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Introduction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 September 2015

By
Paul K. Kleinman
Edited by
Paul K. Kleinman
Paul K. Kleinman
Affiliation:
Department of Radiology, Boston Children’s Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Paul K. Kleinman
Affiliation:
Children's Hospital Boston
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Summary

Definition of child abuse

There is a wide range of views among professionals as to what is an acceptable definition of child abuse. The lack of universally accepted terminology to characterize the fundamental elements of this condition illustrates the difficulty in developing a precise definition. The battered child syndrome seemed to be an apt characterization of the injuries described in early reports; however, the term implies that an infant or child is hit with a fist, foot, or blunt object (1). Some injuries are inflicted in this manner, but most occur by indirect forces that develop as the child is grabbed by the trunk or an extremity, is shaken, slammed, or thrown.

Although assailants may be unaware of the ultimate consequences of their actions, the abusive event generally implies a willful assault on a child at the hands of a person entrusted with their care. The term “nonaccidental injury” characterizes the condition by what it is not, rather than by what it is. It requires a reliable definition of what constitutes an accident and implies that if an injury is not due to an accident, it is due to abuse. Some authors link abuse to intentionality (2–4). Intent is often included in legal standards; the notion is a complex one and is not easily applied to the clinical setting by most physicians dealing with traumatic injuries. On occasion, euphemisms and confusing terms such as “trauma-X” are employed to hide the diagnosis from the victim’s family or other caretakers, and such terminology may actually hinder initial contacts with these parties as well as undermine the trust that must be established for optimal intervention and treatment.

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Diagnostic Imaging of Child Abuse , pp. 1 - 6
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2015

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  • Introduction
    • By Paul K. Kleinman, Department of Radiology, Boston Children’s Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
  • Edited by Paul K. Kleinman
  • Book: Diagnostic Imaging of Child Abuse
  • Online publication: 05 September 2015
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511862366.007
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  • Introduction
    • By Paul K. Kleinman, Department of Radiology, Boston Children’s Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
  • Edited by Paul K. Kleinman
  • Book: Diagnostic Imaging of Child Abuse
  • Online publication: 05 September 2015
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511862366.007
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Introduction
    • By Paul K. Kleinman, Department of Radiology, Boston Children’s Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
  • Edited by Paul K. Kleinman
  • Book: Diagnostic Imaging of Child Abuse
  • Online publication: 05 September 2015
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511862366.007
Available formats
×