An Exploration of the Psychological Characteristics of Men Who Cause Severe Physical Harm to Children Under the Age of Five

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.