(i) In an unhappy marriage, one of the parents will often maltreat the child simply because the latter loves the other parent.
Ill-usage of children may be the act either of relatives or of strangers. Among the relatives, we have first of all the unmarried mother; secondly, the natural father; thirdly, the stepmother; fourthly, the lawful parents. Among strangers, we have chiefly to consider teachers and foster-parents.
(a) Among children suffering from gross ill-treatment, we find a preponderance, in view of their respective numbers, of illegitimate as compared with legitimate children.
(b) We are always told that an illegitimate child will be horribly ill-treated if its mother marries, not the child’s father, but another man. It will be ill-treated by the man because it is a stepchild, and by the woman because it interferes with her relations to her husband, and awakens unpleasant memories. But these views are exaggerated.
(c) The rôle of the stepmother is also commonly exaggerated. It is easier to excuse a stepmother for ill-treating a child than it is to excuse the child’s own parents. When all is said and done, it is impossible to expect a stepmother to have the same love for the stepchild as for the children of her own body, and it is only natural that the stepchild which stands between her and her husband should be differently treated from her own children. A stepchild is certainly more likely to be ill-used when the stepmother has children of her own.
(d) A mother is more likely to ill-treat children than a father. The father cannot love children so well as a mother, nor can he hate them to the same extent.
(e) Many teachers maltreat their pupils. They are seldom prosecuted on this account, for many children are unfortunately accustomed to the same sort of ill-treatment at home; moreover, the parents may regard the teacher’s treatment as perfectly natural, or may be afraid to institute proceedings against him.
(f) Ill-treatment of children by foster-parents is comparatively common, owing to the fact that in this case the inhibiting influence of the natural love for the offspring is lacking.
The consequences of maltreatment are extremely serious to the health of the child, alike physically, mentally, and morally. The child becomes naughty, lazy, and untruthful, and this results in yet more maltreatment. The child’s affection and confidence are destroyed, not only towards the person who ill-treats it, but towards others as well; feelings of hatred towards the whole of society and desire for revenge may even be aroused. Such a child will in turn maltreat other children; its will-power is defective and its ambition is destroyed. Actual disease, physical or mental, often ensues. Many children run away from home as a result of ill-treatment, become vagabonds, and even commit suicide. The increase recently noted in the number of suicides is probably, in part, dependent upon the more frequent ill-treatment of children during the same period. The usual motive for suicide where children are concerned is seldom anything else than the fear of ill-treatment. (Dread of parents, of school, of punishment at school, of examination, &c.)