ELEVEN

Crimes Against
Children
 LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• Recognize types an patterns of burn injuries found in
child abuse
• Define and discuss shaken-baby syndrome
• Explain Munchausen syndrome by proxy
• Identify types of child molesters, and explain
investigative and interview techniques for cases of child
molestation
• Outline types of child pornography
• Discuss the use of the computer and the Internet in child
pornography
• Define incest and outline profiles of incestuous fathers
• Discuss the mother’s role in incestuous fathers
• Explain the police officer’s role in conducting incest
investigations
• Be able to differentiate between sudden death syndrome
and physical abuse

© 2006 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

 LEARNING OBJECTIVES (continued)

• Understand what sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)

is and its misconceptions
• Discuss the prevailing theories in SIDS research
• Understand criminal homicide as a possibility in SIDS
deaths
• Describe the profile of infant abductors
• Outline the assessments and investigative procedures
used to determine whether a child has run away or has
been abducted
• Discuss sex-offender registration and community
notification laws
• Describe the personality traits and behaviors of
individuals inclined to commit school crime
• Understand the role of law enforcement in school crime
© 2006 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
 ASSAULTS AGAINST CHILDREN

• The most common cause of children's death is

physical abuse, often by their own parents
• The clinical term commonly used to describe
physically abused children is the battered-child
syndrome
• Abuse of children takes various forms, from
minor assaults to flagrant physical torture
• Although abusers use a wide variety of
instruments, the two most common are the belt
and electric cord

© 2006 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

 BURN INJURIES AND CHILD ABUSE
• Typologies of Burns. A burn may be classified
by how severe or “deep” it is, or by how the
injury occurred.
• Medical Classification of Burn Severity.
Physicians primarily categorize burns as having
either “partial thickness” or “full thickness.”
• Causes of Burn Injuries
– Scald burns occur when the child comes into contact
with hot liquid
– Contact burns occur when the child encounters a hot
solid object or flame

© 2006 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

 CLASSIFICATION OF BURNS
Physicians classify burns as having:
– partial thickness
– or full thickness
Classification Characteristics
First degree Partial-thickness burns:
• Erythema (localized redness)
• Sunburnlike
• Not included when calculating burn size
• Usually heal by themselves
Second degree Partial-thickness burns:
• Part of skin damaged
• Have blisters containing clear fluid
• Pink underlying tissue
• Often heal by themselves
Third degree Full-thickness burns:
• Full skin destroyed
• Deep red tissue underlying blister
• Presence of bloody blister fluid
• Muscle and bone possibly destroyed
• Require professional treatment
Fourth degree Full-thickness burns:
• Penetrate deep tissue to fat, muscle, bone
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• Require immediate professional treatment
 CIGARETTE BURNS

• If an investigator sees burns such as

those pictured, they should:
– become highly suspicious
– look for other signs of abuse
– question the parents/guardians

Refer to photograph on page 370 of the text

(Courtesy Milwaukee County Department of Social Service)

© 2006 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

 SHAKEN BABY SYNDROME

• Shaken-baby syndrome (SBS) is the severe

intentional application of violent force (shaking),
in one or more episodes, that results in
intracranial injuries to the child.
• The mechanism of injury in SBS is thought to
result from a combination of physical factors,
including the proportionately large cranial size
of infants, the laxity of their neck muscles, and
the vulnerability of their intracranial bridging
veins.

© 2006 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

 MUNCHAUSENS SYNDROME BY PROXY

• Munchausen syndrome is a psychological

disorder in which the patient fabricates the
symptoms of disease or injury in order to
undergo medical tests, hospitalization, or even
medical or surgical treatment
• In cases of Munchausen syndrome by proxy
(MSBP), a parent or caretaker suffering from
Munchausen syndrome attempts to bring
medical attention to himself or herself by
injuring or inducing illness in a child

© 2006 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

 SITUATIONAL CHILD MOLESTORS
• For purposes of discussion Kenneth V. Landing of
the FBI divides child molesters into two categories.
– situational
– preferential

Morally Sexually
Regressed Indiscriminate Indiscriminate Inadequate
Basic Sexual
Poor coping skills User of people Social misfit
characteristics experimentation
Insecurity and
Motivation Substitution Why not? Boredom
curiosity
Victim criteria Vulnerability and
Availability New and different Nonthreatening
opportunity
Method of Lure, force, or Involve in Exploits size,
Coercion
operation manipulation existing activity advantage
Sadomasochistic;
Pornography Highly likely;
Possible detective Likely
collection varied nature
magazines
(Source: Kenneth V. Lanning, Child Molesters: A Behavioral Analysis for Law Enforcement Officers Investigating Cases of Child Sexual Exploitation,
3rd ed. (Arlington: VA: National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, 1992), p. 10. Reprinted with permission of the National Centers for Missing
and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Copyright 1986, 1987, and 1992, NCMEC. All rights reserved.)

