Annotated Bibliography on Child Abuse

Christian, C. W., & Committee on Child Abuse and Neglect. (2015). The evaluation of suspected child physical abuse. Pediatrics, 135(5), e1337-e1354.

The report evaluates suspected cases of child physical abuse and the factors that can lead to a lack of justice for the children. The authors also emphasize that child abuse has a significant impact on the mental and physical health of children. Given that, physicians have a role to play in uncovering whether children are experiencing any physical or emotional abuse from their guardians. The report is primarily a qualitative study, which is critical for understanding how individuals not related to victims such as psychologists can be in the right position to detect any physical abuse. Overall, the report is a summary of how people in society should play a role in eliminating or reducing child abuse in their communities. 

Goldberg, S., Muir, R., & Kerr, J. (Eds.). (2013). Attachment theory: Social, developmental, and clinical perspectives. UK: Routledge.

The book by Goldberg, Muir, and Kerr (2013) focuses on the attachment theory, which explains what children experience when they are being abused. Proponents of the attachment model determine that children’s development is dependent on their relationship with guardians. The text also presents different views on attachment theory and explains how the approach is best suited for understanding and extrapolating the effects of child abuse. Consequently, it is a fundamental to the research as it will provide a theoretical perspective of what child abuse is, its effects on the children, and how the attachment theory can be used as an intervention medium from a clinical standpoint. The advantage of using the book as a reference source is that it provides vital information from a theoretical point of view that will solidify the studies used. Conversely, the book is limited in its approach as it only uses one theory to explain child abuse. 

Cook, A., Spinazzola, J., Ford, J., Lanktree, C., Blaustein, M., Cloitre, M., … & Mallah, K. (2017). Complex trauma in children and adolescents. Psychiatric Annals, 35(5), 390-398.

Complex trauma is an associated disorder in children and adolescents who suffer from child abuse; it is the primary focus of the study by Cook et al. (2017). The authors present a new theoretical framework that can be used to understand the complexities of child trauma and explain how it can be applied in investigations relating to child abuse. The paper is a report on different analytical studies that have been conducted and their relevance to child abuse. The article summarizes the diagnostic issues surrounding child abuse based on several aspects, including attachment, dissociation, biological affect regulation, behavioral control, self-concept, and cognition. Indeed, the report by Cook et al. (2017) is critical as it provides a theoretical framework on how different domains are affected as a result of child abuse. Nonetheless, the report does not discuss any links between the psychological and social effects of child abuse on victims. 

Herrenkohl, T. I., Hong, S., Klika, J. B., Herrenkohl, R. C., & Russo, M. J. (2013). Developmental impacts of child abuse and neglect related to adult mental health, substance use, and physical health. Journal of Family Violence, 28(2), 191-199.

The study on child abuse by Herrenkohl et al. (2013) aims at understanding the significant effects of child abuse in adulthood, particularly regarding substance abuse and physical health. It is a quantitative meta-data analysis the parameters of which include alcohol problems, psychological health issues, and the relationship between victims of child abuse and alcohol. The study concludes that a higher percentage of individuals who suffered from child abuse are addicted to alcohol. In addition, they experience increased psychological health problems from depression, anxiety, and impairment of judgment. Overall, the article provides critical information about the relationship between child abuse and its effects on the victims when they reach adulthood. The resource is essential as it presents statistical data on child abuse and how it affects the victims based on parameters such as gender, age, marital status, and educational background. However, the study does not provide a solution to the problem of child abuse. 

Paglia, L. (2018). Child abuse: Awareness is the first step to action. European Journal of Paediatric Dentistry, 19(2).

The report on child abuse by Paglia (2018) discusses the subject and expounds on what it is. It presents information on sexual abuse, physical abuse, exploitation, and neglect as forms of child abuse. In addition, the analysis discusses numerous reasons for child abuse and its effect on the victims. Indeed, the paper is important as it defines child abuse clearly and lists the factors that lead to victimization and ways of of addressing it. However, it lacks information about organizations that may help individuals collect information on child abuse. 

Plantz, M. C., & Garbarino, J. (2017). Child abuse and juvenile delinquency: What are the links?. In Troubled youth, troubled families (pp. 27-40). UK: Routledge.

The book by Plantz and Garbarino (2017) seeks to uncover whether there is a link between child abuse and an increase in juvenile delinquencies. It explains vividly using multiple literature studies how victims of child abuse can become delinquents. The text provides another perspective on the outcomes of child abuse. Social problems which include a rise in crime, economic dysfunction, alienation, poverty, and depression are directly linked to child abuse. The theoretical and quantitative research data proves that the book is essential in providing information regarding child abuse. It will also play a pivotal role in expounding knowledge pertaining to child abuse and its effects. However, the book lacks information on the approaches or theories used to explain the occurrence and consequences of child abuse. 

