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P2. Describe four theoretical models of child abuse M1. Compare four theoretical models of child abuse D1. Evaluate four theoretical models of child abuse ABUSE Abuse is defined as anything that is harmful, injurious, or offensive. It is intimidation or manipulation of another person or an intrusion into another psyche. The purpose is to control another person. David G Gil, (1975) paediatric of Cambridge, Massachusetts defined child abuse as “inflicted gaps or deficits between circumstances of living which would facilitate the optimal development of children to which they should be entitled and their actual circumstances, irrespective of the sources or agents of the deficits”. The Medical Model - Psychological Model - Sociological Model - Feminist Model THE MEDICAL MODEL OF CHILD ABUSE The main point of the medical model of child abuse is that abuse is seen as a disease and an illness which needs a cure. Kempe and kempe (1962): the ‘battered child syndrome’ which was in 1976 change to ‘child abuse and neglect’, Kempe and Kempe applied Bowlby’s thinking about attachment theory directly to child abuse and neglect.’ Which specified that the main care-givers with whom the bond is made had been suffered from poor attachment in the early childhood and even stated that there were four specific signs and symptoms which in turn became known as ‘Kempe’s four factors of abuse’. The four factors of abuse are: - The parents have either been abused themselves, or have abused before - The child is unlovable or disappointing - There is a crisis - There is no aid when the crisis occur EVALUATION OF THE MEDICAL MODEL OF CHILD ABUSE This model of child abuse thought that abuse was a disease, and that in turn abuse was curable. The four signs and symptoms which are all stated above were stated to indicate that in some families abuse can be cured and also it could be stopped. I personally believe that abuse is not a disease and therefore I also feel that there is no medication in the world which can cure abuse. I also believe that it is not always possible to prevent abuse occurring and that it is not possible to predict when abuse is going to happen, especially when this abuse occurs within a family. It is often not possible to find out if abuse is going to happen, or even once it has been done within a family. This is because the parent or the perpetrator who is abusing the child is in the family and the fact could be hid or covered. The child receiving the abuse would be told not to disclose it to anybody what is happening to them, or else they will be remove from the family and because they are somebody they trust they often keep them to themselves. Parents will sometimes lie to practitioners that the child has simply fell over, or has ‘had a bump’. SOCIOLOGICAL MODEL OF CHILD ABUSE The changing patterns of society, believes that poverty, unemployment, poor housing, and health deprivation are the cause for people abusing their children. Unhealthy environment deprive children to grow up healthy and well-adjusted. The functioning of the family was researched in depth by sociologists. The things which were included were: - Poor health care - Social deprivation - Poverty - Unemployment The main outcome of the research was that if a child has a deprived upbringing and background then they are going to be abused and that it is only these children who grow up to abuse. However, it has since been found that it is not only children who had a deprived background who were abused but instead it could be that any child can be abused, regardless of what their background is. EVALUATION OF THE MEDICAL MODE OF CHILD ABUSE The sociological model of child abuse believed that abuse only happened in people/families that are within the lower social classes in society. However abuse can occur within families with any background, in any social class, and I also believe that there are many factors which can mean that a child is abused. Another point within this model of abuse is that it believed children who were abused themselves would in fact abuse somebody else. However, I believe that this is not necessarily the case, and that it doesn’t follow this pattern. People who have been abused will often feel that abusing their own children is wrong because of how it made them feel. PSYCOLOGICAL MODEL OF CHILD ABUSE This relates to how families function, and it says that when a family ‘breakdown’ occurs, it should be known as ‘family dysfunctioning’. It believes that by taking part in family therapy then any poor relationships in the family can be repaired, and also that, in turn can help to prevent child abuse. The theory believes that by taking part in this therapy it could mean that all of the problems within the family are taken out on one child; this can either mean the youngest child, or the weakest child. However, it could also mean that all of the children in the family are abused. EVALUATION OF THE PSYCHOLOGICAL MODEL OF ABUSE This model of abuse believes that by receiving and taking part in family therapy could ‘cure’ and ‘fix’ any problems, and also that abuse within a family can be prevented through this. I do not, however, believe that by simply taking part in family therapy can cure any problems, or also that it can prevent child abuse happening, especially when the abuse has already taken place within the family. I also believe that if abuse takes part, either whether it is a member of the family who has made the abuse or not, that it is not only one person who is affected, it is often the whole family. I also feel that if it is that a member of the family has been the abuser then the effect on the family is even worse. This model believes that it is often the child within the family who is deemed as ‘weakest’ or the child who is the youngest, I feel that this is not the case because it can be anybody within a family who can receive abuse. THE FEMINIST MODEL OF ABUSE This model of abuse believes that women are the people who get abused, and that the abusing is done by the men of the world. Society feel that women are the main carers of the family and think of how women and children are offended against and ignore the offences that are perpetrated by some women in the society. They have forgotten that women whom maternal instincts are seen as inherent could harm a child, and as long as this view is held society will continually deny the fact that women can injure, damage and exploit the children that they give birth to. EVALUATION OF THE FEMINIST MODEL OF CHILD ABUSE This model of abuse believes that abuse is carried out by men who are trying to dominate and control the other members of their families, simply so that they are getting what they want. This model believes that women are abused because they are seen as weak within the eyes of society, and that they can be dominated easier than another man can. I feel that this is because typically these are the stereotypical views, that men are better than model etc. I feel that after describing and evaluating all of the models of abuse that there is no specific model which is correct within every single child abuse case, this is because they are all individual, and that each case should be looked at individually, and that no stereotypes should be used throughout. I also think that there is not one specific theory which can be linked to a child abuse case, and therefore there is no single theorist which can be linked. I will now go to compare the models of abuse to each other. The psychological model, and the medical model, both believe that there is a ‘cure’ for abuse. The psychological model believes that through participating in family therapy sessions then the family can be ‘cured’ and that any future abuse is prevented. And the social model believes that it can be cured simply because it is a disease. The psychological model and the sociological model both believe that the reason of why abuse happened is centred around families and how it functions. The sociological model believes that it is because of the background, and the society that the family lives in is the reason that abuse occurs. The psychological model believes that through therapy it can concentrate on the way that the family works, and that by giving the family therapy sessions it can help to ‘fix’ the family. The feminist model and the psychological model both believe that within a family unit there is certain people who will get abused, as opposed to the others. The feminist model believes that it is the women with the family who will get abused simply because they are seen as the person who can be dominated. The psychological model believes that the weakest person within the family unit will be the one who is abused The medical model and the feminist model both believe that abuse within a family unit is sometimes ‘unpreventable’. The medical model believes that sometimes abuse can be unpreventable for reasons known as ‘Kempe’s four factors of abuse’, and the feminist model believes that if a there is a situation that the ‘man of the house’ needs to sort, then it is perfectly fine for him to do it by abusing and dominating the adults.