Dickens, Tara (2018) An Exploration of the Psychological Characteristics of Men Who Cause Severe Physical Harm to Children Under the Age of Five. Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) thesis, University of Kent,. (KAR id:73278)
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Abstract
The serious physical harm of children is a global cross-cultural issue (Stoltenborgn et al,
2015) where the predominant offender is usually a male caring for a child (Schnitzer &
Ewigman, 2005; Sidebotham, 2011). Historically, research has focused on mothers rather than
fathers in cases of child harm (Hildyard & Wolfe, 2002) so we know less about fathers'
offending. Popular theoretical explanations of physical harm adopt the assumption that this is
poor parenting gone wrong with no differentiation between lower levels of harm and more
serious harm (Azar et al, 1998; Milner, 1993). This thesis addresses the gap in knowledge of
fathers or father figures who seriously harm their children. This body of work used qualitative
and quantitative methods to examine the beliefs and characteristics of 20 prisoners convicted of
serious physical harm of a child (child harmers) and compared them to 46 prisoners convicted of
serious harm to an adult (adult harmers). Interviews examined relationships with others,
parenting knowledge and strategies, thoughts and feelings about their offending and views on
violence and measures examined characteristics of emotional control, anger and provocation
indicators, moral disengagement of parenting, attachment style, and responses to stress, self
esteem and empathy to children. Interview findings suggest child harmers share some
similarities to adult harmers in their parenting knowledge but differ in their use of parenting
strategies, close relationships with others, perceptions of being a biological parent, knowledge of
children, responses to their offense and explanations regarding their offense. Measures found
child harmers share similarities to adult harmers in their emotional control, anger and
provocation responses and the moral disengagement of their parenting methods but differ in their
attachment style, responses to stress, self-esteem and empathy with children. Discriminant
analysis supports the most important differences between groups were empathy to children,
anxious attachment style, coping responses to stress, suspicious thinking in cognitive anger
responses and their self-esteem. Discussion focuses on the implications of these findings for
existing research and how findings challenge the assumption that males who are violent to
children do so due to 'poor parenting gone wrong. It concludes with the proposal of a new
offense specific model to explain father figures who seriously harm and an outline of further
work needed in this under researched area, highlighting the implications for practitioners tasked
with child safeguarding and offender management.
Item Type: | Thesis (Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)) |
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Thesis advisor: | Wood, Jane |
Uncontrolled keywords: | Child Maltreatment, Child Physical harm, Fathers, Child Abuse |
Divisions: | Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Psychology |
SWORD Depositor: | System Moodle |
Depositing User: | System Moodle |
Date Deposited: | 29 Mar 2019 15:10 UTC |
Last Modified: | 13 Dec 2022 05:25 UTC |
Resource URI: | https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/73278 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes) |
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