ABSTRACT
To deny female violence is to deny female agency. In the passage cited above, De Zuleta describes how the reactivation of traumatic memories can lead to violence towards an infant, and how dissociation, as a psychological defence against pain, can protect the violent mother from full understanding or recognition of her actions. This passage illustrates the nature of reactivated pain and demonstrates how mothers who were themselves neglected re-enact destructive patterns with their own children. The context in which this occurs is one in which the mother is young and single, by which I understand De Zuleta to be referring to a social environment of isolation, and possible economic hardship. Although I do not specifically explore social factors in the genesis of physical abuse of children, in which the intervening variable is maternal
depression, I consider that the social environment plays a significant role in contributing to the sense of despair and abandonment which can lead to maternal physical abuse of children. There is a wealth of significant literature and empirical research related to social factors in the development of depression (Brown and Harris, 1978; Brown et al., 1996; Harris and Brown, 1996) and the intergenerational transmission of neglect, which also emphasises the interaction between early experiences of disturbed attachment experiences and later vulnerability to depression (Bifulco and Moran, 1998; Harris and Bifulco, 1991). My emphasis in this chapter is not, however, on the social context of maternal depression and physical abuse of children, but on the inner world of the mother who abuses: I explore the dynamics of maternal physical abuse. Clearly emotional abuse and neglect of children may be interwoven with physical abuse. I focus my discussion on actual acts of violence, on the premiss that such violence itself reflects an emotionally unavailable and abusive relationship with the child, in which it becomes the receptacle of unwanted feelings. In chapters 1 and 2 I explored the nature of maternal sexual abuse and Munchausen’s syndrome by proxy. In this chapter I focus on the expression of violence through direct physical abuse, caused by shaking, hitting, punching, kicking, twisting, beating with weapons or other instruments, or burning. The physical abuse of children by their mothers may bring their private violence into the public arena, particularly when social services’ involvement generates the introduction of legal proceedings. Physical abuse often remains hidden from view, occurring in the privacy of the home. As in the case of sexual abuse the victims may be too frightened or ashamed to let anyone know about the abuse. They may also have come to accept physical abuse and cruelty as normal, or believe that they deserve to be treated violently. The nature of physical abuse can vary greatly from woman to woman and can range from sadistic violence to a unique loss of control. The violence may reflect systematic physical chastisement for misbehaviour or an uncharacteristic explosion of anger and frustration which is born out of depression, social isolation and a sense of complete helplessness. In this chapter I provide a case example of maternal violence against an infant by an isolated and depressed young mother, echoing De Zuleta’s description of maternal violence.
