultural factors for Maltreatment?

• Acceptance of violence.

• Norms around Corporal punishment.

• Systemic racism.

• Underfunding of social programs.

What are some Short and Long-term outcomes of Child Maltreatment?

• Cognitive delays.

• Emotional dysregulation.

• Mental health disorders.

• Substance abuse.

• Chronic health conditions.

• Relationship difficulties.

• Increased risk of future victimization.

What does the Impact of these short and long-term outcomes depend on?

• Age at exposure.

• Type of maltreatment,

• Frequency, duration, severity.

• Relationship to perpetrator.

How does Substance abuse lead to maltreatment?

• Intoxication or withdrawal: this can increase irritability, anger, aggression.

• Impaired judgement: Poor decisions, unsafe supervision.

• Prioritizing the substance over the child’s needs: money, attention routines.

• Unsafe environments: Child’s access to substances, riding in a car with an impaired parent.

• prenatal exposure: If the pregnant parents use substances, there is a risk to the fetus.

What does the research say about substance use and child maltreatment?

• Higher substantiation rates in families with alcohol/drug use.

• Substance-using maltreatment families often also had:

  • Dangerous living conditions.

  • Poverty.

  • More stressors.

  • crowded homes.

  • Fewer resources.

  • Less child development knowledge.

  • Weaker parenting skills,

How does Mental illenss play a part in Abuse?

• Abusers show higher rates of mental illness then non abusers, but most people who maltreat do not meet criteria for a major mental illness.

What is Major Depressive Disorder?

• This is a mental disorder that involves consistent depressed mood and or loss of interest plus other symptoms such as:

  • Depressed mood.

  • Reduced interest in activities.

  • Weight loss without dieting.

  • Sleep problems.

  • Fatigue.

  • Concentration problems.

  • Thoughts of death.

Why does Depression raise the risk of abuse?

• Depressed parents may be:

  • Less emotionally involved.

  • less affectionate.

  • More hostile.

  • More likely to use harsh punishment.

What is Post partum depression?

• This is a type of depression that begins within 4 weeks after delivery.

What are the two forms of Post-partum depression?

• Nonpsychotic postpartum depression.

• Psychotic postpartum depression (rare but high risk).

What does the term psychotic mean?

• Marked by loss of contact with reality, including delusions and/or hallucinations.

What are some Personality traits associated with maltreating parents?

• Feelings of inadequacy.

• Impulsivity.

• Violent tendencies.

• Low self-esteem.

• Immaturity.

• Low frustration tolerance.

• Anxiety.

What os socially isolated?

• Having insufficient social ties or support.

What are some patterns of Social isolation talked about in the text?

• Less community and church involvement.

• Fewer supportive friends.

• less frequent contact.

• Lower quality support.

Why may social isolation happen?

• Frequent moving.

• hiding parenting problems.

• Being avoided by others.

What is the Child maltreatment morality rate in Canada?

• ~0.55 deaths per 100,000 children yearly.

• t=The majority is under 5.

• Most perpetrators are family members.

What are some Individual protective factors from maltreatment?

• Secure attachment.

• Emotional regulation.

• Optimism and self-esteem.

What are some relationship protective factors from maltreatment?

• Supportive caregivers.

• extended family.

• Parenting programs.

What are some Community protective factors from maltreatment?

• Stable housing.

• Accessible healthcare.

• Childcare and schools.
  Culturally safe services.

What are some societal protective factors from maltreatment?

• Poverty reduction.

• Equitable funding.

• Indigenous self-governance.

• Child-first policies.

What is it hard to define child physical abuse?

• Physical abuse exists on a scale of behaviours, and this is an ongoing debate about where discipline ends and abuse begins.

What is the Early Medical model of defining child physical abuse?

• Child physical abuse was first recognized formally in the 60s.

• Kempe describes the battered child syndrome.

• Early definitions focused almost entirely on observable physical injury.

What role do physicians play?

• They play a central role in identifying and documenting abuse, shaping a medical model of child maltreatment.

What are some Limitations of Injury-only Defintiions?

• Injury-only definitions were too narrow.

What did Definitions of Physical abuse expand to include?

• Harm standard: which refers to actual injury.

• Endangerment standard: substantial risk of harm.

What does this Distinction help separate?

• Violence (use of force).

• Abuse (force that causes injury or meaningful risk).

What was the Canadian Incidence Study on Maltreatment?