© 2006 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

 PREFERENTIAL CHILD MOLESTERS

Seduction Introverted Sadistic

Sexual preference for Sexual preference for Sexual preference
Common children; child children; child for children; child
characteristics pornography or pornography or pornography or
erotica erotica erotica
Fear of
Motivation Identification Need to inflict pain
communication
Victim criteria Age and gender Strangers or very Age and gender
preferences young preferences
Method of Nonverbal sexual
Seduction process Lure or force
operation contact
(Source: Kenneth V. Lanning, Child Molesters: A Behavioral Analysis for Law Enforcement Officers Investigating Cases of Child Sexual Exploitation,
3rd ed. (Arlington: VA: National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, 1992), p. 10. Reprinted with permission of the National Centers for Missing
and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Copyright 1986, 1987, and 1992, NCMEC. All rights reserved.)

© 2006 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

 INTERVIEWING MOLESTED CHILDREN

• Common sense and formal research agree that

children are not merely miniature adults
• Waterman has identified three types of
developmental issues that are important when
allegations of sexual abuse arise
– First the child's developmental level relative to other
children in his or her age group
– Second is the child's development level with regard
to sexuality
– Third is the child's ability to respond adequately to
interviews and to testify in court

© 2006 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

 INTERVIEWING MOLESTED CHILDREN

• When anatomically detailed dolls were first

introduced in the late 1970s they were widely
hailed as an important advance in techniques
for communicating with troubled children
• One alternative that is being used by some
police agencies either in connection with or
instead of an anatomically detailed doll is to
have the child draw his or her own picture
– As with the anatomical dolls, leading questions are
widely used as a courtroom technique to assist child
witnesses

© 2006 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

 ANATOMICALLY DETAILED DOLLS
• These dolls are used by some investigators
• They show all body parts including genitals
• Some experts disagree at to their overall
usefulness

(Courtesy Eymann Anatomically Correct Dolls, Sacramento, California)

© 2006 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

 CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

• Commercial Child Pornography

– Commercial child pornography is that which is
produced and intended for commercial sale
• Homemade Child Pornography
– Contrary to what its name implies, the quality of
homemade child pornography can be as good if not
better than the quality of any commercial
pornography
• Use of the Computer and the Internet in Child
Pornography
– The ubiquity of the computer, and by extension the
Internet, is an unfortunate asset to the child
pornographer

© 2006 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. 11-1

 INCEST

• Incest is defined broadly to include any

sexual abuse of a minor child by an adult
perceived by the child to be a family
member.

© 2006 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

 CHARACTERISTICS OF INCESTUOUS
FAMILIES

• The incestuous family is often reclusive

• Overt incest is an example of tension-
reducing acting out in a dysfunctional family
• Serious disorganization in family roles often
occurs before the beginning of the
incestuous relationship
• It is not uncommon for more than one child
to be sexually exploited in the same family

© 2006 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

 TYPOLOGIES OF INCESTUOUS FATHERS
(FINKELHOR AND WILLIAMS)

• Type 1-The sexually preoccupied

– These men had “a clear and conscious
(often obsessive) sexual interest in their
daughters”
– Type 1-subcategory-Early sexualizers
• Among the sexually preoccupied fathers, many
regarded their daughters as sex objects almost
from birth
• Type 2 - Adolescent regressives
– About one-third of the fathers - 33 percent -
became sexually interested in their
daughters when the girls entered puberty
© 2006 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
 TYPOLOGIES OF INCESTUOUS FATHERS
(FINKELHOR AND WILLIAMS) (cont'd)

• Type 3 - Instrumental self-gratifiers

– They described their daughters in terms that
were nonerotic
• Type 4 - The emotionally dependent
– These fathers were emotionally needy,
lonely, depressed
• Type 5 - Angry retaliators
– These fathers were the most likely to have
criminal histories of assault and rape

© 2006 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

 SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME

• Simply defined, SIDS is the sudden and

unexpected death of an apparently health
infant that remains unexplained after the
performance of a complete autopsy

