Child Abuse, Neglect, and Domestic Violence: Key Concepts and Legal Frameworks

Q: Who are the typical abusers of children?

A: Most often parents or caregivers; can also include stepparents, boyfriends, or family members. Abuse can occur in all socioeconomic levels, but risk increases with stress, substance abuse, and poor coping skills.

Q: What does ACE stand for, and what is it?

A: Adverse Childhood Experiences — a list of traumatic events before age 18 (e.g., abuse, neglect, witnessing violence) linked to long-term health and behavioral issues.

Q: What is Abusive Head Trauma (AHT)?

A: Brain injury caused by violent shaking or blunt impact; includes what was once called Shaken Baby Syndrome. AHT can also be caused by impact, not just shaking.

Q: What does "if a little kid is dead because of AHT" imply?

A: Severe AHT can be fatal — infants are most at risk due to weak neck muscles and large heads.

Q: Difference between acute and chronic abuse?

A: Acute = single or sudden event. Chronic = repeated, ongoing abuse over time.

Q: What is the correlation between animal and people abuse?

A: Strong link — abusers of animals are more likely to abuse people; watching how caregivers treat pets can help identify risk.

Q: What is Authoritarian Parenting Style?

A: Parenting high in demands and low in warmth; rigid expectations, little emotional support. Children under this style face higher abuse risk.

Q: What is Battered Child Syndrome?

A: Medical term for physical abuse injuries in children, especially repeated trauma inconsistent with "accidental" explanations.

Q: Bowlby's attachment theory focuses on what?

A: The emotional bond between child and caregiver — disruption can lead to insecurity, anxiety, and later relationship issues.

Q: What are the two main burn types?

A: Steam (scald) and dry (contact burns).

- Suspicious locations: hands, feet, buttocks

- Patterned burns: "glove/stocking" appearance = immersion burns

Q: What are the current views on bruise color dating?

A: You can't accurately determine age by color anymore. Rule: "If they aren't cruising, they shouldn't be bruising. "Bruises on torso, neck, ears, inner thighs, cheeks, or back are suspicious.

Q: What does CAPTA stand for, and what does it do?

A: Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act — Federal law (1974) providing standards and funding; allows states to set their own definitions of abuse and neglect.

Q: What is Chapter 980 and how does it relate to Gerald Turner?

A: WI law allowing civil commitment of sexually violent persons after prison. Turner ("Halloween Killer") inspired the law; his case led to high costs compared to standard incarceration.

Q: Common characteristics of neglectors?

A: Often overwhelmed, isolated, poor coping, substance abuse, low education, history of being neglected.

Q: What is Confirmation Bias?

A: The tendency to favor evidence that supports one's preexisting beliefs and ignore contradictory information.

Q: What does "Consent in WI and Nation" refer to?

A: Wisconsin's age of consent is 18. Nationally, age varies by state due to CAPTA giving states control.

Q: Typical ages for crawling and walking?

A: Crawl ≈ 6-10 months; Walk ≈ 12-15 months.

Q: Why is detecting child abuse difficult?

A: Children may not disclose, symptoms mimic accidents, fear of retaliation, and professionals may misinterpret or lack training.

Q: 3 questions to determine if an injury is abuse or accident?

1. Is the explanation consistent with the injury?

2. Was there delay or denial in seeking treatment?

3. Is the story feasible given the child's age and ability?

Q: What is Dissociation?

A: A psychological coping mechanism where a person disconnects from reality or memory of trauma.

Q: What is Failure to Thrive (FTT)?

A: When infants fail to gain weight or grow due to neglect or inadequate care/nutrition.

Q: What is Filicide?

A: When a parent kills their own child.

Q: What is Grooming?

A: Process of gaining a child's trust (and often the caregiver's) to prepare them for sexual abuse.

Q: What is Hindsight Bias?

A: "Knew it all along" effect — believing an event was predictable after it happens.

Q: What does "Maltreatment" mean and why might it be preferred over "child abuse"?

