The Perpetration of Fatal Child Maltreatment: It’s the Men Who Are Bad, Right?

Abstract

Approximately 1,750–2,000 children die in the United States annually because of child abuse or neglect. Official statistics show that women are more often the perpetrators of abuse and neglect-related deaths, even though child welfare professionals largely attribute these deaths to men. Either acting alone or with another individual, mothers are responsible for roughly 60% of deaths and either together or alone, fathers are responsible for roughly 40% of deaths. Despite the consistency of this information, it is not widely accepted by child welfare workers – the professional group whose job it is to identify risk factors and to protect children from harm. Previous research shows that workers are more likely to believe that men are responsible for children’s deaths and that deaths are perpetrated by non-family members. In this chapter, we explore the potential explanations for workers’ misperceptions including the role of gender norms, ideology, confusion concerning how children die, and also which kinds of cases result in criminal charges and thus, shape the public’s understanding of fatal child maltreatment. Incomplete and inadequate information about the perpetration of maltreatment deaths potentially puts children at risk for future fatalities. Implications for child welfare and social service professionals, their training, and practice are discussed.

Citation

Douglas, E.M. and Lee, K.A. (2019), "The Perpetration of Fatal Child Maltreatment: It’s the Men Who Are Bad, Right?", Victim, Perpetrator, or What Else? (Sociological Studies of Children and Youth, Vol. 25), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 33-46. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1537-466120190000025003