Social distress and theorizations of child victimization

This paper presents an in- depth analysis of theoretical accounts of the epidemiology, process, and causalities of child victimization as the manifestation of social distress. Through a comprehensive search of the literature, 46 theories (also models and perspectives) were compiled and categorized into nine paradigms that were further characterized in terms of three bipolar continua. In this paper, the major representative concepts of each paradigm are presented and evaluated to highlight the commonalities, strengths, and weaknesses of its member theories. It is concluded that the history of child victimization theorizations has passed through three progression stages — the speculations of the 1960s, the introspective explorations of the 1970s, and the diversity of the 1980s. It now has reached the multidisciplinary integration of the 1990s. In short, an ideal theory is required for each type of social distress phenomenon (such as the child victimization presented in this paper). It must integrate all existing theories such that various controversial and inconclusive theoretical and practical issues can be organized under a common framework for the design, improvement, and implementation of effective service programs.