A: Encompasses all forms of harm — physical, emotional, sexual abuse and neglect. Broader and more inclusive term.

Q: What is the Multidisciplinary approach in investigating child abuse?

A: Collaboration among CPS, law enforcement, healthcare, and mental health professionals.

Pitfalls: lack of communication, conflicting goals, unclear role boundaries.

Q: Who are mandated reporters and which group reports most cases?

A: Professionals legally required to report suspected abuse (teachers, medical staff). Educators report the most cases.

Q: What happens if a report is unsubstantiated?

A: It doesn't mean false — only that there's insufficient evidence or the family couldn't be located.

Q: What are the top 2 weapons of child abuse?

A: Hands/fists/feet; electrical or extension cords.

If the child dies, these are often the instruments.

Q: Most common injuries from child abuse?

A: Skin injuries — bruises, lacerations, and cuts.

Q: What are the 3 major risk factors and 3 protective influences against maltreatment?

A:

Risk factors: parental stress, substance abuse, history of abuse

Protective influences: supportive adults, stable home, positive parenting education

Q: What is the "Unborn baby/cocaine mom law" (WI)?

A: WI allows intervention if prenatal substance use endangers the fetus.

Q: Define "Unsubstantiated" in CPS reports.

A: Does not mean false — just insufficient proof, missing family, or doesn't meet state abuse definitions.

Q: Define "Victim-blaming."

A: Placing responsibility for abuse on the victim rather than the perpetrator.

Q: Why is knowledge of emotional and social development necessary in this field?

A: To recognize behaviors and injuries inconsistent with normal development and better assess trauma impact.

Q: What are the 4 sources of self-esteem?

A: Social feedback, comparisons, competence, and self-worth.

Q: What are behavioral signs of emotional/psychological abuse?

A: Withdrawal, anxiety, regression, excessive compliance, or extreme behavior swings.

Q: What are potential obstacles in a child maltreatment investigation?

A: Uncooperative families, lack of evidence, poor communication between agencies, cultural misunderstandings.

Q: Connection between neglect and poverty in WI?

A: Poverty often increases risk but is not abuse itself; WI CPS often screens out cases where poverty is the cause.

Q: CPS must alert law enforcement in what cases?

A: All suspected sexual abuse cases.

Q: Law enforcement must alert CPS in what cases?

A: All maltreatment reports.

Q: Why does Wisconsin screen out 70% of CPS cases?

A: Not enough info, can't locate family, doesn't meet legal abuse definition, duplicate reports, child turned 18, neglect due to poverty, or abuser not in home.

Q: Most at-risk age for abuse?

A: Children under 3 years old.

Q: Most at-risk for sexual abuse?

A: Girls.

Q: What are the 3 stages in the pattern of Domestic Violence (DV)/Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)?

A:

1. Tension Building - minor abuse, victim tries to appease

2. Acute Battering Incident - violent episode

3. Honeymoon Phase - abuser apologizes or denies violence.

Q: Over time, abuse becomes more _______ and _______.

A: Frequent and severe.

Q: Why doesn't the abused person leave?

A: Fear of retaliation, financial dependence, isolation, children, psychological control.Better question: Why doesn't the abuser stop or leave?

Q: When is the highest risk time of becoming a murder victim in a DV relationship?

A: When the victim is leaving or has just left the relationship.

Q: Most murders in WI result from what?

A: Domestic violence.

Q: What is the most dangerous room in the house?

A: The kitchen (weapons present).

Deadliest room: The bedroom (victims often cornered or asleep).

Q: What is the Lautenberg Amendment?

A: Federal law prohibiting anyone convicted of domestic violence from owning or possessing firearms.

Q: WI arrest policy when responding to DV calls?

A: Mandatory arrest of the primary aggressor if there's probable cause.

Q: Is DV random?

A: No — it's patterned, intentional, and part of a power/control dynamic.

Q: What was the Domestic Violence case of Tracy Thurman about?

