Children in Danger: The Causes and Prevention of Baby Battering

In spite of research done in both Britain and the United States, baby battering was still a major issue in the early 1970s, leading to 700 child deaths and 4-5,000 injuries annually. Jean Renvoize's book, Children in Danger, was the first fully-researched book on the subject and revealed a deep distrust between social workers and the police, leading to thousands of children falling through the social welfare net. The book included taped stories of several battering parents, illustrating the line between necessary discipline and near-cruelty.

Format: Hardback
Length: 194 pages
Publication date: 09 August 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

In the early 1970s, a tragic phenomenon known as "baby battering" emerged in Britain, resulting in an estimated 700 child deaths and 4-5,000 severe injuries annually. Despite the knowledge gained from research conducted in both Britain and the United States, this alarming issue persisted. How could such tragedies be prevented, and what were the factors contributing to baby battering?

The public's interest in this issue was particularly piqued by the case of Maria Colwell, which brought the problem of baby battering to the forefront. Jean Renvoize, a journalist, dedicated two years to conducting extensive interviews with battering parents, social workers, doctors, police officers, and psychiatrists. The unique strength of her book, Children in Danger, lay in its comprehensive research and the author's outsider perspective, allowing her to view the issue as a whole. Renvoize's overwhelming impression was that despite lip service to cooperation among professionals, deep distrust often existed between social workers and the police. This distrust led to thousands of children falling through the social welfare net, with tragic consequences.

In her book, Renvoize discusses frankly and impartially the relationships between the various professions involved in addressing baby battering. She highlights the need for improved communication, collaboration, and understanding among these professionals. Renvoize also offers constructive suggestions for the future, emphasizing the importance of training, support, and monitoring programs for battering parents and children.

One of the most moving and enlightening aspects of the book is the inclusion of taped stories of several battering parents. These accounts provide a firsthand glimpse into the complex dynamics between necessary discipline and near-cruelty, extreme exasperation and uncontrolled attacks. The parents share their experiences, expressing their struggles to balance the need to discipline their children with the fear of crossing the line line between discipline and abuse. Their stories shed light on the emotional toll that battering takes on both parents and children, and they emphasize the importance of early intervention and support for families experiencing domestic violence.

In conclusion, the issue of baby battering was a pressing concern in the early 1970s, and Jean Renvoize's book, Children in Danger, played a significant role in raising awareness and promoting understanding of this tragic phenomenon. Through her comprehensive research and insightful analysis, Renvoize shed light on the factors contributing to baby battering, the deep distrust between social workers and the police, and the need for improved cooperation and collaboration among professionals. The taped stories of battering parents provided a powerful testament to the emotional toll of domestic violence and emphasized the importance of early intervention and support for families experiencing this crisis.

Dimension: 216 x 138 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032532172