ABSTRACT
The abusive episode leading to head trauma in a child almost always begins with a frustrated, stressed, or psychotic parent or caretaker being unable to calm a crying infant and acting in an impulsive and violent manner in an effort to silence the baby (Lazear, 2011). The shaking of a baby is most commonly triggered by the frustration caused by inconsolable crying (Barr, 2011). A baby’s constant crying can lead caregivers to assume that something is wrong with either the baby or their own ability to care for the baby. In questionnaires given to middle and high school students as part of a shaken baby syndrome (SBS) education program, a significant number of students indicated a belief that inconsolable crying was a reflection of the abilities of the caretaker. In other words, the students believed that a good caretaker should be able to stop a baby from crying.* This is a critical age group to capture the attitudes on crying and caregiving, as students of this age are those most likely to be asked to babysit for babies and infants.
