Child Abuse as an International Issue: Cross-Cultural Perspectives

Abstract

Henry Kempe’s 1982 paper “Cross-Cultural Perspectives in Child Abuse” emphasized that there were few cross-cultural studies in child abuse and neglect, including studies of the possible relationship between child-rearing practices and abuse. He pointed out that Western cultures do not necessarily support child rearing and that lessons could be learned from other cultures. Cross-cultural issues in abuse had been reported previously, so why was Kempe’s paper so important? In 1978, Kempe raised awareness of child sex abuse. Similarly, he was not the first to document child sex abuse. But it was not so much the message as the messenger. Kempe’s stature was so great that when he wrote about any aspect of child abuse, he could not be ignored. He wisely used his stature to encourage others to take these emerging areas seriously. This is an important part of Henry Kempe’s legacy.