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Child abuse and physical punishment of children in Finland
Child Abuse and Nr&r. Vol 7. pp 33-36. Pmted m Bc U.S A All nghtr reserved.
1983
014~-2134/83R1M)33-0453 co/o Copynpht c 1983 Pqamon Press Ltd
CHILD ABUSE AND PHYSICAL PUNISHMENT OF CHILDREN IN FINLAND TEUVO Research
Institute of Legal Policy,
PELTONIEMI
Siltasaarenkatu
12A,
SF-00530 Helsinki 53, Finland
Abstract-This study looks at child abuse as a part of family violence and includes a literature review of the previous Finnish studies on child abuse. The data of the study comes from a poll conducted in Finland in the autumn of 1981 of 530 of the Finnish population older than 14 years of age: 3% of respondents had observed physical violence towards small children and 1%towards teenagers; 44% of the respondents were of the opinion that physical punishment of children was needed at least on certain occasions. In Sweden the corresponding percentage was only 26. The majority of Finns (60%), however, was in favor of a special law to ban all child abuse and physical punishment of children as was done in Sweden in 1979. The recommendation of the author, based on both theoretical consideration and the poll results is that such a law would be helpful in advancing the wellbeing of children. RQumP-Les s&ices a I’Cgard d’enfants sont analyses par l’auteur en tant que manifestation de violence intra-familiale. L’auteur divise les s&vices a l’egard d’enfants en 4 categories : 1) l’enfant a qui I’on fait peur ; 2) chatiments excessifs a I’egard d‘enfants ; 3) negligence a l’egard d’enfants et 4) syndrome de I’enfant battu. On revoit la litterature concemant les etudes deja publiees sur les &ices a I’egard d’enfants en Finlande. Le materiel de base de I’etude consiste en une enquete conduite en Finlande en automne 198 I. L’enquete est representative de la population finlandaise agee de 14 ans et plus. Le nombre des personnes qui ont mpondu a l’enquete etait de 530. D’apms l’enquite, le 3% des jeunes enfants ont tte l’objet de violences physiques pendant les 12 mois precedents I’enquete. Cette proportion etait de 1% chez les adolescents. Le 44% des gens qui ont r+ondu a I’enquete pensaient que le chatiment corporel etait un ma1 necessaire, au moins dans certaines circonstances patticulieres. Si I’on compare avec la Suede, une enqutte semblable a montre que seulement le 26% des gens pensent ainsi. Le 60% des Finlandais neanmoins sont d’accord avec l’idee de promulguer une loi qui interdirait tout chatiment corporel et tout s&ice a l’egard d’enfants, sur le modtle de ce qui a et6 fait en Suede en 1979. L’auteur pense qu’une loi de ce type serait benefique. I1 est conforte darts cette opinion par le r&that de son enquete.
BACKGROUND Finland there is a great deal of research on various types of family violence. The recent bibliography compiled by Peltoniemi and Honkavaara [l] lists some 700 items even though the main criteria for inclusion was that the articles and books are available in Finland. There have been studies on battered children for a long time, but research on spouse abuse and other types of family violence is generally an outcome of the late 1970s. “Battered children” or “child abuse” and “family violence” are general terms which require conceptual clarification. Family violence can be understood to include a number of different phenomena. Eight types are characterized here. A distinction is made between the violence towards children and violence between adults. Family violence is understood to include both physical and non-physical violence between close relatives, members of a family or others in a couple-relation. The following names are used in order to describe common types of family violence phenomena.
In
Presented
at the Fourth International
Congress
on Child Abuse and Neglect, Paris, France,
1982
The author gratefully acknowledges the help given in preparation of this paper by the Research Institute of Legal Policy, the Lasten PBivP Foundation of Finland, the First Homes’ Federation of Finland and the National Swedish Council for Crime Prevention. 33
Teuvo Peltoniemi
I. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
a.
