Invisible Boy Chp. 2 Part C

[M. Lafontaine]

Physical Abuse and Neglect

In the Ontario Incidence Study: 41% of investigations of child maltreatment were for
physical abuse, compared to 24% for sexual abuse, 30% for neglect, 10% for emotional
maltreatment, and 2% for other forms of maltreatment. There were two or more forms
of suspected maltreatment in 12% of investigations. In 27% of the cases maltreatment
was substantiated, 30% suspected, and 42% unsubstantiated. Forty-nine per cent
of investigated children were male, and 35% of children investigated because of
suspected sexual abuse were male (Trocme, 1995). In Ontario, 34% of investigated
children lived with both biological parents, 19% with a biological parent and a
step parent, 36% with a single mother, and 6% with a single father. Social assistance
was the primary source of income for 38% of investigated children. At least 17% lived
in subsidized housing.

In the U.S., figures provided by the American Association for the Protection of
Children (1985) reveal that most physical abuse and most minor and major injuries
of children are perpetrated by women. Other research evidence indicates that mothers
represent the majority of physical abusers and neglecters of children (Johnson and
Showers, 1985; Rosenthal, 1988). Archambault et al., (1989) found that mothers are
the major perpetrators of physical abuse for both male and female runaways.

It is evident that much of the physical abuse and neglect of children occurs in single
mother led families living in high stress environments. Stressed to the limit, these
mothers take out their frustrations on their children. Some of these mothers are also
victims of spousal violence, child abuse, or suffer from a number of current and chronic
life stressors. Because mothers typically are the primary caregivers of children and
spend more time with them, it makes sense that they would show up in larger numbers in
the statistics on child physical abuse and neglect.

Though females account for more of the physical abuse and neglect of children, there is
some evidence that males inflict more serious injuries on their victims, particularly
male victims (Rosenthal, 1988). Fathers are also two times more likely by the perpetrator
in cases involving child fatalities (Jason and Andrek, 1983). In other studies no sex
differences, in terms of severity of abuse or child fatalities in two-parent families,
were found (Gelles, 1989; Greenland, 1987). However, because women still tend to be the
primary caregivers to children, the emotional impact of mother-perpetrated abuse,
regardless of the form, may be greater on children than a fathers’ abuse.

The greater physical harm caused to children by fathers is likely attributable to the greater physical strength of males generally, but also to the disinhibiting effects of
alcohol, and to a lesser extent drugs, which factor prominently in parental abuse of
children and youth (Cavaiola and Schiff, 1988). For all forms of child maltreatment,
parent risk factors such as alcohol abuse, drug abuse, mental health problems, and
inter-parental violence show up as risk factors, but especially physical abuse and
neglect (Trocme, 1995).

When the abuse starts is likely to have some impact on its course, duration, and
consequences, though there is still insufficient research to map a predictable
developmental path and sequelae. In general, abuse can follow one of three paths:
abuse that begins in childhood and ends when the child reaches adolescence, begins
in childhood and continues through adolescence, begins in adolescence (Lourie, 1979).
The duration can range from 1 month to over 15 years. The average duration is
approximately 5 years (Farber and Joseph, 1985).

[M. Lafontaine]

Finally, there is an alarmingly high rate of sexual abuse by females
in the backgrounds of rapists, sex offenders,and sexually aggressive men,
59% (Petrovich and Templer, 1984), 66% (Groth, 1979), and 80% (Briere and
Smiljanich, 1993). A strong case for the need to identify female perpetrators
can be found in Table 4, which presents the findings from a study of
adolescent sex offenders by O’Brien (1989). Male adolescent sex offenders
abused by ‘females only’ chose female victims almost exclusively.

Table 4. Victim Gender Based on Who
Previously Abused the Perpetrator

Gender of Perpetrators’
Own Victimizer Gender of Victim

Male or both Female Only

Male only 67.5 % 32.5 %


Female only 6.7 % 93.3 %


Berkowitz (1993), in a Winnipeg based study of sexually abused males in
treatment groups, found the following rates of perpetration.

Table 5. Gender of Abusers of Male Victims in Treatment Groups

Gender of Abusers N %


Intrafamilial Abuse (N=54)
Male perpetrated 54 100 %

Extrafamilial Abuse (N=55)
Male adult 39 72.2 %
Female perpetrated 50 98.9 %

Female adult 30 54.5 %


Male adolescent 39 70.9 %


Female adolescent 24 43.6 %