title: A statewide study of the public attitudes toward child abuse.
abstract: A statewide survey of adults revealed that they are well informed about some aspects of child abuse. They had a generally good intuitive understanding of the characteristics of abused children and child abusers, but a majority seemed to have a "deviance" perspective on child abuse. They considered abusers as abnormal and intractable. While three-quarters of the respondents were aware that they are obligated to report cases of child abuse to the authorities, one-fifth knew someone who had abused a child, but only a third of these actually reported the case.
authors.affiliation: College of Social Work, University of Kentucky, Lexington 40506-0027.
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Dhooper
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Royse
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Wolfe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007629:Kentucky; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D011639:Public Opinion; D011678:Punishment; D012307:Risk Factors