THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF CHILD ABUSE THIRD EDITION Robin E. Clark, Ph.D. and Judith Freeman Clark with Christine Adamec Introduction by Richard J. Gelles, Ph.D. The Encyclopedia of Child Abuse, Third Edition Copyright © 2007, 2001, 1998 by Robin E. Clark and Judith Freeman Clark All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. For information contact: Facts On File, Inc. An imprint of Infobase Publishing 132 West 31st Street New York NY 10001 ISBN 13: 978-0-8160-6677-3 ISBN 10: 0-8160-6677-9 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Clark, Robin F. The encyclopedia of child abuse / Robin E. Clark and Judith Freeman Clark with Christine Adamec; introduction by Richard J. Gelles.—3rd ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-8160-6677-9 (hardcover: alk. paper) 1. Child abuse—United States—Dictionaries. 2. Child abuse—Dictionaries. I. Clark, Judith Freeman. II. Adamec, Christine A. 1949— III. Title. HV6626.5.C57 2000 362.76’0973’03—dc2l 00-035384 Facts On File books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk quantities for businesses, associations, institutions, or sales promotions. Please call our Special Sales Department in New York at (212) 967-8800 or (800) 322-8755. You can fi nd Facts On File on the World Wide Web at http://www.factsonfi le.com Text and cover design by Cathy Rincon Printed in the United States of America VB Hermitage 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 This book is printed on acid-free paper. CONTENTS Preface v Acknowledgments vii Introduction: Child Abuse—An Overview ix Entries A to Z 1 Appendixes 287 Bibliography 362 Index 369 PREFACE Child abuse and neglect have many different Space and time considerations forced us to be dimensions. Though we often think of child selective in choosing the topics we discussed. In abuse only in terms of physical violence, various attempting to present an overall view of child forms of psychological threats, coercion, sexual abuse and neglect, we chose topics that we felt exploitation and even folk medicine practices can would give the reader a grasp of the central issues. also produce serious and long-lasting damage. The Information presented in this book comes from range of actions classified as child abuse or neglect the most up-to-date sources available at the time is constantly changing as a result of social and eco- of writing. We have attempted to present material nomic conditions, political ideology, advances in in clear language that does not require specialized medicine, improvements in communication and knowledge of medicine, law or other disciplines. melding of cultures. Absence of a single, explicit Our use of “simple” language should not be con- and universally accepted definition of abuse makes strued as simplistic. We believe professionals and studies of it difficult. Yet, child abuse and neglect general readers alike will find the book contains a are not simply cultural inventions. As international wealth of useful information. concern for the plight of children grows, those Though we have attempted to present child concerned with preventing abuse and neglect are abuse and neglect from an international perspec- beginning to find more and more common ground tive, readers will notice that most statistical infor- for collaboration. mation comes from the United States. This is a The Encyclopedia of Child Abuse reflects the reflection of the availability of such information struggle to define, prevent and treat this problem. rather than a statement of relative importance. Entries reflect the range of disciplines (including In selecting entries, we chose not to include law, medicine, psychology, sociology, economics, biographies of individuals who have contributed to history, education and others) that contribute to the understanding and/or prevention of child abuse our understanding of child maltreatment as well and neglect. The list of these individuals is long, as the scope of debate within and among disci- and new names are constantly being added. Such plines. Where there is disagreement on a particu- a listing, though important, is beyond the scope lar point, we have tried to identify the different of this book. Biographical information is included arguments. Obviously, it is not possible to present only when it is relevant for the understanding of a an exhaustive discussion of each of the hundreds particular case, concept or contribution. of topics included in this book. For those who wish In this third edition of The Encyclopedia of Child to explore a topic in depth, we make suggestions Abuse, we have both updated older entries and for further reading at the end of selected entries. included new entries. For example, we offer a An extensive bibliography is also included at the new entry on abusers, with an analysis of those back of the book. individuals who neglect or physically or sexu- v vi The Encyclopedia of Child Abuse ally maltreat children. We also offer a new entry well as other churches which discovered incidents on adults abused as children, because numerous of sexual abuse. studies have documented that child abuse often Other new entries include bullying, central has a lifelong effect; for example, adults abused as registries of abuse, guilt and shame, pediatricians children have a greater risk of substance abuse in and statutory rape. We have also heavily rewrit- adulthood, as well as risks for psychiatric problems ten many entries, such as burns, civil commitment such as depression and anxiety disorders. laws, family preservation, fetal alcohol syndrome, Adults abused as children also have a greater foster care, Munchausen syndrome by proxy, risk for suicide than individuals who were not parental