Perpetrators of FDIA may have been abused as children or come from homes where being sick was a way to get love and attention. They often have some medical experience or skills and do not see their behavior as harmful. Perpetrators go out of their way to become close and friendly with the healthcare professionals who provide medical care for the child (American Academy of Family Physicians, 2018; APA, 2013).
In the most severe cases, perpetrators go to extremes to make their children sick. Examples of some behaviors are giving too much or too little medication, injecting the children with harmful substances to cause illness, and placing drops of blood in urine specimens. The affected children’s prognosis depends on the severity of the damage done by the illnesses caused by the abuser (American Academy of Family Physicians, 2018; APA, 2013).
RISK FACTORS AND PREVENTION
Risk factors A number of factors increase the risk of someone becoming abusive (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019), such as: ● A history of being abused or neglected a child. ● Living in poverty or near poverty or experiencing other types of financial stress. ● A history of mental illness, drug or alcohol abuse, abusing children, or behaving violently. ● Experiencing family crisis or stress such as marital conflicts; single parenting; or dealing with young children, especially those who are younger than 5 years of age. ● Trouble dealing with stress. ● Lack of good support systems, including financial and emotional support. ● Little or no understanding of child development. ● Inadequate knowledge of parenting skills. ● Not wanting children. Healthcare providers should also assist caregivers in accessing available resources regarding how to parent children in various stages of development. Some recommendations include (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019): ● Be alert to sources of stress such as single parenthood, financial problems, or marital conflict. Be prepared to offer support and referrals to community resources as appropriate. ● Assess parents and caregivers for adequate support systems. Help them to recognize
the need for help and to take a break from childcare if possible. ● Teach parents and caregivers to remove firearms and other dangerous weapons from their homes. ● Refer parents and caregivers to parenting classes, which are available in most communities. ● Teach parents to avoid physical punishment. ● Encourage parents and caregivers to seek treatment/counseling if they were ever victims of abuse. Treatment can help parents and caregivers to deal with the aftermath of abuse such as mental health problems, substance abuse, or violent behavior. Healthcare consideration: Behavioral health providers must know about prevention strategies, particularly those associated with sexual abuse. Information about these strategies should be included in parenting classes and as part of patient/family education. Sexual abusers come from all socioeconomic, educational, ethnic, and cultural groups, and the greatest risk to children comes not from strangers, but from family and friends. In fact, research has shown that 93% of victims know their abusers; 34% are abused by family members; and 59% are abused by someone trusted by the family (Prevent Child Abuse America, n.d.). When teaching parents, caregivers, and others about protecting their children, it is important for social workers to explain the following (Prevent Child Abuse America, n.d.): ● Of all victims, 93% know their abusers.
Page 18
EliteLearning.com
Powered by FlippingBook