A Brief Overview of Childhood Conditions that are Products of Abuse

by Dr. Michael Elterman

This article is meant as a summary of three medical conditions that affect children who are neglected or abused by their parents.

1. Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy: A condition that affects mostly children who are preschool-aged, Munchausen syndrome by proxy is a situation that occurs when a child’s parent or guardian embellishes upon or completely makes up an illness that the child may or may not be diagnosed with. Children who suffer from Munchausen syndrome by proxy can be victim to unnecessary surgeries and intentional medical neglect.

2. Abusive Head Trauma: Also known as shaken baby syndrome, abusive head trauma is an injury to a child’s head that is a direct product of blows to the head, shaking, dropping, or throwing. Most of the victims of this condition are less than one year old, and the effects can include serious brain damage.

3. Child Traumatic Stress: Children who have experienced physical or emotional distress may exhibit characteristics of child traumatic stress, a condition that shows the effect of the stressful event through the child’s emotional responses, behavior, and actions. Those children who have child traumatic stress may become submissive, shy, anxious, or troubled.

About the author:

After he graduated from the University of Ottawa with a Master’s degree in Psychology, Dr. Michael Elterman embarked on a career that would lead him to specialize in child and adult clinical psychology. During Dr. Michael Elterman’s career as a private practitioner in Vancouver, British Columbia, he has supplied evidence for cases involving child development, child custody and access, and sexual and physical child abuse. Dr. Michael Elterman, who is familiar with several debilitating conditions that are the consequence of child abuse, continues to treat children and parents out of his facility in Vancouver.

The Revised Family Relations Act of British Columbia, by Dr. Michael Elterman

The government of British Columbia (BC) is planning to implement its revised Family Relations Act (FRA) this year, which includes a number of groundbreaking changes that received positive receptions across the board. At the heart of the changes are new protocols and definitions that update the Act to reflect current trends, as well as a series of clarifications on past ambiguities.

One of the biggest changes to the FRA involves prioritizing the best interests of the child as the only factor in disputes between parents. The FRA also extends the range of factors that can be analyzed in determining what constitutes a child’s best interests. Examples include the presence of violence in the family and the history of the child’s care.

The FRA also provides important designations for the definition of a parent. For instance, the birth mother is now the child’s legal mother unless she gives up that right via surrogacy or adoption. Other clarifications exist for assisted conception, third-party donors, and other technologically facilitated family structures. In some cases, the courts may recognize more than two legal parents.

Other changes to the FRA include an emphasis on alternative dispute resolution processes. Parents must now undergo some form of mediation before engaging in a traditional custody lawsuit. In addition, the FRA redefines terms such as “custody” and “access,” employing less adversarial terms, such as “guardianship” and “parenting time.” It also includes provisions for separating assets between common-law couples with children, providing a framework similar to that employed for married couples.

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Psychologist Dr. Michael Elterman has served as a family court counselling consultant to the Attorney General of BC. He has held positions with the Parole Board of Canada and the former Vancouver Health Department. Dr. Michael Elterman currently maintains a private practice in Vancouver.