Genealogical and demographic influences on infant abuse and neglect in group-living sooty mangabeys (Cercocebus atys).

This study investigated the occurrence of infant abuse and neglect in a large population of group-living mangabeys over a period of almost 3 decades. The prevalence of infant abuse and neglect did not differ significantly among the 9 families comprising the population, but within some families there was evidence of genealogical effects on infant abuse. Maternal inexperience and infant age were risk factors for neglect but not for abuse. Whereas neglecting mothers neglected only 1 of their offspring, usually their first-born infant, abusive mothers abused several of their offspring, and risk of severe abuse increased with later births. Infant sex was not a risk factor for neglect or abuse. These and other results concur with the findings of a previous investigation of infant abuse and neglect in a different primate species in indicating that neglect and abuse are different phenomena and in emphasizing genealogical influences on infant abuse in primates. The investigation of biological, experiential, and social determinants of the spontaneous occurrence of infant abuse and neglect in relatively undisturbed primate populations could significantly enhance our understanding of the etiology of child abuse and neglect in humans.