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Infant Abuse Runs in Families of Group-Living Pigtail Macaques

NCJ Number
167709
Journal
Child Abuse & Neglect Volume: 21 Issue: 5 Dated: (May 1997) Pages: 465-471
Author(s)
D Maestripieri; K Wallen
Date Published
1997
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This study investigated genealogical and demographic influences on maternal abuse and neglect of offspring in pigtail macaques and identified some maternal and infant characteristics that may be risk factors for abuse or neglect.
Abstract
Infant abuse and neglect were investigated in five large families of group-living pigtail macaques over a period of 33 years (5-7 generations). The data were obtained from the Animal Records of the Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center. Abuse and neglect were likely to be two distinct phenomena in pigtail macaques. Neglect was mostly to first-born and newborn infants. Abuse was more likely to occur in some families than in others, and within abusive families. It was more likely to occur among closely related females than among distantly related females. Infants whose siblings had previously been abused were themselves especially at risk of abuse. Maternal health and infant sex were not risk factors for abuse, This study provided the first evidence of genealogical effects on infant abuse in nonhuman primates. Several characteristics of infant abuse in socially living macaques suggest that this phenomenon could represent a good animal model for studying the etiology of child abuse and neglect. Tables, references