There’s that stereotype of a child abuser as the rage-filled man in a stained undershirt with a sixth beer in one hand and the other clenched into a fist ready to smack his kid against the wall and teach him a lesson.
He’s part of the picture, for sure. But not the only picture. There also are the hard-working dads who lose their jobs and are frantic and angry that they can’t pay the mortgage. The moms whose nerves are shattered by the incessant crying of colicky babies. The teen father who has no understanding of what’s reasonable behavior to expect of his willful toddler.
There are many reasons adults abuse children — not one of them acceptable. The only thing certain is that abuse crosses all lines — gender, race, culture and socioeconomic — and that the young victims often suffer lifelong effects.
Even though children are being hurt behind the doors of mobile homes and mansions alike, nationally renowned Asheville pediatrician Dr. Olson Huff said he believes the causes of physical abuse are often tied directly to poverty, which in turn is tied to public policy and funding, and to changing societal norms.
Child abuse is a frustrating maze of complexities
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