A:

Brief: Tracy Thurman was repeatedly attacked by her husband; police failed to intervene.

Result: She sued and won under the 14th Amendment (Equal Protection Clause).

Impact: Her case led to laws making DV a prosecutable criminal offense and mandatory arrest policies.

Q: What does the "Rule of Thumb" refer to?

A: Old English law allowing a man to beat his wife with a stick no thicker than his thumb. (Used today as a phrase showing historical tolerance for DV.)

Q: What does "Domestic Violence exposure" mean for children?

A: Children witnessing DV are victims too — linked to trauma, anxiety, aggression, and intergenerational abuse.

Q: What happened in the Elizabeth Smart case?

A:

Kidnapped from her bedroom at age 14 by Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzee; held captive for 9 months.

Rescued after being recognized in public.

Q: Was she considered an ideal or non-ideal victim?

A: Initially ideal (young, white, kidnapped from bed at night).Later non-ideal to some — people questioned why she didn't escape, reflecting victim-blaming attitudes.

Q: What happened in the Jaycee Dugard case?

A:

Kidnapped at age 11, held captive for 18 years by Phillip and Nancy Garrido in California.

She gave birth to two children while imprisoned in their backyard compound.

Q: Was she ideal or non-ideal?

A: Initially ideal (young, child victim).Later seen as non-ideal by some due to misconceptions about her not escaping, even though she was psychologically controlled (classic case of trauma bonding).

Q: What role did neighbors and authorities play?

A: Neighbors repeatedly called police about suspicious behavior; parole officers missed warning signs.

Q: What is the Just World Hypothesis?

A: Belief that people get what they deserve — used unconsciously to rationalize victim-blaming ("That wouldn't happen to me because I'm careful").

Q: What is the Looking-Glass Self?

A: Charles Cooley's idea that self-image develops through how others perceive and react to us. Abuse and victim-blaming distort self-esteem.

Q: What does FGM stand for?

A: Female Genital Mutilation — partial or total removal of external female genitalia for non-medical reasons.

Q: Current legislation (federal and WI)?

A: Federally illegal in the U.S.; Wisconsin also criminalizes it separately.

Q: What is Polyvictimization?

A: When a child experiences multiple forms of abuse (physical, sexual, emotional, neglect) across different settings or relationships.

Q: What is "Pornography/Child Sexual Abuse Materials"?

A: Any visual depiction of minors engaged in sexual acts — modern terminology replaces "child pornography" with Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) to emphasize victimization.

Q: What is Resiliency?

A: The ability to recover from trauma, often strengthened by positive relationships, community support, and self-efficacy.

Q: What are the main risk factors for being an abuser or victim?

A:

Abuser: history of being abused, substance use, stress, poor impulse control

Victim: young age, disability, isolation, dependence on caregiver

Q: What is the role of CPS and Police when responding to child abuse reports?

A: CPS ensures child safety and support; Police handle criminal investigation. They are required to notify each other in relevant cases.

Q: What are socio-cognitive deficits?

A: Impairments in understanding others' emotions, motives, or social cues — common in abused children.

Q: Subtypes of Psychological Abuse — what is Spurning?

A: Hostile rejection, belittling, or degrading the child (e.g., verbal humiliation, name-calling). Other subtypes include isolating, exploiting/corrupting, and terrorizing.

Q: What is Subdural Hematoma in relation to AHT?

A: Bleeding between brain surface and skull caused by shaking or blunt trauma — hallmark of Abusive Head Trauma (AHT).

Q: What are the CSA (Child Sexual Abuse) victim demographics?

A:

Most are girls under 12.

Boys underreport.

Average age of disclosure: 52 years (many victims delay).

Not all victims show behavioral signs immediately.

Q: What are the 4 main explanations for higher CSA risk?

A:

Closeness to perpetrator (trusted adult)

Lack of supervision

Secrecy and grooming

Power imbalance and opportunity

Q: What are the steps in CSA?

