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<p>This article proposes a model for the study of the social construction of child abuse as a social problem, grounded in Social Representation Theory (SRT). It offers a transversal theoretical re-reading of socio-historical empirical data from Quebec (media discourse, parliamentary debates on the 2006 reform of the Youth Protection Act, and interviews with practitioners). The representational naturalization is theorized as a four-stage process: emergence, problematization, communication, and resolution. The analysis underscores the pivotal function of collective emotions, thematization, and cognitive polyphasia in shaping thresholds of recognition and justificatory logics in child protection practice. The naturalized representation of child abuse, reinforced by the media and public policy, shapes institutionalized child protection measures as a social response to this problem. This model offers a nuanced understanding of the collective construction of social problems, providing insight into the complex interaction between social perception, policy response, and media influence. The case of psychological abuse illustrates how prior naturalization both enables and limits institutional responses to emerging forms of harm.</p>

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Constructing Child Abuse and Child Psychological Abuse: Social Representations and the Lifecycle of a Social Problem

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月18日

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  • Nathalie Plante,
  • Lilian Negura

摘要

This article proposes a model for the study of the social construction of child abuse as a social problem, grounded in Social Representation Theory (SRT). It offers a transversal theoretical re-reading of socio-historical empirical data from Quebec (media discourse, parliamentary debates on the 2006 reform of the Youth Protection Act, and interviews with practitioners). The representational naturalization is theorized as a four-stage process: emergence, problematization, communication, and resolution. The analysis underscores the pivotal function of collective emotions, thematization, and cognitive polyphasia in shaping thresholds of recognition and justificatory logics in child protection practice. The naturalized representation of child abuse, reinforced by the media and public policy, shapes institutionalized child protection measures as a social response to this problem. This model offers a nuanced understanding of the collective construction of social problems, providing insight into the complex interaction between social perception, policy response, and media influence. The case of psychological abuse illustrates how prior naturalization both enables and limits institutional responses to emerging forms of harm.