Mom Gone Mean

Madelyne Gorman Toogood was videotaped hitting her 4-year-old daughter: Why does this happen?

By Colin Allen, published on September 01, 2002

The ongoing case against Madelyne Gorman Toogood-who was videotaped repeatedly hitting her 4-year-old daughter in a department store parking lot last Friday, September 20-has once again brought child abuse into the national spotlight. Toogood faces a felony charge of battery to a child, but pled "not guilty" during her hearing on Monday, September 23. Apparently, child abuse remains a societal problem.

"Very conservatively, one in 15 children.is physically abused," says psychologist Rita Justice, Ph.D., who specializes in child abuse. Beyond cases of physical abuse, there are those of mental and emotional abuse and even of neglect.

"Most people who are abusers were abused themselves," explains Justice. Research has found that having a history of neglect is the greatest determining factor in predicting child abuse. And while it is possible to break the family tradition of abuse, Justice notes that it may require therapy, outside intervention and support groups.

Martha, Toogood's daughter, was taken into foster care upon the arrest of her mother. Justice agrees that this is the best solution in the short term, but worries that permanent foster care may only perpetuate the family's history of child abuse. Children that have been abused need to confront the issue. "It's good to give the parents some relief while they figure out a way to cope," she says, but warns that "the long-term solution isn't to just remove the child."