Institutional Child Abuse Research Articles

Profiles of adult survivors of severe sexual, physical and emotional institutional abuse in Ireland

AbstractAdult survivors of institutional abuse were interviewed with a comprehensive assessment protocol which included the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, the Institutional Child Abuse Processes and Coping Inventory, the Structured Clinical Interviews for Disorders of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV axis I disorders and personality disorders, the Trauma Symptoms Inventory, a Life Problems Checklist, the Experiences in Close Relationships Inventory and the Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale. Profiles were identified for subgroups that described severe sexual (N = 60), physical (N = 102), or emotional (N = 85) abuse as their worst forms of maltreatment. Survivors of severe sexual abuse had the most abnormal profile, which was characterised by higher rates of all forms of child maltreatment and higher rates of post‐traumatic stress disorder, alcohol and substance abuse, antisocial personality disorder, trauma symptoms and life problems. Survivors of severe emotional abuse were better adjusted than the other two groups. The profile of survivors of severe physical abuse occupied an intermediate position between the other two groups. A thorough assessment of abuse history and current functioning should be conducted when providing services to adult survivors of institutional abuse, since this may have important implications for the intensity of services required. Survivors of severe sexual abuse may require more intensive services. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Adult adjustment of survivors of institutional child abuse in Ireland

Objective To document the adult adjustment of survivors of childhood institutional abuse. Method Two hundred and forty-seven adult survivors of institutional abuse with a mean age of 60 were interviewed with a protocol that included the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, modules from the Structured Clinical Interview for Axis I Disorders of DSM IV and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM IV Personality Disorders, the Trauma Symptom Inventory, and the Experiences in Close Relationships Inventory. Results The prevalence of psychological disorders among adult survivors of institutional abuse was over 80% and far higher than in the normal population, with anxiety, mood and substance use disorders being the most prevalent diagnoses. Survivors also had high rates of trauma symptoms and insecure adult attachment styles, and these were higher for those who had experienced both institutional and intrafamilial abuse. Conclusions There was an association between the experience of institutional abuse in childhood and the prevalence of adult mental health problems, particularly anxiety, mood and substance use disorders. Practice implications Policies, practices and procedures should be regularly reviewed and revised to maximize protection of young people in institutional care. Evidence-based psychological treatment should be made available to adult survivors of institutional abuse.

Development and initial validation of the institutional child abuse processes and coping inventory among a sample of Irish adult survivors of institutional abuse

Objective To develop a psychometric instrument to evaluate psychological processes associated with institutional abuse and coping strategies used to deal with such abuse. Methods As part of a comprehensive assessment protocol, an inventory containing theoretically derived multi-item rational scales which assessed institutional abuse-related psychological processes and coping strategies were administered to 247 Irish adult survivors of institutional child abuse. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to derive 6-factor scales, the reliability and validity of which were assessed. Results Factor scales to assess the following constructs were developed (1) traumatization, (2) re-enactment, (3) spiritual disengagement, (4) positive coping, (5) coping by complying, and (6) avoidant coping. There were varying degrees of support for the validity of the scales with most support for the traumatization and re-enactment scales. Conclusions The Institutional Child Abuse Processes and Coping Inventory (ICAPCI), particularly its traumatization and re-enactment scales, may be used in future research on adult survivors of institutional child abuse because they are currently the only scales that have been developed with this population to provide reliable and valid assessments of these constructs. Practice implications The ICAPCI may be used, cautiously, to assess adult survivors of institutional child abuse.

Facing What Cannot be Changed:1 The Irish Experience of Confronting Institutional Child Abuse

This article examines the process of dealing with historic child abuse in the Republic of Ireland. The addressing of many decades of hidden abuse within residential child care has been a traumatic experience for both survivors and for Ireland as a whole since the late 1990s. The article analyses the process that was adopted, namely the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse. It does so in order to explore the complexities of using a commission to deal with such abuse. It also seeks to locate the different objectives of the Commission within the wider context of abuse inquiries undertaken in other countries. In doing so, it provides an account of the Irish process that will hopefully be of use, not only for those concerned with the Irish case, but also for those dealing with similar elsewhere.

