Four Theoretical Models of Child Abuse 
Four Theoretical Models of Child Abuse Report
I have been asked to write a report describing the four theoretical models of child abuse to include: Medical, Psychological, Sociological and Feminist approaches which I will start off by describing each. Next I will compare and contrast the different theoretical models of abuse then conclude by evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the four.
MEDICAL MODEL
The medical model was created by Kempe in 1968. He was an American paediatrician and suggested an idea called the ‘battered child syndrome’ which as a result of this lead to child abuse to the head of the research arena. He also put forward that there was a ‘cycle of abuse’ where parents who had been abused/battered as a child consecutively abused/battered their own children and he got this idea from looking into parents who were abusive towards their children.
“In 1978 he stated that four factors were present in child abuse cases:
1. The parents must have a background of emotional or physical deprivation and perhaps abuse as well
2. A child must be seen as unlovable or disappointing
3. There must be a crisis
4. There are no effective sources of aid at the moment of crisis” (O’Hagan, M; Smith, M 2002)
For several years the pattern of which was used for intervening when a child was being abused hence focused on Kempe’s work to promote programmes to break the ‘cycle of abuse’ such as therapy for children who have been abused, crisis counselling and help lines for parents.
The model consequently puts forward that child abuse is a type of disease which has precise signs and symptoms. By presenting it as if it was a disease led people believing that it was ‘predictable, preventable and curable’ just like all the other diseases in the world however, as we know, that is not the case. In the 1970’s this caused the medical model to be immensely criticized and in 1976 other explanations started to be required.
The model also suggested that the mothers who’d abused
I have been asked to write a report describing the four theoretical models of child abuse to include: Medical, Psychological, Sociological and Feminist approaches which I will start off by describing each. Next I will compare and contrast the different theoretical models of abuse then conclude by evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the four.
MEDICAL MODEL
The medical model was created by Kempe in 1968. He was an American paediatrician and suggested an idea called the ‘battered child syndrome’ which as a result of this lead to child abuse to the head of the research arena. He also put forward that there was a ‘cycle of abuse’ where parents who had been abused/battered as a child consecutively abused/battered their own children and he got this idea from looking into parents who were abusive towards their children.
“In 1978 he stated that four factors were present in child abuse cases:
1. The parents must have a background of emotional or physical deprivation and perhaps abuse as well
2. A child must be seen as unlovable or disappointing
3. There must be a crisis
4. There are no effective sources of aid at the moment of crisis” (O’Hagan, M; Smith, M 2002)
For several years the pattern of which was used for intervening when a child was being abused hence focused on Kempe’s work to promote programmes to break the ‘cycle of abuse’ such as therapy for children who have been abused, crisis counselling and help lines for parents.
The model consequently puts forward that child abuse is a type of disease which has precise signs and symptoms. By presenting it as if it was a disease led people believing that it was ‘predictable, preventable and curable’ just like all the other diseases in the world however, as we know, that is not the case. In the 1970’s this caused the medical model to be immensely criticized and in 1976 other explanations started to be required.
The model also suggested that the mothers who’d abused