child abuse

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Baker College *

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2010

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Psychology

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Oct 30, 2023

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Uploaded by PrivateCheetah8162

Statistics relate to the cry of many young adolescents whom are being abused every day. These children not only feel left abandoned by the world, but have secluded themselves from the community they live in. When you read this story try to relate how the two young adolescents felt as they cried for help begging not to be abused any longer. There are over four million cases that go undetected each year. Children have become terrified to report abuse fear of the events that will occur to them next. Children live through every day of being abused physical, emotional, sexual, and eve n neglect. Statistics have proven four thousand or so youngsters will die as a result of abuse. Undeniably, this claims only a small fraction of reported cases compared to the total number. Situations like this have become a very serious problem that needs the help of our community and not go unrecognizable. Child abuse must be stopped with your help! Let’s begin by defining child abuse. The definition for child abuse is any firm of treatment to a child under the age of eighteen by an adult, relative, or caretaker that it harmful to the child’s body or mental well-being. Most people think when they hear child abuse this is it physically abusing a child. Abusing a child is more than bruises and broken bones. In fact, even some adults have a hard time grasping the concept of child abuse when the topic airs in a t.v. bulletin, conversation with friends, or overhearing by another co-worker. According to Jackson a close relative or caregiver unintentionally intended to healthy harm the child (Jackson & Primavera, 2014). The abuse can still occur. A child of any age can exposed to abuse, child can be brought to dangerous drugs, beaten or sexual advantage of. Child abuse does not discriminate against any child; it can happen to any age, race, religion, sex, or

economic backgrounds. The souls of the children are shattered, their hearts are broken, and the bodies limp from abuse. The child as young as in the mother’s womb can be abused children are mistreated by a love one all over the united states, but does taking them out of a situation help them? Do you know that most of these cases of child abuse happen in their own home or a home of someone they know or trust? A child that often gets removed from a dangerous situation has to still relive the memories and hurt when being forced to visit with the one that abused the child. The abused child should not be forced to visit with the abuser of a parent. A child should not be left responsible for coming forward to prevent the abuse from happening. Also children under the age of 18 should never live in fear when they are afraid of the adults around them. The adult figures are the ones who are supposed to protect them, but instead 70% of these cases the adult is hurting their children. Children that were harmed in any shape or form are more ought to show signs of abusiveness towards their offspring. In fact, statistics have proven that at least thirty percent of abused children grow up to be offensive. Children whom grow up in a normal home unharmed have proven to be safe and unharmful towards their offspring. There is only a two to three percent chance of humans becoming an abusive parent. These children think that their blood relatives do no wrong in their eyes. The trouble exists when trying to teach these children that being abusive is the wrong thing to do. One of the biggest problems we face today is stress. Stress can be harmful to a child, almost the same as abusing them. Parents who do not know how to handle stress very well will often lash out at kids under the age of 18 for a little incident, and if this happens too much then it can lead to physically abuse their children. Stress can be brought on form a variety of places.

Common stress factors are unemployment, illness, drug abuse, poor housing, larger than average family size, death, or presence of a new child (Child Welfare Gateway, 2003). A large number of cases of child abuse come from families living in poverty, poverty can cause result as one of the most common stress factors. Families from poverty have the largest reported cases of child abuse, but that may not be true, wealthier families may have just as many incidents of child abuse (Lewit, 2013). The wealthier families have an easier time of hiding the child abuse because they do not have as much contact with social agencies. Social workers, physicians, and others who report child abuse have an unfair tendency of labeling kids from poor families quickly. Mental retardation or developmental disabilities works in the same way, parents with children who have disability have a greater chance of being abusive (Lewit, 2013). Parents who abuse children are usually socially isolated. Social isolation and low community involvement is another cause of child abuse. Very few of the parents who abuse their children belong to any community organizations, and little contact with friends or family. Without community involvement parents lack the support systems that would help them with their problems. The lack of community involvement makes it less likely that a parent will change their abusive ways. In societies were the burden is placed on the community it is less likely tha a child will be abused. In the American parents take all the responsibility for raising a child, which in turn causes a higher risk of stress and child abuse. A child with only one parent rasies the risk of child abuse. Single parent families often earn less money than other families. Earnign less money is a major cause of stress and stress is a major cause of child abuse. May be obvious, but families with spousal abuse have a higher chance of child abuse. As well families where either the husband or wife dominates in making all the decisions have higher rates of child abuse. Three- fifths of child abusers are female, the female child abusers were usually younger than male child

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abusers. The children fall into victims of abuse as young as unborn who have to suffer and deal with not being loved. Then there are some abused children who are not noticed until it is too late. Physical abuse can range from minor brusies to severe fractures. In severe child abuse cases the child can suffer permanent disabilities, and even death. This type of abuse is easier to notice or even point out, the example of physical abuse are bruising from punching, kicking, biting, burning, or otherwise hurting a child (Jackson & primavera, 2013). In all of the four million cases of child abuse only 16.6% of these cases are physical abuse (American Humane Association, 2013). The leading cause of physical abuse is shaking baby syndrome is when a shaking a child fast for a short period of time (Lewit, 2013). From this it can cause brain damage or mental retardation. The person may have lowered sense of self-worth, an inability to relate to peers, reduced attention span, and learning disorders. These disorders include: depression, excessive anxiety, dissociative identity disorder, and increase risk of suicide. On top of these problems many children have a difficult time of knowing right from wrong. Now neglect is the failure of a caregiver to provide the basic needs for a child. In neglect consider these basic needs are physical which is when a does not have food or shelter. Education is when the child is not educated. Neglect is the highest percent of abuse setting at 62.8% (American Humane Association, 2013). Now abandonment is also part of neglect and abandonment is when a child does not know where the parent is at or is even when a child is left alone and could be in serious harm. Children who are neglected often find family structure with their friends. Emotional abuse would be saying harmful things and the lack of love can be harder to notice, but it still happens just enough. Also emotional abuse can be extremely hard on a childs self-esteem and self confidence. Most children who are abused this way may act by distance themselves or fighting back by insulting the abuser.

A child that is being sexually abised happens when a child is raped or forced to commit a sexual act, but then it could be all sorts ofr sexual contact with a child or any behavior that is sexually arousing the abuser. Sexual abuse can occur in inappropriate touching to even photographic pictures. Learning the signs of abuse may help a child, may even stop a parent from abusing and damaging a child even farther. The sad world we live in today. Cries for help from a helpless child can change at any given time. Child abuse is a serious matter. The abuse can happen anywhere, but it is scarier to know that it is happening in your own home or a home od someone you may trust. The system that is supposed to protect the children from a horrible situation and let them move forward. Children should not have to go through such hurt and the system should not build the hurt farther. Physical, emotional, and sexual abuse to our children needs to stop (Jackson & Primavera, 2014). Even though child abuse may not stop at least someone can speak up and help the child from the abuse to keep happening. Our children should be given the opportunity to grow up in a loving world. Most children in child abuse cases does not have the opportunity to grow up and experience life. “Abuse is something that cannot always be seen. Abuse hurts people on the inside and outside and the pain feels worse when it is kept a secret.” (Jackson & Primavera, 2013)

References American Humane Association. (2013). Child Abuse and Neglect Statistics. Retrieved January 19, 2015, from http://www.americanhumaneassociation.org/children/stop-child-abuse/fact- sheets/child-abuse-and-negelect-statistics.html Jackson,S., & Primavera, J. (2014, Januray). Salem Press Encylopedia of Health-Child Abuse Retrieved January 18, 2015

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