Dysfunctional Organization? Institutional Abuse of Children in Care in Ireland.

This paper explores organisational behaviour from the point of view of perversion, literally turned about the wrong way. In exploring perversion, the incidence institutionalised of child abuse by Catholic Church in Ireland is explored to suggest that both Church and State, while seeking (a Catholic inspired) justice in the wake of revelations of institutionalised child abuse, are both engaged in a process collusion and idolatry. The complexity of their mutual positions is acknowledged as are the limitations of conventional explanations of organizational behaviour.

Damage, Harm and Death in Child Prisons in England and Wales: Questions of Abuse and Accountability

: The United Nations is currently undertaking a major international study of violence against children. This article is framed within the conceptual context of the UN study; it explores the violence intrinsic to key aspects of youth justice policy and practice in England and Wales and, more particularly, the damage, harm and death of child prisoners. The article advances an argument that the treatment and conditions endured by child prisoners within the specific jurisdiction is tantamount to institutional child abuse. This raises key questions of responsibility and accountability, questions that successive governments have thus far sought to evade.

Using drama in the counselling process: the Moving On project

The Moving On project is an initiative of Griffith University and the Aftercare Resource Centre, a service agency established to meet the ongoing needs of ex-residents of institutional childhood care in Queensland. This collaborative action research project is funded by a three-year Australian Research Council Linkage Grant to explore the question: Can drama be used to empower the survivors of trauma and abuse to redress the negative consequences of these experiences and move on in their lives? This paper focuses on the lasting impact of long-term institutional child abuse and the way drama is being used in the counselling process to build the self-capacity of abuse survivors.

Queensland Government Actions to Compensate Survivors of Institutional Abuse: A Critical and Comparative Evaluation

Governments in a number of jurisdictions have responded to revelations of sustained abuse and neglect of children in State institutions by establishing schemes awarding financial compensation to survivors, and amending limitation statutes to enable the commencement of civil proceedings. In 1999, the Forde Commission of Inquiry into Abuse of Children in Queensland Institutions reported a similarly devastating incidence of abuse and neglect, and its recommendations included the establishment by the Queensland government of a monetary compensation scheme. This article contrasts the Queensland government's calculated failure to respond to this recommendation, and its antithetical personal injuries legislation, with the actions of its counterparts.

After Waterhouse: vicarious liability and the tort of institutional abuse

As evidence of the extent of the abuse of children in residential care increases, our understanding of this terrible wrong has altered. These assaults are an institutional syndrome, at the same time that they are individual crimes; certain systems of institutional care are conducive to/foster abuse behaviour (acting as 'crucibles' rather than 'honeypots'for rogue paedophiles). A theory of vicarious (institutional) liability is appropriate if we understand a syndrome of institutional abuse in this way, as involving institutional responsibility in addition to individual fault. The recent decision of the Canadian Supreme Court in Bazley v Curry found a children's home vicariously liable for sexual assaults of an employee on the basis of responsibility through the creation of risk, an analysis of and apportionment of liability which is appropriate to the special syndrome of institutional abuse, while encouraging deterrence and providing fair and practical compensation to victims. This analysis/liability is supported by an economic analysis of institutional child abuse and decision making in child protection.

Eliminating institutional child abuse: a road too well traveled.

The greatest pleasure life has to offer is the satisfaction that flows from … participating in a difficult and constructive undertaking. Bill Allen, Boeing1 The health of our children, in the United States and elsewhere, is in increasing jeopardy and, with it, the ability of child neurologists to provide access to proper diagnosis and treatment. Threats to the health of children are diverse and include increasing numbers of uninsured children; restriction of comprehensive care for children with chronic and disabling conditions; continuing undersupply of child neurologists and other pediatric subspecialists; inadequate numbers of qualified trainees; and inadequate funds for such training. But the biggest threat is more ominous: child abuse and neglect. I speak not only of intentional but also institutional abuse and neglect. The numbers are staggering. In 1995, 3 million reports of intentional child abuse or neglect were registered with protective service agencies in this country alone.2 Of the 1 million substantiated reports, 10% of children were taken from the home, but an astonishing 25% were provided no services of any kind. To make matters worse, an overwhelming majority of child protective service caseworkers lack formal training in social work. Intentional trauma or neglect is not a new problem. Both medical literature and public media report an increasing incidence that is too easily dismissed as a result of improved identification and reporting, as if this should give us comfort. Such explanations give the impression that the reality of a child’s life lost or damaged has given way to collecting statistics and convey a callous disregard for the fundamental issues underlying abuse and neglect. The current approach of many public leaders to this and other problems of childhood is nothing less than institutional child abuse . Institutional child abuse results from the impact of adverse policies in …

