Child Abuse and Neglect: Experiences from Scandinavia and Israel

Abstract

Henry Kempe was not the first to describe child abuse and neglect, but he was the first physician who managed to make society and the health and welfare systems aware of the battered child syndrome. With his skills and determined work from 1962 to his death in 1984, he managed to bring the message across. This chapter describes the evolution of events in Scandinavia and Israel, where I have worked and been involved with child health and human development over the past several decades. While much progress has been made, I take the position that our work is still not finished and will require continuing efforts to ensure that every person is born healthy and wanted; that all children have the chance to achieve their full potential for healthy and productive lives, free from disease or disability; and to ensure the health, productivity, independence, and well-being of all people.