Follow-up survey of cases of child abuse seen at Newcastle General Hospital 1974–1975

Abstract

Fifty-nine in-patient cases of child abuse were followed up at an interval of 2–4 years. Fifty-six of these were cases of non-accidental injury (NAI), and 3 were of neglect. Of the 59, 41 (69%) had initially been managed under legal sanctions, and 18 (31%) without. Of these 18, 7 (39%) subsequently suffered repeat child abuse. In addition, 3 children suffered repeat NAI while rehabilitation with natural parents was being attempted under legal sanctions. At follow-up there were 44 (75% children under legal sanctions. Of these, 12 (27%) had been rehabilitated with their natural parents. The remaining 32 (73%) were effectively in long-term care with no active plans for rehabilitation. In the 3–14 year group, NAI was often found to be a marker of severe family pathology; 15 out of the 20 (75%) of these children came into long-term care. There was a marked failure to provide family placements for 32 children in long-term care, only 14 (44%) of them having reached a family placement at the time of followup. Reasons for this failure are discussed, as is the probability that neglect/emotional deprivation is being under-diagnosed.