ABSTRACT
Dr. C. Henry Kempe in his famous article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, coauthored with several physician associates, reported the results of a nationwide study of child abuse cases. A nationwide survey, which included every report of physical child abuse during a two-year period, paved the way for large-scale epidemiological study of the problem. E. Elmer stated: Abuse from a parent or other caretaker must be one of the most hurtful of all insults, because it combines physical pain with the psychological blow of being attacked by one’s protector. The child has no way of judging the meaning of what is happening. Physicians, social workers, psychologists and others have been involved in both detection and treatment. The legal profession has become meaningfully embroiled in the issue, as society attempts to strike a balance between the maintenance of parental rights and the protection of children.
