Premium
Fatal child abuse—how preventable is it?
Author(s) -
Creighton Susan J.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
child abuse review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.569
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1099-0852
pISSN - 0952-9136
DOI - 10.1002/car.229
Subject(s) - homicide , child abuse , injury prevention , poison control , medicine , suicide prevention , occupational safety and health , infant mortality , human factors and ergonomics , medical emergency , psychology , pediatrics , environmental health , population , pathology
Infant and child homicide rates have remained stable over the last 20 years. They represent the most visible part of the spectrum of fatal child abuse. By contrast, infant mortality and child deaths from accidents and SIDS have all declined. The prevention strategies used to combat these deaths would appear to have been more successful than the protection strategies used against child abuse deaths. International comparisons of infant homicide rates have shown that measures of family stress, available resources and the cultural variables of low status of women and the culture of violence were all associated with increased infant homicide rates. The paper argues for a change in our culture towards children to prevent fatal child abuse. Copyright © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.