© 2006 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

 CHARACTERISTICS OF SIDS VICTIMS

Appearance
– Usually normal state of nutrition and
hydration
– Blood-tinged, frothy fluids around mouth and
nostrils, indicative of pulmonary edema
– Vomitus on the face
– Diaper wet and full of stool
– Bruise like marks on the head or body limbs
(postmortem pooling or settling of blood in
dependant body parts)

© 2006 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

 THE FUNGUS CONNECTION

• Fungal growth is sped up when moisture

from the baby’s body, such as
perspiration, urine, drool, and so on,
penetrates the bedding and provides a
growth medium for the fungus.
• British researcher Peter Mitchell showed
that babies later in the birth order have a
higher incidence of SIDS deaths because
over time, repeated use of the same
mattress increases the amount of fungal
spores present.
© 2006 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
 INFANT ABDUCTION

• Infant abduction is the taking of a child

less than one year old by a nonfamily
member
• Infant abductions do not appear to be
motivated by:
– desire for money
– sex
– revenge
– custody

© 2006 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

 PROFILE OF THE INFANT ABDUCTOR

• Infant abductors are usually women

• Women account for 141 of the 145 cases
analyzed
• Ages ranged from 14 to 48 years old
– average age 28 years old

© 2006 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

 PROFILE OF THE INFANT ABDUCTOR
(cont'd)
• Race was determined in 142 cases:
– 63 offenders were white
– 54 offenders were black
– 25 offenders were Hispanic
• Typical abductor does not have criminal
record
• If a criminal record does exist, it will likely
consist of nonviolent offenses

© 2006 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

 THE AMBER PLAN

• The AMBER Plan is a voluntary

partnership between partnership law
enforcement and broadcasters to activate
an urgent news bulletin in the most
serious child abduction cases.
• Broadcasters use the Emergency Alert
System (EAS), formerly the Emergency
Broadcast System to air a description of
the missing child and suspected
abductor.
© 2006 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. 11-21
 HOW DOES THE AMBER PLAN WORK?

• Law enforcement confirms the child

abduction
• Law enforcement believes the child is in
danger of serious bodily harm or death
• Sufficient descriptive information exists to
believe that an immediate broadcast will
help

© 2006 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

 SEX OFFENDER REGISTRATION AND
COMMUNITY NOTIFICATION

The Laws
– In 1994, Congress passed the Jacob Wetterling
Crimes Against Children and Sexuality Violent
Offender Registration Act (The Jacob Wetterling
Act)
– The act required that states create sex offender
registries within three years or lose 10 percent of
their funding under the Edward Byrne Memorial
Program
– The Pam Lychner Sexual Offender Tracking and
Identification Act of 1996 amended the Jacob
Wetterling Act by establishing a national sex
offender database, which the FBI maintains
© 2006 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
 SEX OFFENDER REGISTRATION AND
COMMUNITY NOTIFICATION (cont'd)

• Registration Requirements
– Although sex offender registration requirements vary
according to state laws, some common features
exist in registries across the country
– For example, a state agency (i.e., state police)
maintain the registry for the state
• Notification Features
– The most basic form of notification, sometimes
referred to as “passive notification,” allows inquiring
citizens to access registry information at their local
law enforcement agencies

© 2006 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

 SCHOOL CRIME: FACTORS IN THREAT
ASSESSMENT

• Specific, plausible details are a critical factor in

evaluating a threat
• The emotional content of a threat can be an
important clue to the threatener’s mental state
• Precipitating stressors are incidents,
circumstances, reactions, or situations which
can trigger a threat
• Pre-disposing factors. Underlying personality
traits, characteristics, and temperament that
predispose an adolescent to fantasize about
violence or act violently
© 2006 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
 LEVELS OF RISK IN SCHOOL CRIME

Low level of threat.

– A threat which poses a minimal risk to the
victim and public safety.
Medium level of threat.
– A threat which could be carried out, although
it may not appear entirely realistic.
High level of threat.
– A threat that appears to pose an imminent
and serious danger to the safety of others.

© 2006 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

 WEAPON DETECTION PROGRAMS

• Weapon detectors are now used in some schools

• These systems are expensive
• These systems also require a security guard to be
present

Refer to photograph on page 408 of the text

(Courtesy Chester A. Higgins, Jr., and the U.S. Department of Justice,

Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice)

© 2006 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.