Adults Family fights Overheated family fights Mental cruelty Battered wife/husband Children Frightened child Excessive child punishment Neglected child Battered child syndrome
acute acute chronic chronic
non-physical phywal non-physical physical
acute acute chronic chronic
non-physical physical non-physlcal ohvsical
In Finland the child abuse research is of recent date even if one can find some roots already in the 1940s when Tomudd wrote about the battered child problem [2]. Four studies which deal with family violence towards small children in Finland are presented here. Santasalo and Santasalo studied the background of battered child patients in Helsinki Children’s Hospital in 1970- 1976 13). The study showed a close connection between child battering and social problems. especially with the heavy use of alcohol. They also found that in the great majority of cases the perpetrators insisted that they had only used their right to physically punish their child, and they did not consider themselves to have battered their child. Recently Korpilahti studied the battered child cases which were brought to the courts in Finland and Sweden. The number of cases which she found handled by the lower courts of four Finnish and Swedish cities in the late 1970s was only 29. Already this shows how rareiy battered child cases are handled as crimes. .4ccording to her study, the background of the perpetrators showed great similarities to the results found in the study by Santasalo and Santasalo. Korpilahti noted that every other case had started as physical punishment of the child, and in two cases out of three somebody else, usually the non-abusing parent, had witnessed the situation [4]. Earlier, a distinction had been made between family violence towardssmall children and between adults, as it was found that in reality these two phenomena rarely happen in the same families. In a study of domestic disturbance calls received by the police in Helsinki. only 1% of the calls included child battering along side of violence between adults [5]. In a study of the Finnish shelters, the percentage was not higher than 8% [6]. DATA The results presented in this paper are based on a poll conducted for a larger research project on family violence. The purpose of the study was to analyze the incidence of and attitudes towards the various forms of family violence in Finland and Sweden. The poll was conducted in August and September 1981 by Finnish Gallup Ltd, and represents the Finnish population over fourteen years of age. Five hundred and thirty people were interviewed-242 men and 286 women-in 65 districts (in two cases sex of the respondent was not reported). The poll was later called “The 1981 poll.”
Child Battering The incidence of child battering was investigated by the use of an indirect question. The respondent was asked whether there was a family in his neighborhood or among his circle of acquaintances in which some member of the family had “intentionally or in anger physically harmed” a child during the last twelve months. Three percent of the respondents knew of a family where a small child had been abused and 1% where the violence had been directed towards a teenager. These results correspond well with the 1978 Finnish Gallup poll which showed that 4% of the respondents knew of a family in which child battering had occurred [7]. In relation to the number of Finnish households, this would mean 50,000 cases a year.
Child abuse in Finland
35
The same question was also used in a Swedish poll conducted in 1981 by the author. The Swedish results indicated that 1% of the respondents knew a family where a small child had been battered and 6% where the battering had been directed towards a teenager (81. In this early stage of the research project, it is not possible to say whether the differences between Finland and Sweden are real or caused by the technical differences of the poll. There is a remarkable difference both in Finland and Sweden when compared to the USA, however. Straus, Gelles and Steinmetz in a 1976 study state that 63% of the U.S.A. parents hit their children [9]. Physical Punishment of Children Several studies have shown that child battering and the physical punishment of children are degrees of the same continuum [lo]. Korpilahti’s study indicated that half of the child battering cases treated by courts had begun as physical punishment (41. Earlier physical punishment of children was very common. According to the Finnish Gallup poll done in 1978, 69% of the Finns had received physical punishment from their parents during their childhood. The percentage was higher among the older respondents (71. In the 1981 poll, people were asked about their attitudes towards physical punishment of children. The results are presented in Table 1. Almost half of the respondents did not support physical punishment at all. Forty-seven percent were of the opinion that physical punishment was needed at least in special circumstances. Nine percent did not want to take sides. More women (49%) were opposed to the use of physical punishment than men (36%). Older respondents, especially those over 50 years of age, were more in favor of physical punishment than the younger ones. There seems to be no real change in attitudes since 1978, though an exact comparison is not possible because the questjon was presented in a different way than earlier. According to the poll conducted by Gallup in 1978, 44% of the Finns felt that under unusual circumstances physical punishment of children was acceptable. And 55% thought that in all situations parents should use other means for solving problems occurring during the raising of children [7]. In 1978 the Finns were also asked what they would do if they knew of a family where a child was abused. One-fourth of the people said they would not do anything. The most common reaction (32%) was to contact the child welfare authorities. Child battering was not generally thought of as a crime; only 4% would report the case to the police. Every fourth person would talk to the family and almost as many would talk with a neighbor or friend to decide what to do. The acceptance of physical punishment of children in Finland is clearly higher than in Sweden. In the spring of 1981. only 26% of the Swedes were in favor of physical punishment [ 111. The acceptance of the use of physical punishment has decreased rapidly; the corresponding percent in 1968 was 42%. Finland is now in the same situation that Sweden was in at the end of the 1960s. Table 1. Reactions to the Statement 66Pbysical Puniihment of Children is Acceptable at Least in Special Situations.” (Percentage by Sex.) Men Completely agrees Nearly agrees Difficult to say Somewhat disagrees Completely disagrees Total percent Actual number
Women
All
19 33 12 15 21
14 30 7 18 31
16 31 9 17 27
100 242
loo 286
100 530’
‘There are two cases where the sex does not appear in the interview questionnaire.
