Male caregivers are more frequently identified as the perpetrators of abusive head trauma in children, but studies show that up to 5 percent of mothers also report shaking as a means of discipline or in response to crying.
A study in the April 2011 issue of Pediatrics evaluates the effect of perpetrator gender on the injuries of the victim, the victim’s clinical outcomes and the legal outcomes. The study, “Abusive Head Trauma in Children: A Comparison of Male and Female Perpetrators,” published online March 7, examined 48 cases of abusive head trauma at a hospital on Long Island, New York.
Of the 34 cases with an identified perpetrator, half were male, half female. The female perpetrators were older (median age 34 years) compared to the male perpetrators (median age 27 years). Children injured by males had more severe injuries and worse clinical outcomes, and all six fatalities in the study were committed by male perpetrators.
Researchers theorize this may be due to the male perpetrators’ greater physical size and strength. Male perpetrators were more likely to confess, and were convicted of their abuse more frequently than female perpetrators. Both male and female perpetrators were more likely to abuse boys.
Study authors conclude additional research is needed to determine if the differences in injuries are due to gender or to the physical size of the perpetrator; additional studies may also help determine if gender bias truly exists in criminal prosecutions.
