The Battered Child Syndrome Paper: Influence on the Field of Child Neglect

Abstract

This chapter considers how the seminal paper by Kempe and colleagues on “the battered child” may have influenced our thinking and practice regarding child neglect. While the paper focused on severe physical abuse, the authors were careful to describe a spectrum of maltreatment that included child neglect. Curiously, the paper makes no mention of emotional deprivation as a form of neglect, despite substantial earlier work on this topic. The chapter offers nuanced insights into the varying circumstances associated with maltreatment – that are equally relevant today. For example, the authors acknowledged the varied and sometimes “good” backgrounds of abusive parents. They made a valuable contribution by calling for a good understanding of the factors underlying maltreatment to tailor a response to meet the needs of the individual child and family. Kempe et al. led the way showing that physicians, working with others, can play a valuable role helping ensure children’s health, development, and safety.