36
Teuvo Peltoniemi
Once again, there is a clear difference from the United States. In 1976, 77% of the U.S. population considered physical punishment of children as normal behavior [9]. Physical punishment of children was forbidden in Sweden in 1979. A similar law has been proposed in Finland. There is some disagreement among specialists in Finland as to whether the current law permits any kind of child battering or physical punishment. In 1978, 40% of the Finns thought that parents had the right to physically punish their children, while half of the people did not think that this right existed [7]. Uncertainty dominates the general public as well as the specialists. The 1981 poll asked whether physical punishment of children should be banned in Finland. The actual question was: “After long debate, the physical punishment of children was banned by the Swedish Parliament. In your opinion. should a similar law be passed in Finland, too’?” The majority of the respondents (60%) felt that such a law would be necessary in Finland, too. Nearly one-third (31%) were against the law and 9% had no opinion. More women (63%) backed the new law than men (56%). Most of the backers were 1.5 to 24 years old; nearly three quarters of this group (72%) were in favor of the proposed legislation.
CONCLUSION There are laws which ban the physical punishment of children in both Sweden and Norway. The Nordic Council, in the spring of 1982, recommended to the governments of the Nordic countries that all members of the Council pass similar legislation. The recommendation seems rational. There are the good experiences of Sweden’s example, and in Finland the population seems to be ready for the change in legislation. This is especially clear when we look at the response from the younger generation. The need for the law is based on the theoretical point of view that the physical punishment of children is just a degree of child battering as well as the empirical evidence which shows how physical punishment often leads to child battering. The difference between the two is very ‘vague. The proposed legislation would clarify the situation and help parents with their responsibilities in raising their children.
REFERENCES I. PELTONIEMI, TEUVO and HONKAVAARA, PIRJO. A bibliography offimil~ violence and child batrering. Research Institute of Legal Policy and The Central Union for Child Welfare in Finland, Helsinki ( 1981). 2. TGRNUDD. MARGIT. Misshandel av barn. (Child battering.) Barnrdrdoch ungdomskydd 23: IS- 2 I. Helsinki ( 1948). 3. SANTASALO, MAIJA and SANTASALO. MARTTI. Las&n pahoinpirefw fu~stu. (The background of child battering.) Mannerheim League for Child Welfare, Publication No. B 36, Helsinki ( 1979). 4. KORPILAHTI, MARIA. Barnmisshundel i Finland och .Sb,erige. (Child battering in Finland and Sweden. ) Research Institute of Legal Policy, Publication 50, Helsinki (I 98 1). 5. PELTONIEMI, TEUVO. Family violence-police house calls in Helsinki, Finland in 1977. Paper presented at the 26th International Institute on the Prevention and Treatment of Alcoholism. Cardiff. Wales. 9- I4 June (1980). 6. PELTONIEIMI. TEUVO. Family violencethe first 12 months of the Finnish shelters. Paper presented at the Third International Congress on Child Abuse and Neglect, Amsterdam, 21-25 April (1981). 7. VUORISTO. PEKKA. Ruumiillinen kuritus periytyy. (The physical punishment of children is inherited.) &omen Kuvafeht 3:16- 17, Helsinki (1979). 8. PELTONIEMI, TEUVO. Perheviikivultu Suomessu ju Ruotsrssu-_vleisyvs ju usenreet. (Family violence m Finland and Sweden - prevalence and attitudes.) Research Institute of Legal Policy, Publication 54. Helsinki (1982). 9. STRAUS. MURRAY A., GELLES. RICHARD J. and STEINMETZ, SUZANNE K. Behind closed doors: Violence rn the Americun furnil!. Doubleday, New York (1980). IO. PELTONIEMI. TEUVO. Perhevdkivullun ilmitulo. (The detection of family violence.~ Research Institute of Legal Policy. Publication 5 I, Helsinki f 1982). Il. SIFO. Aga och burnmisshundel. (Physical punishment of children and child battering.) Stencil. Stockholm (lY81).