Practitioners' experiences and perceptions of investigating allegations of institutional abuse

This article is based upon an exploratory study of practitioners' experiences of investigating allegations of institutional child abuse (Barter, 1998). The research involved interviewing all NSPCC child protection practitioners and managers in England or Wales who had been involved in an investigation between 1994 and 1996. Overall, 41 interviews were undertaken and details from 36 investigation reports were analysed. The research found that many professionals perceived these kinds of investigations as being particularly difficult and problematic, especially in respect to maintaining independence, determining the remit and scope of inquiry and ensuring the provision of adequate and appropriate support. The lack of agreed guidelines and protocols, particularly in relation to post-substantiation procedures, made these investigations especially challenging. In addition, participants also identified a range of factors that differentiated these forms of investigations from intra-familial ones, including discretion in child-rearing practices, the irrelevance of mitigating circumstances and the extent of administrative culpability. A number of tentative recommendations based on the research findings are presented which seek to ensure that investigations are undertaken in the most sensitive and appropriate manner possible. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Implementing the Right to Community Integration for Children with Disabilities in Russia: A Human Rights Framework for International Action

Human rights organizations have documented a widespread pattern of abuse in Russia's orphanages and institutions for children with disabilities. Community integration is critical to attack the underlying causes of discrimination and abuse of children in institutions. While there is an immediate need to protect children in institutions, investment in improving orphanages may inadvertently strengthen an outmoded system of segregated services, delaying long-term reform. This article describes a response to abuses in institutions based on the internationally recognized right to community integration for all children, including children with mental and physical disabilities. While tailored to Russia, the framework for action described here applies to many countries in which children and adults with disabilities are similarly segregated from society in closed institutions.

The Institutional Abuse of Children: I have done nothing wrong and I have nothing to say

Rocked by broken romance, shaken by separation, engulfed in rumour, once again the role of the Royal Family and its ability to carry out its duties comes under unwelcome scrutiny.As the Queen’s disquiet spreads through the Palace, the tensions within have never been greater. Where once doors mere kept open, they now remain firmly closed. Staff have started talking in whispers. Paranoia now pervades the most famous house in Britain.(Benson, 1992)It is extremely hard to escape from news of the Royal Family. Even apparently liberal (with a lower-case ‘l’) British newspapers like The Guardian subject readers to articles that suggest that Charles and Diana enjoy different breakfasts. I cannot remember who liked what, but I can remember being irritated with myself for reading the piece. It has been especially difficult to avoid the Royals in recent months.

Books & Films

Gordon S: Facts About STD — Sexually Transmitted DiseasesDuncan DF, Gold RS: Drugs and the Whole PersonCarrol C, Miller D: Health: The Science of Human AdaptationHanson R, ed: Institutional Abuse of Children & Youth.