A: 1. Grooming → 2. Sexual contact → 3. Secrecy → 4. Disclosure (often delayed)

Q: Why is deferred gratification relevant in child development?

A: Ability to delay reward — linked to impulse control and future success; often impaired in neglected or traumatized children.

Q: What does "Weapons of child abuse" refer to?

A: Common tools used in abuse — top 2 are hands/fists/feet and electrical cords/extension cords.

Q: What does "Everywhere he goes it burns down" refer to?

A: A phrase describing Gerald Turner (Halloween Killer) — wherever he went, laws and public outrage followed.

Q: What is the Ideal Victim theory?

A: Developed by Nils Christie — the ideal victim is seen by society as weak, innocent, blameless, and credible (e.g., young, respectable, attacked by a stranger).

Q: What is a Non-Ideal Victim?

A: A victim who doesn't fit the "perfect" image — may know the offender, delay reporting, or behave unexpectedly. Society often blames or doubts them.

Q: Examples of ideal vs. non-ideal victims from class?

A:

Elizabeth Smart: Initially ideal, later judged for not escaping → became non-ideal.

Jaycee Lee Dugard: Initially ideal, later seen as non-ideal for same reason.

Q: What is Intergenerational Abuse?

A: The transmission of abusive behaviors or neglect across generations — those who experience abuse as children are at higher risk of abusing as adults.

Q: What is the Just World Hypothesis (recap)?

A: Belief that people "get what they deserve," leading to rationalizing victimization as deserved or preventable — key factor in victim-blaming.

Q: What is the Looking-Glass Self (recap)?

A: Concept by Charles Cooley — people form their self-image by how they think others perceive them; abused children often internalize negative views.

Q: What is Deferred Gratification?

A: The ability to delay immediate pleasure for long-term reward — crucial to impulse control; often underdeveloped in children exposed to abuse or neglect.

Q: What are the 4 Functions of Emotions (ages 2 months-5 years)?

A:

Adaptive: Help respond to environment

Social: Communicate needs/feelings

Motivational: Drive behavior

Cognitive: Influence decision-making and attention

Q: Why is knowledge of emotional and social development important for child maltreatment professionals?

A: It helps identify behaviors inconsistent with developmental norms and better interpret trauma responses.

Q: What are the 4 main sources of self-esteem?

A:

Social feedback

Social comparison

Competence/mastery

Internal sense of worth

Q: What are common socio-cognitive deficits in abused children?

A: Difficulty interpreting emotions, understanding intentions, trusting others, or distinguishing safe vs. unsafe situations.

Q: What is the Multidisciplinary Approach to child abuse investigation?

Q: What are 3 pitfalls of this approach?

A: Collaboration among CPS, law enforcement, medical professionals, and psychologists to share information and prevent re-traumatization.

A: Poor communication, unclear responsibilities, and conflicting agency goals.

Q: What is Megan's Law?

A: Requires law enforcement to make information about registered sex offenders available to the public.

Q: What is Code Adam?

A: Missing child safety alert program (originated from Adam Walsh case); used in stores and public places to lock down and search immediately.

Q: What is the correlation between poverty and neglect in Wisconsin?

A: Poverty can increase neglect risk but isn't abuse by itself; many WI cases are "screened out" when neglect results solely from poverty.

Q: CPS must report suspected ______ to law enforcement.

A: Sexual abuse.

Q: Law enforcement must report ______ to CPS.

A: All maltreatment cases.

Q: What are reasons WI screens out about 70% of CPS reports?

Not enough info

Family can't be located

Doesn't meet legal definition

Duplicate report

Child turned 18

Neglect due to poverty

Abuser doesn't live in home

Q: What are the common characteristics of neglectors?

A: Overwhelmed, isolated, lack of knowledge, substance use, often victims of neglect themselves.

Q: What is "Filicide"?

A: Parent killing their own child — often linked to severe mental illness, stress, or psychosis.

Q: What is Polyvictimization?

A: Experiencing multiple types of victimization (physical, sexual, emotional, neglect) often from multiple sources.