Victimology Final Exam - 10 Flashcards
what is the definition of child abuse and maltreatment?
all forms of physical or
emotional abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, negligence or
commercial exploitation that result in actual or
potential harm to a child’s health, survival,
development or dignity within a relationship
characterised by responsibility, trust or power
What does the report of the World Health Organisation on abuse on children?
The report of the world health organisation (WHO,
2013) states that the estimated number of abused and
maltreated children requiring health services is around
40 million. In Europe, child maltreatment causes the
death of approximately 850 children under the age of
15.
What are the characteristics of child abuse ?
• It can take place inside or outside the family
• It tends to be ‘hidden’ or ‘denied’ by both perpetrators and sufferers
• Within the school environment one can speak of situations of ‘suspected abuse’,
because:
• One or more signs do not automatically define an ‘abuse’ situation
• All the signs detected must be included in an overall diagnostic assessment
framework
• Confirmation of abuse results from a medical-psychological-social assessment
• Abusive conditions affect:
• Relationship with the family
• Relationship with adults in general
• Relationship with peers
• The perception of an abusive condition varies depending on the sociocultural
context
• Tends to worsen over time, and does not have a spontaneous resolution
Physical abuse can be defined as :
“the intentional use of physical force against a child
that causes or has a high probability of causing harm
to the child’s health, survival, development or dignity.
This includes hitting, beating, kicking, shaking, biting,
strangling, scalding, burning, poisoning and choking.
Much of the violence against children within the
home is inflicted for the purpose of punishment’.
Sexual abuse can be defined as :
“involvement of a child in sexual acts that he or she
does not fully understand, for which he or she is
unable to consent or for which the child has not yet
reached an appropriate level of development, or
which violate the law or social taboos. Minors may be
sexually abused either by adults or by other minors
who are, by reason of their age or level of
development, in a position of responsibility, trust or
power vis-à-vis the victim”.
what are some indicators of physical abuse (physical signs) :
Bruising on arms, legs, and face, sometimes in the
shape of the instrument used to strike
¡ Bruises, wounds, scars, and scratches on parts of
the body unlikely to be accidentally exposed
¡ Burn marks or burns on different parts of the body
(e.g., cigarette burn)
¡ A large and disproportionate number of minor
injuries at different stages of healing, are not
properly treated
¡ In the case of sexual assault: pain in the genital area;
difficulty walking or sitting; blood-stained
undergarments
what are some indicators of physical abuse (behavioural signs) :
¡ Hostility towards authority, aggressiveness, destructiveness, hyperactivity
¡ Violence against peers and difficulty playing with others
¡ Passive, withdrawn, submissive, socially isolated children (in class and/or
during playtime)
¡ High concentration difficulties, “daydreaming
¡ The constant demand for adult attention or indiscriminate attachment to
strangers
¡ Sudden and sudden mood swings
¡ Reluctance to return home
¡ Self-harming and destructive attitudes, children who often hurt
themselves accidentally
¡ School non-compliance and unjustified school absences
¡ In the case of sexual violence: seductive attitude, often sexualised, towards
adults; masturbation; drawings or acts suggesting knowledge of ageinappropriate sexual experiences
what is psychological child abuse?
“includes both isolated incidents and situations in which the
child’s caregivers, over time, fail to provide the child with an
appropriate and supportive environment for his or her
development. Acts in this category may have a high probability of
causing harm to the child’s physical and mental health, or to his or
her physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development.
Abuses of this type include restricting movement, denigrating,
blaming, threatening, intimidating, discriminating, rejecting and
other non-physical forms of hostile treatment»
what is the most difficult abuse to recognise in children?
psychological abuse is the most difficult to recognise as it is not based on physical signs, but only on what can be deduced from the child’s behaviour
What are some indicators of psychological abuse ?
¡ Developmental delay
¡ Rigid personality and poor adaptability
¡ Poor sociability
¡ Hyper-reactivity
¡ Pseudo-maturity and assumption of improper roles (premature adultisation)
¡ Symbiotic anxiety in separations and anxiety in the presence of strangers
¡ Improper and stereotyped habits (sucking, biting, rocking, enuresis, eating
disorders, etc.)
¡ Children who do not play and have no imagination
¡ Disturbed behaviour and learning problems with school failure
¡ Nightmares
¡ The oscillation between intransigent and excessively compliant attitudes
¡ Tendency to act out behaviour and defiant attitudes
What is considered “witnessing violence” for children?
“those acts of physical, psychological, sexual and
economic violence perpetrated on affective figures of
reference, which the child may experience directly (when
it occurs in his/her perceptual field), indirectly (when the
child is aware of the violence) and/or perceiving its
effects. It also includes witnessing violence by minors on
other minors and/or other family members and
abandonment and mistreatment of domestic animals”
How can children be part of domestic violence when its the mother who experiences violence?
Of 775 mothers who experienced violence in 90% of the cases, during the ill-treatment episodes the children were present or were in the next room. in 70% of the cases violence against the mother was accompanied by direct violence against the children. In domestic violence, children may suffer direct physical harm because they are accidentally hit by throwing objects, punching, kicking or because they are pushed or beaten when trying to defend the mother and/or sibling.
What are the risk factors and consequences for children witnessing domestic violence ?
-Aggressiveness
-Depression and anxiety
-Fear, terror and confusion: result of seeing one’s attachment figures on the one hand terrified, powerless and desperate and on the other
dangerous and threatening
-Learning that the use of violence is normal in emotional relationships and that the expression of thoughts, feelings, emotions and opinions is
dangerous because it can trigger violence
-Maltreatment on children (physical, sexual and psychological abuse): 78% of violence on children is preceded by violence on the mother
-At the age of 18: presence of psychological and/or psychiatric disorders; substance addiction; suicide attempts; deviant or criminal behaviour
What are some indicators of witnessing violence?
¡ Anger with poor impulse control: mistreatment or killing of animals,
mistreatment of younger siblings or schoolmates
¡ School difficulties both in terms of learning and because of their behavioural
disorders.
¡ Often the fear of leaving home/unprotected mother leads to reduced school
attendance
¡ Behavioural disorders: aggressive, hyperactive and self- or hetero-destructive
attitudes
¡ Language disorders
¡ Relational difficulties within the family and in social life
¡ (in males) a tendency to reproduce the father’s violent behaviour: e.g.,
‘bullying’ with peers
¡ (in females) passive and submissive behaviour: high risk of being victims of
their partners,running away from home and having early pregnancies
¡ Increased risk of suicide or attempted suicide or thoughts of murdering the
parent
¡ Loss of self- and adult confidence
¡ Sense of guilt and helplessness
What are the typical victim experiences reffered to self?
¡ I am a weak person;
¡ I feel dead inside;
¡ I used to be a happy person, but now I am always
despondent;
¡ I have no future (powerlessness);
¡ I feel as if I no longer recognise myself;
¡ Nothing positive will ever happen to me again;
¡ I will never be able to feel emotions
