Marital conflict can follow when a child is severely burned. It generally arises when the father blames the mother for the accident and by projecting all the fault on to her, he escapes from his own guilt feelings. The removal of his support seems to be one of the major factors in causing a breakdown in the mother.xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
The burn accident often happens when the father is not there and his experience depends on information given by others. His early reactions often reflect the marital relationships. When he is critical he uses the accident as a pretext for expressing anger at his wife. Where the marital relationship was mostly warm and supportive, he more often showed concern and tolerance. Many fathers isolate themselves by visiting the children less often and leaving responsibility with their wives.
By Bronwen Jones and Charissa Bloomberg
Page Created By: Gary (admin) 08 July 2004 4:52pm Page Last Modified: 23 July 2004 9:28am