Social Learning Perspective: The Invention Of Child Abuse And Neglect

Decent Essays
With no conclusive guide available, numerous theoretical frameworks attempt to explain the onset of child abuse and neglect. Bandura’s (1977) Social Learning Perspective, one of the more established theories, suggests the values, experiences and conditions encountered within socialisation shape understanding, and become adopted and utilised as children’s normal way of responding to situations throughout their entire life (Corby, 2006). With this concept in mind, children raised within hostile environments are believed to internalise aggression witnessed, and repeat the cycle, modelling the accepted dysfunctional behaviour during childhood amongst peers, as well as into adulthood, such as during their own parenting (Kwong et al, 2003). Baumrind …show more content…
Renowned for increased risk of harm to children’s health and development, the toxic trio commonly impairs parental caring capacity, in terms of declining or skewing skills, perception and emotional understanding. For example, parents with Borderline Personality Disorder have the potential to transfer stress onto children by wrongly fault-finding which justifies physical and emotional outbursts, especially when unhealthy coping strategies, such as alcohol consumption, are adopted (Cleaver et al, 2011) Furthermore, there is a greater threat of parents in similar situations being neglectful and omitting routines likes meals and bedtimes, through prioritising their own needs, at the expense of children’s (ACMD, 2003). As a result, children ultimately tend to suffer internal and external ramifications, including physical pain such as cuts and bruises, and psychologically by feeling unloved, alone and at fault (Cleaver et al, …show more content…
Confused at being the only target, and over the alteration in his mother’s demeanour, Dave blamed himself so tried various tactics in the hope of regaining his mother’s affection. Despite Dave’s unsuccessfulness, the chances of maltreatment could have been reduced as evidence confirms a high proportion of families with complex needs, like substance issues, engage in effective parenting (Barnard, 2007). Successful families normally have protective factors, like strong support networks including friends and family, who help out to lessen risk, and empower parents with positive parenting strategies (WHO, 2016). Consequently, it is possible to say that the family would have benefited from a closer connection between Catherine and her mother. This is because the grandmother would potentially have been an essential resource for stress relief, or to encourage additional support and hopefully prevent the abusive relationship

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