BOOK REVIEWS

Books reviewed in this article: Sexually Abused Children and Their Families. Edited by P. B. Mracek and C. H. Kempe. Acquiring Language in a Conversational Context. Christine Howe. Behavioural Pediatrics and Child Development: a Clinical Handbook (2nd Edn). T. J. Kenny and R. L. Clemmens. Handbook of Behavioural Pediatrics. R. W. Block and F. C. Rash. The Evaluation and Care of Severely Disturbed Children and Their Families. Edited by Leon Hoffman. Hysteria. Edited by A. Roy. Child and Adolescent Psychopathology. Irving Welner. Incest: a Family Pattern. Jean Renvoize. The Process of Reading. D. C. Mitchell. The Troubled and Troubling Child. Nicholas Hobbs. The Deepening Shade: Psychological Aspects of Life‐threatening Illness. B. Sourkes. First Child, Second Child…. B. Wilson and G. Edington. Consequences of Child Abuse. M. A. Lynch and J. Roberts. Inventing Motherhood. The Consequences of an Ideal. Ann Dally. Special Education and Social Control. Invisible Disasters. J. Ford, D. Mongon and M. Whelan. Siblings. Judy Dunn and Carol Kendrick. The Child in his Family: Children in Turmoil: Tomorrow's Parents. Edited by E. J. Anthony and C. Chiland. Temperamental Differences in Infants and Young Children. Edited by Ruth Porter and Geralyn M. Collins. Psychology and Medicine. Edited by David Griffiths. Partnership with Parents. P. Mittler and H. Mittler. Healthier Children–Thinking Prevention. Primary Prevention for Children and Families. Schools and Disruptive Pupils. D. Galloway, T. Ball, D. Bloomfield and R. Seyd. The Star Profile: Social Training Achievement Record. Instruction manual and record sheet set. C. Williams. Psychoanalytic Psychology of Normal Development. Anna Freud. Pedestrian Accidents. Edited by Antony T. Chapman, Frances M. Wade and Hugh C. Foot. Institutional Abuse of Children and Youth. Edited by Ranae Hanson.

Institutional child abuse

Although various forms of child abuse have been extensively investigated, other forms of psychological and institutional abuse continue to exist. This paper will focus on a variety of experiences occurring in institutions and residential centers that, in effect, cause a variety of detrimental effects and harm to those in those agencies who are supposedly “in treatment.” The various forms of institutional abuse will be examined and ramifications and repercussions explored.

Institutional Abuse of Children and Youth

Institutional Abuse of Children and Youth

Institutional child abuse in Greece: Some preliminary findings

A long-term study on child abuse and neglect in Greece is being carried out at the Institute of Child Health, Athens. A multidisciplinary team is investigating the nature of the problem in Greece, is trying a system of therapeutic intervention to families, is evaluating the adequacy of child protection as it is used in child abuse and neglect, and is examining the efficacy of the law. During a one year period, 5 children cared for in institutions were referred to the program. All were boys. All were children with minor or major handicaps. Two of them died from the abusive incident. A study of the circumstances of the injury, and of the conditions in Greek institutions, supports the idea that institutional and family child abuse share many common characteristics. Special mention is made of the Greek circumstances pertaining to child protection and the law.

Corporal punishment in schools: Myths, problems and alternatives

In many countries, corporal punishment of school children continues to be an officially or unofficially sanctioned form of institutional child abuse. Continuing support for the use of corporal punishment is related to the following factors: (1) widely held beliefs regarding the effectiveness of corporal punishment, (2) an unawareness of problems resulting from the use of physical punishment, and (3) a lack of knowledge about effective disciplinary alternatives. The purpose of this paper is threefold: One is to show that many of the beliefs are myths, e.g., corporal punishment is not needed to build character. The second purpose is to show that physical punishment can lead to more problems than it appears to solve, e.g., the punitive teacher is avoided, and thus, is not a positive factor in the child's education and development. The third purpose is to discuss two types of alternatives to punishment, the social learning approach and communication skills training. These positive methods of discipline not only enhance classroom behavior, but also facilitate learning. In an atmosphere free of abusing and demeaning acts and in a classroom characterized by positive mutual regard, teachers can maximize their effectiveness as teachers and students can maximize their effectiveness as learners.

Institutional Abuse of Children in Out-of-Home Care

The author points out that most children in out-of-home care are there because of their parents' problems, not their own, and that even in care those children are not assured safety. She argues that children in care are subjected to physical and sexual abuse, abuse by programming, and abuse by the system in general. One handicap, she says, is that reports about abuse of children in care are not collected, investigated, and studied, and until this is done the problems cannot be addressed.