Sperry, D. M., & Widom, C. S. (2013). Child abuse and neglect, social support, and psychopathology in adulthood: A prospective investigation. Child Abuse & Neglect, 37(6), 415-425.

Sperry and William (2013) discuss child abuse and what impact it has on the victims in later life. The research is quantitative, and it is based on such parameters of study as child abuse and neglect, social support, and psychopathology in adulthood. According to the findings, irrespective of age, sex, and race, individuals who have been abused when they were young have low levels of social support in adulthood. In addition, their self-esteem is affected, and they do not feel like they belong in society. The advantage of this study is that it provides comprehensive information about the effects of child abuse to the victims, especially later in their liver. Further, it proves that psychopathology enforces low self-esteem and confidence among the abused. Nonetheless, the research has one primary limitation; it does not explain how neglect and child abuse affect the victims from a psychological viewpoint. 

Van der Kolk, B. A. (2017). Developmental Trauma Disorder: Toward a rational diagnosis for children with complex trauma histories. Psychiatric Annals, 35(5), 401-408.

The study by Dr. Van der Kolk (2017) focuses on the relationship between child abuse and the resulting trauma. The aim of the research is to identify the emotional triggers and patterns of re-enactment in traumatized children. It also explains the spectrum of developmental derailments secondary to trauma exposure and describes patterns of accommodating such children. Hence, the report concludes that there is a significant link between the dynamics of child abuse and the development of childhood disorders. The merit in using this source is that it provides a clinical perspective on the effects of child abuse in children and young adults and how they relate to psychiatric illnesses. However, the disadvantage is that it lacks statistical backing to reinfornce its theoretical approach. 

Weder, N., Zhang, H., Jensen, K., Yang, B. Z., Simen, A., Jackowski, A., … & O’Loughlin, K. (2014). Child abuse, depression, and methylation in genes involved with stress, neural plasticity, and brain circuitry. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 53(4), 417-424.

Weder et al. (2014) examine the extent of child abuse from a neurological and genetic point of view. The research is genetic-based, meaning it looks at how one’s genetic makeup can affect how they handle stressful situations. It looks into the effects of psychological abuse on children and whether or not they are permanent or temporary. Interestingly, the authors identify that child abuse has a short-lived impact on the psychological reactions of the children under study. The research also concludes that there is an increasingly large body of literature that suggests that early intervention in cases of child abuse and neglect can result in the victim being a well-adjusted adult in the future. Accordingly, the advantage of using the article is that it provides in-depth information from a genetic perspective on the effects of child abuse. However, the study should have also been diverse in its analysis and included other parameters such as differences in race, age, and gender.

Widom, C. S., Czaja, S., & Dutton, M. A. (2014). Child abuse and neglect and intimate partner violence victimization and perpetration: A prospective investigation. Child Abuse & Neglect, 38(4), 650-663.

The investigation by Widom, Czaja, and Dutton (2014) determines the relationship between children who are subjected to child abuse and the relation with intimate partner violence. The research is quantitative, providing a statistical overview of how sexual abuse is highly anticipated in children undergoing long-term physical and emotional abuse. The examination reports that there is an increased risk of victims of physical and emotional abuse being sexually exploited. In addition, the study presents information about victimization and the degree of intimate sexual partnership for the children. Indeed, the paper is critical for the project as it will provide data on the extent to which child abuse affects the victim’s approach to intimacy. However, the study does not explore the link between sexual abuse and psychological effects of the violence on children. 

Research Paper – Annotated Bibliography Rubrics Template (Based on 100 point total)

Criteria	Levels of Achievement
Criteria	Advanced (A- to A):Satisfies criteria w/ excellence	Proficient (B- to B+):Satisfies Criteria	Developing (C- to C+):Satisfies most criteria	Below Expectations (F to D+):Does not satisfy criteria	Not Present	PointsEarned
Content 70% (70 pts.)
References	28 – 30 pts.At least 10 scholarly sources are used.	26 – 27 pts.At least 10 sources are used. Most sources are scholarly.	23 – 25 pts. Less than 10 sources are used.  Most sources are scholarly.	1 – 22 pts.Less than 10 sources and/or few sources are scholarly.	0 points	26
Summaries	37 – 40 pts. There is a clear summary for each reference covering the main points of each article.	34 – 36 pts.Most summaries are clear and cover the main points of each article.	31 – 33 pts.Summaries are vague, lacking clarity and focus.	1 – 30 pts.Vague summaries and/or sources missing summaries.	0 points	37
Structure 30% (30 pts.)
Style	28 – 30 pts. The paper properly uses current APA style and DCCC Professional Writing Guidelines.	26 – 27 pts. The paper consistently uses current APA style and DCCC Professional Writing Guidelines with few or no exceptions.	23 – 25 pts. The paper inconsistently uses APA style and DCCC Professional Writing Guidelines.	1 – 22 pts. The paper erroneously uses or does not use APA style and DCCC Professional Writing Guidelines.	0 points	30
	Total	93