Intrafamilial Child Torture: Endorsement of a Broad Definition and Red Flags Through a Survey of Child Abuse Professionals.

Intrafamilial child torture is an extreme and distinct form of child maltreatment associated with high rates of child fatality. It is vastly under-researched and poorly understood, contributing to cases being overlooked or mishandled leaving child victims at high risk of serious harm. A broad conceptual definition that incorporates criteria to serve as red flags could greatly improve identification of potential cases and ensure that they are referred for more thorough assessment. This study was designed to assess level of professional agreement with such a proposed broad conceptual definition of ICT, derived from agreed-upon criteria found in the professional literature. Two hundred and fifty-three members of the Association of Professionals Solving the Abuse of Children were surveyed. Almost 90% endorsed the proposed conceptual definition and demonstrated high levels of recognition of key ICT red flags. Respondents also confirmed that ICT cases require a different level of professional intervention than typical child maltreatment cases.