MIHAELA PUŞCAŞ, Child Abuse. Forms, Motivation, Consequences

• Main Author: GHEORGHE FLORIAN
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Romanian Academy 2008-03-01
• Series: Revista Română de Sociologie
• Subjects: typology of abuse; motivation; psychological consequences; survival mechanisms
• Online Access: http://www.revistadesociologie.ro/pdf-uri/nr.5-6-2008/02-Puscas.pdf

Mass-media frequently bring before the public cases in which parents abuse their own children. Each time the reactions of citizens are intense and unanimous:anger, revolt, requests for extreme punishment, the right to complain against aggressive behavior occurring in their vicinity. Modern research on family revealed a world loaded with tensions and conflicts in which abuse is often presented disguised as love for children and the wish to provide a good education. This article approaches the psychological aspects of the various forms of child abuse, as these are treated in the specialized literature, trying to offer answers to legitimate questions: are these isolated cases or are we dealing with a real phenomenon; how spread is this phenomenon; do people today love their children less than before; is there a social environment which favors such behavior; how can abuse situations which are spread over years be explained; which are the visible signs that a child is being abused by his/her parents; what are the consequences on the development of personality; are there statistics for a larger period of time to help knowing whether the phenomenon is increasing or decreasing?