M.Sc. in the Psychology of Child Development Module Description for PS4102 Psychological Aspects of Child Abuse

The syllabus will focus on three issues concerning child abuse in the psychological literature:   1.    In May 2005 a man was jailed for having sex with 13 year-old girl that he met on an internet chat room. Recent changes in UK law have increased legal vigilance regarding the Internet grooming of children, and this is now a hot topic in the media. There are myths and negative attitudes surrounding the sexual abuse of children, including that of internet abuse, which have been investigated by psychologists and there is an increasing amount of research in this area. 2.    The hazards of interviewing young children was brought to public attention on July 30th 2002 when a judge awarded damages of £200.000 each to two former nursery nurses who, in a report commissioned by Newcastle City Council, had been erroneously – or “maliciously”, as the Judge characterized it – deemed guilty of a series of child abuse offences. The issue of children as witnesses in court has amassed a considerable amount of psychological literature in recent years. 3.    Research has shown that childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is very damaging to the psychological functioning of children. These negative effects often continue into adulthood. Several psychological models have been developed to explain how CSA influences adult psychological functioning. Other research has shown that people who have been abused as children are more vulnerable to victimization as adults.