Patterns of Child Abuse: How Dysfunctional Transactions Are Replicated in Individuals, Families, and the Child Welfare System

273 Pages·2001·2.7 MB·English

by  Michael Karson

Michael Karson
Patterns of Child Abuse
How Dysfunctional Transactions
Are Replicated in Individuals, Families,
and the Child Welfare System
Pre-publication portant insights about how effective
preventiveprogramsmustinvolvesen-
REVIEWS,
sitivitytotheracial,social,andethnic
COMMENTARIES, diversityofchildrenandparents.
EVALUATIONS... Karson’sbookisawatershedevent
intheunderstandingoftheroleofthe
child-family-culture-professionalprac-
ticesystembothincontributingtothe
“PatternsofChildAbusepresentsa incidence of child abuse and, at the
theoretically compelling analy- sametime,inconstitutingthesource
sisoftheindividual,family,andsocial ofcreativemeanstoreduceorprevent
servicesystembasesofchildabuse.It it. Patterns of Child Abuse is a book
alsoprovidesinnovativeandconvinc- ofimmeasurablevaluetoparents,prac-
ing recommendations about critically titioners,andpolicymakersconcerned
neededrevisionsintheconceptualiza- withenhancingthelifechancesofthe
tion,design,anddeliveryofinterven- diverseyouthofournation.”
tions.Karsonweavestogetherresearch
and clinical literature and offers a RichardM.Lerner,PhD
BergstromChairinApplied
uniquely integrative vision for how
DevelopmentalScience,
child welfare professionals may capi-
Eliot-PearsonDepartment
talizeoncurrentknowledgeaboutthe ofChildDevelopment,
combinedinfluenceoffamilyandcul- TuftsUniversity,
ture on child abuse. He provides im- Medford,MA
Morepre-publication
REVIEWS,COMMENTARIES,EVALUATIONS...
“Inthisnewbook,Dr.Karsones- either help child victims or to bring
tablishes a very high standard about meaningful change in family
forunderstandingandinterveningin systems.Manyreaders,boththerapists
thepsychologicalissuessurrounding and social welfare professionals, will
child abuse and presents a rich, tex- findthisworkashardtoagreewithas
tured theory of personality develop- itishardtoignore.”
ment and family functioning. He de-
velopsasophisticatedperspectivethat CynthiaMonahon,PsyD
integratesatheoryofindividualpsy- AuthorofChildrenandTrauma:
chodynamicfunctioningwithinacom- AGuideforParents
plex family systems perspective. Dr. andProfessionals
Karson first presents a finely articu-
latedpictureoftheinnerlandscapeof
individualfamilymembers,eachwith
itsuniquesetofcharacters,andthen
identifiestheparallelsbetweenthese “K arson’switandexpressiveness
patternsandthepatternsinthefam- transformwhatmighthavere-
ily system. He shows how parental sulted in merely a dry, businesslike
patterns are reproduced in the child compendium,handbook,oracademic
andthenrecreatedinthechild’sadult treatise into a lively, engaging, well-
relationshipsandfamilyandhowthey craftedwork.Hisbookisaninspired
arereiteratednotjustfromfamilyto contribution to the professional, stu-
individualbutfromgenerationtogen-
dent,andgeneralreaderwhowillbe
eration. Dr. Karson’s book brings a
intriguedandbenefitfromitsinsights
welcome level of sophistication, and
andwisdom.Pullingnopunches,the
should be an important resource to
authortellsitlikeitis,refreshinglydi-
professionalsworkingwithfamilies.”
rectandhonestinhisappraisalsofthe
roles and responsibilities of abused
HeatherE.P.Cattell,PhD
VicePresidentofResearch, children,theirfamilies,andthesocial
TheInstituteofPersonality welfare and court systems, as well
andAbilityTesting; asprofessionalcaregiversassignedto
Authorof16PFQuestionnaire theirtreatment.Hesucceedsinbeing
constructively critical without sacri-
ficing the inevitable complexities in-
volved in effective treatment and
management issues. No one inter-
“Dr. Karson has written up estedinwhatmaywellbethemajor
unique reflections on fifteen publichealthepidemicofourtimein
years of consultation to child protec-
terms of its long-term consequences
tivesystems.Hisoriginal,andattimes,
for our society can afford to pass up
defiant perspectives challenge many
theopportunitytoreadthisenlighten-
truismsofchildwelfareandtherapeu-
ingwork.”
ticpracticeandthusrequirethereader
toreexaminesomecentralassumptions
HowardWolowitz,PhD
underlying protective casework and
ProfessorEmeritus
psychotherapy. Karson offers a tren- PsychologyDepartment,
chant analysis of the ways in which UniversityofMichigan,
‘helpers’invariousprofessionsfailto AnnArbor
NOTESFORPROFESSIONALLIBRARIANS
ANDLIBRARYUSERS
ThisisanoriginalbooktitlepublishedbyTheHaworthMaltreatment
andTraumaPress®,animprintofTheHaworthPress,Inc.Unlessoth-
erwise noted in specific chapters with attribution, materials in this
bookhavenotbeenpreviouslypublishedelsewhereinanyformator
language.
CONSERVATIONANDPRESERVATIONNOTES
AllbookspublishedbyTheHaworthPress,Inc.anditsimprintsare
printedoncertifiedpHneutral,acidfreebookgradepaper.Thispaper
meetstheminimumrequirementsofAmericanNationalStandardfor
Information Sciences-Permanence of Paper for Printed Material,
ANSIZ39.48-1984.

Patterns of Child Abuse
How Dysfunctional Transactions
Are Replicated in Individuals, Families,
and the Child Welfare System

How Dysfunctional Transactions
Are Replicated in Individuals, Families,
and the Child Welfare System
Michael Karson
TheHaworthMaltreatment and Trauma Press®
An Imprint of TheHaworthPress, Inc.
New York • London • Oxford
Published by
TheHaworthMaltreatmentandTraumaPress®,animprintofTheHaworthPress,Inc.,10Alice
Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580.
©2001byTheHaworthPress,Inc.Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisworkmaybereproducedor
utilizedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronicormechanical,includingphotocopying,microfilm,
andrecording,orbyanyinformationstorageandretrievalsystem,withoutpermissioninwriting
from the publisher. Printed in the United States of America.
Cover design by Marylouise E. Doyle.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Karson, Michael.
Patternsofchildabuse:howdysfunctionaltransactionsarereplicatedinindividuals,families,
and the child welfare system / Michael Karson.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-7890-0739-8 (hardcover : alk. paper)—ISBN 0-7890-1588-9 (softcover : alk. paper)
1. Child abuse. 2. Abused children—Services for. I. Title.
HV6626.5 .K37 2001
362.76'8—dc21
00-049475
For Sam
Behold the child . . .
See, where ’mid work of his own hand he lies . . .
With light upon him from his father’s eyes!
Wordsworth