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Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome: Misunderstood Child Abuse

NCJ Number
176510
Editor(s)
T F Parnell, D O Day
Date Published
1998
Length
327 pages
Annotation
Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome (MBPS) -- a form of child abuse in which a caretaker, usually a mother, fabricates and/or induces illness in a child -- is one of the least understood forms of child abuse and mental illness; this book examines the current knowledge about the manifestations and consequences of this behavior, as well as guidelines for treatment of the perpetrator and the victim.
Abstract
The first five chapters pertain to the identification and management of the MBPS case. After an overview of this phenomenon, a chapter considers issues in defining MBPS. The remaining three chapters in this first section address guidelines for identifying cases, the physician's role in confirming the diagnosis, and coordinated case management through the child protection system. Part II, the core of the book, focuses on intervention with the perpetrator and family. Seven chapters address the psychotherapeutic treatment of the parent with the disorder as well as the child victim. The editors advise that up until now there has been little useful theory development or data available on successful treatment approaches for MBPS. The chapters in this section outline the steps necessary for practitioners to develop trusting, supportive therapeutic relationships with perpetrator-parents, in which those parents can begin to acknowledge their abuse of their children and their own dangerous deceptions, along with the parents' own histories of neglect, abuse, or other family secrets. Part III consists of four chapters on emerging issues. They present the criminal prosecutor's perspective on dealing with manifestations of MBPS, a multidisciplinary hospital response protocol, the school system's perspective, and the role of the guardian ad litem in representing the child's best interests in a legal context. 262 references and a subject index