Peer-reviewed article
Criminological Analysis of Domestic Violence Against Children
Nina Yu. Skripchenko ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This criminological analysis examines domestic violence against children by reviewing statistical data on criminal cases and unreported abuse. The study finds that about one-third of violence occurs in intact families and one-quarter in single-parent families, with children aged 0-12 years being the most vulnerable victims. The research highlights a growing proportion of women convicted of child abuse, attributing this partly to increased divorces rather than increased female aggression. The analysis calls for differentiated responses, with some parents needing social and psychological support while others require removal of children from the home.
Key points
- Significant gap exists between reported criminal cases and actual incidents of child abuse in families
- Over 70% of offences against minors involve children aged 0-12 years
- About one-third of violence cases occur in complete families and one-quarter in incomplete families
- Increasing proportion of women convicted of child abuse, partly attributed to divorce patterns
- Different intervention approaches needed: social-psychological support for some parents versus child removal for others
Limitations
The document does not specify which country or countries the analysis covers, nor does it provide dates for the data analysed. The statistical findings are presented without methodological detail about data collection or sample characteristics.
Abstract
The study of statistical data shows a clear discrepancy between the number of criminal cases and the actual facts of cruel treatment of children in the family. If the courts, reviewing cases of deprivation of parental rights, revealing signs of a crime, reported to law enforcement agencies, the latency of the crime in question would decrease. The criminological analysis shows that about a third of the facts of violence against children are for complete families, a quarter for incomplete ones. More than 70% of criminal offenses are committed against minors aged 0 to 12 years. These persons are vulnerable not only because of their age, but also because of their state of health. In recent years, there has been a dynamic increase in the proportion of women among those convicted of child abuse, which, in our opinion, is due not so much to the increase in female aggression, as a significant proportion of divorces. In the case of child abuse in the family, the mother is usually brought to criminal responsibility, since the violence used by the partner (new husband) is classified as a crime against health. In recent years, parents committing crimes from falsely understood educational goals have been condemned, which must be taken into account when carrying out preventive measures, as these persons need social and psychological assistance, unlike parents who show aggression towards children because of drunkenness and failure to perform duties on their maintenance and upbringing in respect of which it is necessary to apply measures for the removal of children. The article raises issues related to ensuring the rights of minors who have been subjected to ill-treatment in the family.