Munchausen syndrome by proxy profile of a perpetrator and motivational factors
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Authors
Hatfield, Candice
Issue Date
2003
Type
Thesis
Language
en
Keywords
Forensic sciences
Alternative Title
Abstract
Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy is a form of child abuse whereby a caretaker produces or fabricates an illness in their child to gain attention for oneself. The prevalence of this syndrome is unknown and the literature is very limited. A few cases were selected based on the reported characteristics of the perpetrators. Motivational factors and the perpetrator’s characteristics were compared to the literature available on perpetrators of this syndrome. Reliable statistics and defining the precise criteria for making a clinical diagnosis of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy should prove useful in determining whether it is possible to construct an infallible profile of a Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy perpebrator.