Expanding psychiatry's role in child abuse treatment.

Abstract

Child abuse, a problem that has plagued societies for centuries, has been largely ignored by psychiatrists, the author asserts. He traces the relatively recent interest in the problem of other medical specialists such as pediatricians and radiologists and maintains that it is time for psychiatrists to become more involved. He explains how problems of confidentiality, the patient's lack of motivation for treatment, and other factors have discouraged many psychiatrists from treating child abusers. He demonstrates ways psychiatrists can treat both the abused child and his family if they are willing to use non-traditional services such as home intervention.