What Victimology Says About Child Abuse Data

Child Abuse and Victimology

Victimology is the study of the victims of crime and how their psychology is affected by the experience. Thus, child abuse relates to victimology because it is abuse is a crime endured by the victim (the child) at an early age. The psychological effects of the abuse can be hidden for years (though not always), which makes the victims of child abuse an important focus for victimologists. This paper will discuss child abuse and show how it relates to victimology.

Child abuse can take different forms. It can be mental, emotional, or physical. It is any action that exacts harm on a child, and because children are young and vulnerable to their surroundings, the abuse can be very subtle or it can be very extreme, and this can be found in either case, mental or physical (Daigle, Muftic, 2016, p. 188). Child abuse is also prevalent in society. In 2011, for example, more than 3 million cases were reported, though investigators were only "able to substantiate the allegations" in fewer than 20% of the reported cases (Doerner, Lab, 2015, p. 329). Nonetheless, those numbers still reveal that hundreds of thousands of children are found to suffer from child abuse each year. This creates an enormous subject of focus for victimology.

How are the victims of child abuse affected by their experiences? According to victimology reports, children can feel guilty, as though they were somehow to blame for the crime. This feeling stems from the fact that children are naturally inclined to accept the authority of others and even if they do not understand the punishment they will accept the idea that they deserve it for some wrong that they have committed. This feeling of trust is exploited by child abusers whose victims can in many cases develop a guilt-complex, or shame, or feelings of self-blame in the wake of abusive experiences. In biological terms, researchers have stated that psychological trauma stems from "neurobiological consequences" of abuse and that "the nature and magnitude of cognitive deficits" differs depending on the type and level of abuse experienced (Gould, Clarke, Heim, Harvey, Majer, Nemeroff, 2012, p. 500).

More importantly for victimologists, however, is the fact that child abuse victims may not show signs of abuse until they are in adulthood, when psychological or emotional problems become apparent. Thus, in order to prevent such disorder later in life, researchers such as Norman, Byambaa, De, Butchart, Scott and Vos (2012) argue that it is important to be able to identify child abuse victims at an early age and to recognize the symptoms so that the issues can be addressed immediately. Norman et al. (2012) state that "the awareness of the serious long-term consequences of child maltreatment should encourage better identification of those at risk and the development of effective interventions to protect children from violence" (p. 1). Through the work of victimologists, such identification could be better achieved.

However, victims of child abuse also face a "stigma" of being perceived as "damaged goods," even if they are not and suffer from no effects of early life trauma or no lasting effects (Burgess, Regehr, Roberts, 2013, p. 192). This is, in effect, a social risk, which can cause victims to feel alienated or different from others based on the way that they are perceived. This issues raises the point of the way that society expresses concern or sensitivity towards victims of crime, especially victims at an early age.

In order to help with the victimology of child abuse, the United States Child Protective Services collects data regarding victims and abusers alike and compiles it in a report. It categorizes the "reporters of child maltreatment," as in what percentage is involved in education, legal, social services, extra curricular activities (sports) or are simply neighbors, relatives, etc. It describes the percentages of the sex of victims (girl or boy) and ethnicity, and categorizes abuse according to type (neglect, physical, sexual, psychological -- neglect is by far and away the most common of reported cases). It is reports the number of fatalities resulting from child abuse, the percentage of perpetrators who "duplicate perpetrators" who were parents of the child (80%) and the percentage of children who "receive postresponse services" (60%). These numbers and percentages reveal helpful information for the victimologist to digest as he attempts to better understand the environment of child abuse and what effects he may encounter (Burgess, Regehr, Roberts, 2013, p. 194). In short, there is a large amount of data available for study, which can be of some interest in victimology, which is the study of victims and the psychological effects they endure. In the case of child abuse, it would be the study of children and what impacts they suffer through their experience.