• Used a harm-based and risk-based framework.

• Cases can be substantiated even without visible injury.

• Recognizes that maltreatment often involves chronic risk, not just acute injury.

What was this Canadian incidence study most important for?

• Young Children.

• Neglect.

• Exposure to family violence.

What is Child physical abuse?

• Any act by a parent or caregiver that causes or has the potential to cause non-accidental physical injury to a child.

What is included in Child physical abuse?

• Hitting.

• Grabbing.

• Shaking.

• Pushing.

• Biting.

• Burning.

• Forced ingestion.

• Punching.

• Throwing a child.

• Physical actions or inactions that result in injury or serious risk.

What is use of implements?

• Using objects such as belts, spoons, cords, sticks, automatically increases risk of injury.

• Use of implements during punishment is considered physical abuse.

What may physical abuse involve?

• A single incident.

• Repeated acts.

• Escalation over time.

• Situations that leave the child fearful for their safety.

What did the FNCIS say about Child physical abuse?

• 14% of maltreatment investigations were for physical abuse.

• 57% occur in the context of punishment.

• 16^% involve children under age 4.

• 83% show no visible injury at investigation

What did the OIS say about child physical abuse?

• ~41,887 substantiated maltreatment investigations.

• Physical abuse = 13%

Why are Incidence rates lower than prevalance rates?

• Many cases are never reported.

• Child welfare data captures only cases known to authorities.

What did the Survey of Safety in Public and Private spaces say about Physical abuse?

• ~27% of Canadians experienced childhood victimization.

• Physical abuse was the most common.

• About 1 in 4 Canadians experienced Physical abuse.

• Men are slightly more likely than women to report physical abuse.

• Men are more likely to report being hit, kicked, punched, or choked. Similar rates for being pushed or grabbed.

What did the Mental Health Access to Care Survey say about physical abuse?

• Just under 30% of Canadians report childhood physical abuse.

What is Corporal Punishment?

• Physical punishment is used for discipline, often when caregivers are:

  • Angry.

  • Emotionally dysregulated.

What does research show about Corporal Punishment?

• Corporal punishment increases the risk of more severe violence.

• It is a major pathway to physical abuse.

What were some key findings of the research on corporal punishment?

• In Canada, inappropriate punishment is involved in ~75% of physical abuse cases.

What happened to kids who were spanked?

• 7 times more likely to be severely assaulted.

What happened to infants who were spanked in the first year?

• More than twice as likely to suffer injury required medical care.

What does each spanking increase the odds of severe violence by?

• 3%

• 9% if an object is used.

What did a Meta-analysis find about spanking?

• Increase aggression.

• Antisocial behaviour.

• Internalizing and externalizing problems.

• Poor parent-child relationships.

• Lower moral internalization.

• Slower cognitive development.

What guidelines did the Supreme court in Canada set about physical correction?

• Force must be minor and transitory.

• No marls or bruises.

• Not on children under 2 or over 12.

• not used in anger or retaliation.

• No objects allowed

• No hitting face or head

• not degrading or harmful.

• Not used on children unable to learn due to disability.

• Severity of misbehaviour is irrelevant.

Who is at greater risk for physical abuse?

• Indigenous people.

• Sexual minorities.

• People with Disabilities

• Lower-income households.

What are the patterns of physical abuse shaped by?

• Colonialism and intergenerational trauma.

• Systemic inequality.

• Social and economic stress.

• Dependency and vulnerability.

What are some signs of physical abus?

• Unexplained bruises, burns, fractures.

• Injuries are inconsistent with the explanation.

• Wearing inappropriate clothing to hide injuries.

• Fear of caregivers.

• Flinching at touch.

• Withdrawal or aggression.

• School avoidance or decline.

What are some physical consequences of physical abuse?

• Bruises (patterns, location, timing matter).

• Fractures (especially in infants).

• Burns.

• head injuries.

• Abusive head trauma (leading cause of abuse-related death).

• Abdominal and chest injuries.

What are some long-term outcomes of physical abuse?

• PTSD.

• Depression.

• Substance use.

• Suicidal ideation.

• Relationship difficulties.

• Altered stress response systems.

• Neurodevelopmental changes.

• Increased risk of revictimization.

What are some Prevention strategies?

• Prenatal and early parenting support.

• Education about child development.

• Coping strategies for crying and stress.

• Social support.

• Addressing poverty, violence, and isolation.

• Culturally responsive approaches.