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Intergenerational Transmission of Child Maltreatment pp 1–14Cite as

What Is Intergenerational Transmission of Child Maltreatment?

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Abstract

Intergenerational transmission of child maltreatment (ITCM) occurs when a person experiences child maltreatment and then grows up and abuses and/or neglects his or her own child. While this concept is widely accepted by the public and professionals alike, the empirical evidence supporting it is limited and inconclusive. Research has found the majority of people who were maltreated as children do not continue the cycle of maltreatment. Additionally, some people who did not experience maltreatment as children abuse and neglect their children. This first chapter serves as an introduction to the book and the topic of ITCM. The chapter begins with a definition of ITCM and goes on to describe the scope of child abuse and neglect, as well as its substantial costs to society. The chapter presents an argument that in order to develop effective prevention and intervention strategies, ITCM must be understood and considered. The last section of the chapter provides an overview of the remaining chapters.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Different researchers use the term cycle of violence, which is also used as a term for intergenerational transmission of violence to mean different things. Heyman and Slep (2002) explain this well: “Further, what exactly is meant by the cycle of violence? As noted by Heyman and Ezzell (in press), different researchers use the term to mean different things, leaving at least 10 relations sharing the same moniker: (a) child victimization and/or exposure to interparental violence lead to violent criminal behavior in adolescence and/or adulthood…; child maltreatment victimization leads to (b) child maltreatment perpetration in adulthood, (c) partner abuse perpetration in adulthood, or (d) partner abuse victimization in adulthood; child exposure to interparental violence leads to (e) child maltreatment perpetration in adulthood, (f) partner abuse perpetration in adulthood, or (g) partner abuse victimization in adulthood; and child victimization and exposure to interparental violence lead to (h) child maltreatment perpetration in adulthood, (i) partner abuse perpetration in adulthood, (j) partner abuse victimization in adulthood. Despite substantial methodological problems (cf. Widom 1989a, b, c), there is weak but consistent support for the first seven hypotheses (Heyman and Ezzell, in press). The final three hypotheses lack any published empirical test” (p. 864).

  2. 2.

    The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (2010) (Public Law 111–320) provides the minimum definition of child maltreatment: “the term ‘child abuse and neglect’ means, at a minimum, any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker, which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation, or an act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm.” This definition provides the basis for all states to develop laws for child maltreatment, yet legal definitions differ among the states.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Social Work, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA

    Lisa Schelbe

  2. Jane Addams College of Social Work, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Jennifer M. Geiger

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Schelbe, L., Geiger, J.M. (2017). What Is Intergenerational Transmission of Child Maltreatment?. In: Intergenerational Transmission of Child Maltreatment. SpringerBriefs in Social Work. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-43824-5_1

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