substance abuse, sexual trafficking and abused in childhood. Childhood abuse has a long shaken infant syndrome, to name just a few. reach in its effects, and adults abused as children This third edition includes two new appendixes, are more likely to be victimized in adulthood with including an appendix on state-by-state laws on sexual and physical abuse. Not all adults abused as the involuntary termination of parental rights children grow up to abuse their own children, but and an appendix with state-by-state definitions of the risk is elevated, and as many as 40% will be abuse, physical abuse, neglect, sexual abuse and abusive to their children. Without intervention the emotional abuse. cycle may continue when their children grow up. We hope users of this book will be stimulated We also offer a new entry on sexual abuse of to learn more about child abuse and neglect. Only children and adolescents that was perpetrated by through a better understanding of the complex members of the clergy, peaking in the 1970s to and often misunderstood phenomenon of child 1980s. This discovery shocked millions of people abuse can we hope to prevent it. worldwide and rocked the Catholic Church, as ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Over the months that the third edition of this Kate Kelly, our former editor, was unfailingly book was researched and written, we con- cheerful throughout all stages of the original proj- tacted dozens of organizations to ask for informa- ect; her suggestions were thoughtful and her edito- tion about child abuse and neglect. In particular, rial comments helpful. Elizabeth Frost Knappmann staff at the Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and of New England Publishing Associates deserves Neglect Information; the House of Representatives mention for her efforts on our behalf. Subcommittee on Children, Youth and Families; Friends and colleagues have been generous with staff of the American Association for Protect- support and encouragement during the time that ing Children; and staff of the Incest Survivors we researched and wrote this book. Janet Logan Resource Network deserve special acknowledg- and Susan Carter Sawyer are among those who ment. Countless individuals at other public- and were especially helpful to us. private-sector agencies answered our mail and Members of our family have been patient as telephone inquiries and sent us statistics and facts we completed our work. We are grateful for their on hundreds of topics. Although it is impossible to understanding and, in particular, would like to mention each person by name, a sincere thank- acknowledge the support of our mothers, Martha you goes to these people for their cooperation and Clark and Elizabeth Bartlett. Finally, a very special assistance. thanks to Tim and Stephanie. vii INTRODUCTION CHILD ABUSE—AN OVERVIEW Today, child abuse and neglect is widely recog- how commonplace abandonment or killing was, nized as a major social problem and policy issue we do know that infanticide was widely accepted in the United States and throughout much of the among ancient and prehistoric cultures. New- world. During the last 50 years, the United States borns and infants could be put to death because and many of the world’s nations have responded they cried too much, because they were sickly or to child abuse and neglect with legislative efforts, deformed, or because of some perceived imper- a variety of programs and interventions, and orga- fection. Girls, twins and children of unmarried nizational efforts to identify, respond to and pre- women were the special targets of infanticide vent the abuse and neglect of dependent children. (Robin, 1980). Today, there are innumerable local, national and Many societies subjected their offspring to sur- international organizations, professional societies vival tests. Some Native Americans threw their and advocacy groups devoted to preventing and newborns into pools of water and rescued them treating child abuse and neglect. only if they rose to the surface and cried. German parents also plunged children into icy waters as a test of fitness to live (Ten Bensel, Rheinberger and The Social Transformation of Radbill, 1997). Greek parents exposed their chil- Child Abuse and Neglect dren to natural elements as a survival test. While international concern about child maltreat- Survival tests and infanticide were not the only ment is relatively new, child abuse and neglect abuses inflicted by generations of parents. From is not a recent phenomenon. The maltreatment prehistoric times to the present, children have been of children has manifested itself in nearly every mutilated, beaten and maltreated. Such treatment conceivable manner—physically, emotionally, was not only condoned but was often mandated as sexually and by forced child labor (Ten Bensel, the most appropriate child-rearing method. Chil- Rheinberger and Radbill, 1997). Historians have dren were, and continue to be, hit with rods, canes been able to document the occurrence of various and switches. Boys have been castrated to produce forms of the mistreatment of children back to the eunuchs. Girls have been, and continue to be, sub- beginnings of recorded history. In some ancient jected to genital surgery or mutilation as part of cultures, children had no rights until the right culturally approved ritual. Colonial parents were to live was bestowed upon them by their fathers. implored to “beat the devil” out of their children The right to live was sometimes withheld by (Greven, 1991; Straus, 1994). fathers, and newborns were abandoned or left to Summing up the plight of children from pre- die. Although we do not have the means to know historic times until the present, David Bakan ix