1983
014~-2134/83R1M)33-0453 co/o Copynpht c 1983 Pqamon Press Ltd
CHILD ABUSE AND PHYSICAL PUNISHMENT OF CHILDREN IN FINLAND TEUVO Research
Institute of Legal Policy,
PELTONIEMI
Siltasaarenkatu
12A,
SF-00530 Helsinki 53, Finland
Abstract-This study looks at child abuse as a part of family violence and includes a literature review of the previous Finnish studies on child abuse. The data of the study comes from a poll conducted in Finland in the autumn of 1981 of 530 of the Finnish population older than 14 years of age: 3% of respondents had observed physical violence towards small children and 1%towards teenagers; 44% of the respondents were of the opinion that physical punishment of children was needed at least on certain occasions. In Sweden the corresponding percentage was only 26. The majority of Finns (60%), however, was in favor of a special law to ban all child abuse and physical punishment of children as was done in Sweden in 1979. The recommendation of the author, based on both theoretical consideration and the poll results is that such a law would be helpful in advancing the wellbeing of children. RQumP-Les s&ices a I’Cgard d’enfants sont analyses par l’auteur en tant que manifestation de violence intra-familiale. L’auteur divise les s&vices a l’egard d’enfants en 4 categories : 1) l’enfant a qui I’on fait peur ; 2) chatiments excessifs a I’egard d‘enfants ; 3) negligence a l’egard d’enfants et 4) syndrome de I’enfant battu. On revoit la litterature concemant les etudes deja publiees sur les &ices a I’egard d’enfants en Finlande. Le materiel de base de I’etude consiste en une enquete conduite en Finlande en automne 198 I. L’enquete est representative de la population finlandaise agee de 14 ans et plus. Le nombre des personnes qui ont mpondu a l’enquete etait de 530. D’apms l’enquite, le 3% des jeunes enfants ont tte l’objet de violences physiques pendant les 12 mois precedents I’enquete. Cette proportion etait de 1% chez les adolescents. Le 44% des gens qui ont r+ondu a I’enquete pensaient que le chatiment corporel etait un ma1 necessaire, au moins dans certaines circonstances patticulieres. Si I’on compare avec la Suede, une enqutte semblable a montre que seulement le 26% des gens pensent ainsi. Le 60% des Finlandais neanmoins sont d’accord avec l’idee de promulguer une loi qui interdirait tout chatiment corporel et tout s&ice a l’egard d’enfants, sur le modtle de ce qui a et6 fait en Suede en 1979. L’auteur pense qu’une loi de ce type serait benefique. I1 est conforte darts cette opinion par le r&that de son enquete.
BACKGROUND Finland there is a great deal of research on various types of family violence. The recent bibliography compiled by Peltoniemi and Honkavaara [l] lists some 700 items even though the main criteria for inclusion was that the articles and books are available in Finland. There have been studies on battered children for a long time, but research on spouse abuse and other types of family violence is generally an outcome of the late 1970s. “Battered children” or “child abuse” and “family violence” are general terms which require conceptual clarification. Family violence can be understood to include a number of different phenomena. Eight types are characterized here. A distinction is made between the violence towards children and violence between adults. Family violence is understood to include both physical and non-physical violence between close relatives, members of a family or others in a couple-relation. The following names are used in order to describe common types of family violence phenomena.
In
Presented
at the Fourth International
Congress
on Child Abuse and Neglect, Paris, France,
1982
The author gratefully acknowledges the help given in preparation of this paper by the Research Institute of Legal Policy, the Lasten PBivP Foundation of Finland, the First Homes’ Federation of Finland and the National Swedish Council for Crime Prevention. 33
Teuvo Peltoniemi
I. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
a.
