Unveiling Shadows: Retrieving Characteristics and Backgrounds of Child Abuse and its Perpetrators from Dutch Judicial Decisions

• In Event: Children as a Focal Point in Family Violence Research

Abstract

Child abuse is a severe problem that requires global attention. Until now, research has mainly focussed on its prevalence and consequences for the victims. However, for the development of effective prevention measures and interventions, in-depth knowledge about the incidents and perpetrators is crucial. In this study, decisions from first instance courts and courts of appeal made in the Netherlands between January 2021 and December 2023 (N=1,281), were analyzed in order to understand the characteristics and background of the abuse and its perpetrators. Eventhough prevelation studies show that the majority of child abuse cases concern neglect and physical abuse, the majority of the criminal cases involved sexual abuse. In addition, almost half of sexual offenses, including child pornography and grooming, took place online, highlighting the importance of targeted interventions. In this presentation, results on the characteristics of perpetrators of specific types of child abuse, as well the relationship with their victims, are presented. Overall, it appears that less visible forms of child abuse, such as domestic violence and child maltreatment less often appear in criminal court than the more exceptional cases of sexual abuse. The causes and consequences of this imbalance for research as well as practice are discussed.

Author

• Jip van Gurp, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam