Memories of harm in institutions of care: The Dutch historiography of institutional child abuse from a comparative perspective

Nelleke Bakker*

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterAcademicpeer-review

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    Abstract

    This chapter discusses the Dutch historiography of institutional child abuse from a comparative perspective. It does so by comparing the outcomes of three recent large-scale inquiries into child (sexual) abuse and neglect in state-sponsored out-of-home care, including foster care, and into child sexual abuse in Roman Catholic institutions with the findings of similar inquiries and truth commissions in other countries. While the first reports chose a quantitative approach, focusing primarily on survey and archival data, only the last report on child abuse in out-of-home care meets the requirements of the testimonial driven and victim-centered model of inquiry that was first developed in Australia and copied in English-speaking and northern-European countries. In this De Winter report victims' stories confirm data from archival sources. By using this approach, it has given care-leavers a voice and an opportunity to reconcile to their harmful memories and the wider public the knowledge a society needs to prevent abuse of children in the future.

    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationExhibiting the Past
    Subtitle of host publicationPublic Histories of Education
    EditorsFrederik Herman, Sjaak Braster, María del Mar del Pozo Andrés
    PublisherDe Gruyter
    Pages289-308
    Number of pages20
    ISBN (Electronic)9783110719871
    ISBN (Print)9783110719581
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 19-Dec-2022

    Publication series

    NamePublic History in European Perspectives
    PublisherDe Gruyter
    Volume1
    ISSN (Print)2629-4702
    ISSN (Electronic)2629-4710

    Keywords

    • Historical child abuse
    • Historical child sexual abuse
    • Inquiries and truth commissions
    • Testimonial driven inquiries
    • Victim-centered model of inquiry

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