Adults Family fights Overheated family fights Mental cruelty Battered wife/husband Children Frightened child Excessive child punishment Neglected child Battered child syndrome
acute acute chronic chronic
non-physical phywal non-physical physical
acute acute chronic chronic
non-physical physical non-physlcal ohvsical
In Finland the child abuse research is of recent date even if one can find some roots already in the 1940s when Tomudd wrote about the battered child problem [2]. Four studies which deal with family violence towards small children in Finland are presented here. Santasalo and Santasalo studied the background of battered child patients in Helsinki Children’s Hospital in 1970- 1976 13). The study showed a close connection between child battering and social problems. especially with the heavy use of alcohol. They also found that in the great majority of cases the perpetrators insisted that they had only used their right to physically punish their child, and they did not consider themselves to have battered their child. Recently Korpilahti studied the battered child cases which were brought to the courts in Finland and Sweden. The number of cases which she found handled by the lower courts of four Finnish and Swedish cities in the late 1970s was only 29. Already this shows how rareiy battered child cases are handled as crimes. .4ccording to her study, the background of the perpetrators showed great similarities to the results found in the study by Santasalo and Santasalo. Korpilahti noted that every other case had started as physical punishment of the child, and in two cases out of three somebody else, usually the non-abusing parent, had witnessed the situation [4]. Earlier, a distinction had been made between family violence towardssmall children and between adults, as it was found that in reality these two phenomena rarely happen in the same families. In a study of domestic disturbance calls received by the police in Helsinki. only 1% of the calls included child battering along side of violence between adults [5]. In a study of the Finnish shelters, the percentage was not higher than 8% [6]. DATA The results presented in this paper are based on a poll conducted for a larger research project on family violence. The purpose of the study was to analyze the incidence of and attitudes towards the various forms of family violence in Finland and Sweden. The poll was conducted in August and September 1981 by Finnish Gallup Ltd, and represents the Finnish population over fourteen years of age. Five hundred and thirty people were interviewed-242 men and 286 women-in 65 districts (in two cases sex of the respondent was not reported). The poll was later called “The 1981 poll.”
Child Battering The incidence of child battering was investigated by the use of an indirect question. The respondent was asked whether there was a family in his neighborhood or among his circle of acquaintances in which some member of the family had “intentionally or in anger physically harmed” a child during the last twelve months. Three percent of the respondents knew of a family where a small child had been abused and 1% where the violence had been directed towards a teenager. These results correspond well with the 1978 Finnish Gallup poll which showed that 4% of the respondents knew of a family in which child battering had occurred [7]. In relation to the number of Finnish households, this would mean 50,000 cases a year.
Child abuse in Finland
35
The same question was also used in a Swedish poll conducted in 1981 by the author. The Swedish results indicated that 1% of the respondents knew a family where a small child had been battered and 6% where the battering had been directed towards a teenager (81. In this early stage of the research project, it is not possible to say whether the differences between Finland and Sweden are real or caused by the technical differences of the poll. There is a remarkable difference both in Finland and Sweden when compared to the USA, however. Straus, Gelles and Steinmetz in a 1976 study state that 63% of the U.S.A. parents hit their children [9]. Physical Punishment of Children Several studies have shown that child battering and the physical punishment of children are degrees of the same continuum [lo]. Korpilahti’s study indicated that half of the child battering cases treated by courts had begun as physical punishment (41. Earlier physical punishment of children was very common. According to the Finnish Gallup poll done in 1978, 69% of the Finns had received physical punishment from their parents during their childhood. The percentage was higher among the older respondents (71. In the 1981 poll, people were asked about their attitudes towards physical punishment of children. The results are presented in Table 1. Almost half of the respondents did not support physical punishment at all. Forty-seven percent were of the opinion that physical punishment was needed at least in special circumstances. Nine percent did not want to take sides. More women (49%) were opposed to the use of physical punishment than men (36%). Older respondents, especially those over 50 years of age, were more in favor of physical punishment than the younger ones. There seems to be no real change in attitudes since 1978, though an exact comparison is not possible because the questjon was presented in a different way than earlier. According to the poll conducted by Gallup in 1978, 44% of the Finns felt that under unusual circumstances physical punishment of children was acceptable. And 55% thought that in all situations parents should use other means for solving problems occurring during the raising of children [7]. In 1978 the Finns were also asked what they would do if they knew of a family where a child was abused. One-fourth of the people said they would not do anything. The most common reaction (32%) was to contact the child welfare authorities. Child battering was not generally thought of as a crime; only 4% would report the case to the police. Every fourth person would talk to the family and almost as many would talk with a neighbor or friend to decide what to do. The acceptance of physical punishment of children in Finland is clearly higher than in Sweden. In the spring of 1981. only 26% of the Swedes were in favor of physical punishment [ 111. The acceptance of the use of physical punishment has decreased rapidly; the corresponding percent in 1968 was 42%. Finland is now in the same situation that Sweden was in at the end of the 1960s. Table 1. Reactions to the Statement 66Pbysical Puniihment of Children is Acceptable at Least in Special Situations.” (Percentage by Sex.) Men Completely agrees Nearly agrees Difficult to say Somewhat disagrees Completely disagrees Total percent Actual number
Women
All
19 33 12 15 21
14 30 7 18 31
16 31 9 17 27
100 242
loo 286
100 530’
‘There are two cases where the sex does not appear in the interview questionnaire.
36
Teuvo Peltoniemi
Once again, there is a clear difference from the United States. In 1976, 77% of the U.S. population considered physical punishment of children as normal behavior [9]. Physical punishment of children was forbidden in Sweden in 1979. A similar law has been proposed in Finland. There is some disagreement among specialists in Finland as to whether the current law permits any kind of child battering or physical punishment. In 1978, 40% of the Finns thought that parents had the right to physically punish their children, while half of the people did not think that this right existed [7]. Uncertainty dominates the general public as well as the specialists. The 1981 poll asked whether physical punishment of children should be banned in Finland. The actual question was: “After long debate, the physical punishment of children was banned by the Swedish Parliament. In your opinion. should a similar law be passed in Finland, too’?” The majority of the respondents (60%) felt that such a law would be necessary in Finland, too. Nearly one-third (31%) were against the law and 9% had no opinion. More women (63%) backed the new law than men (56%). Most of the backers were 1.5 to 24 years old; nearly three quarters of this group (72%) were in favor of the proposed legislation.
CONCLUSION There are laws which ban the physical punishment of children in both Sweden and Norway. The Nordic Council, in the spring of 1982, recommended to the governments of the Nordic countries that all members of the Council pass similar legislation. The recommendation seems rational. There are the good experiences of Sweden’s example, and in Finland the population seems to be ready for the change in legislation. This is especially clear when we look at the response from the younger generation. The need for the law is based on the theoretical point of view that the physical punishment of children is just a degree of child battering as well as the empirical evidence which shows how physical punishment often leads to child battering. The difference between the two is very ‘vague. The proposed legislation would clarify the situation and help parents with their responsibilities in raising their children.
REFERENCES I. PELTONIEMI, TEUVO and HONKAVAARA, PIRJO. A bibliography offimil~ violence and child batrering. Research Institute of Legal Policy and The Central Union for Child Welfare in Finland, Helsinki ( 1981). 2. TGRNUDD. MARGIT. Misshandel av barn. (Child battering.) Barnrdrdoch ungdomskydd 23: IS- 2 I. Helsinki ( 1948). 3. SANTASALO, MAIJA and SANTASALO. MARTTI. Las&n pahoinpirefw fu~stu. (The background of child battering.) Mannerheim League for Child Welfare, Publication No. B 36, Helsinki ( 1979). 4. KORPILAHTI, MARIA. Barnmisshundel i Finland och .Sb,erige. (Child battering in Finland and Sweden. ) Research Institute of Legal Policy, Publication 50, Helsinki (I 98 1). 5. PELTONIEMI, TEUVO. Family violence-police house calls in Helsinki, Finland in 1977. Paper presented at the 26th International Institute on the Prevention and Treatment of Alcoholism. Cardiff. Wales. 9- I4 June (1980). 6. PELTONIEIMI. TEUVO. Family violencethe first 12 months of the Finnish shelters. Paper presented at the Third International Congress on Child Abuse and Neglect, Amsterdam, 21-25 April (1981). 7. VUORISTO. PEKKA. Ruumiillinen kuritus periytyy. (The physical punishment of children is inherited.) &omen Kuvafeht 3:16- 17, Helsinki (1979). 8. PELTONIEMI, TEUVO. Perheviikivultu Suomessu ju Ruotsrssu-_vleisyvs ju usenreet. (Family violence m Finland and Sweden - prevalence and attitudes.) Research Institute of Legal Policy, Publication 54. Helsinki (1982). 9. STRAUS. MURRAY A., GELLES. RICHARD J. and STEINMETZ, SUZANNE K. Behind closed doors: Violence rn the Americun furnil!. Doubleday, New York (1980). IO. PELTONIEMI. TEUVO. Perhevdkivullun ilmitulo. (The detection of family violence.~ Research Institute of Legal Policy. Publication 5 I, Helsinki f 1982). Il. SIFO. Aga och burnmisshundel. (Physical punishment of children and child battering.) Stencil. Stockholm (lY81).