Child abuse has long been an ongoing social problem; this abuse has been one of the repeatedly difficult accusations to prove in our criminal justice system. Child abuse causes many years of suffering for victims. Children abused suffer from chemical imbalances, behavioral issues and are at high risk for becoming abusers or being abused in adult relationships. This cycle of learned behavior and suffering will be a hopeless reoccurring problem unless the criminal justice system and protocols for abusers to undergo reform. Penalties for child abuse are less severe than those given to victims of lesser crimes. Children’s testimonies usually do not hold up in a court of law. The types of abuse are psychological, physical, and sexual. Trauma of …show more content…
Children do not have the capacity to make decisions adults do when it refers to sexual experiences. When they are violated it affects the child the rest of their existence. Mistreatment and exploitation to, commit against children causes long lasting effects, and no one can predict how the abused child will behave as an adult.” (Milaniak 2015). “Physically abused children suffer substantial psychological distress and might adopt behaviors that increase the same type of learned behavior.” (O’Rinn 2013).
Emotional abuse is damaging to the development of children. Screaming, yelling, or negative hostility causes torturous anguish. As the abused child matures, or the abuse continues, these effects can become critical. Children, who do not receive the affection and attention necessary to flourish, may find it difficult to develop and continue beneficial connections with additional people in later years.” Emotional abuse can cause a child to change the way that they behave. Children could develop actions that defy authority or disrespecting of others.” (Wilson 2014)
Sexual abuse is the inappropriate sexual conduct on a child for the sexual predators’ own pleasure and personal gratification.
Sexual abuse can be hard to define because of the many different forms it can take on, the different levels of frequency, the variation of circumstances that can occur. Until a child is fit to function as a self-supporting and informed adult, we have an obligation not to take advantage of their lack of power or protection to inflict damage, or demand submission to acts that are not in their own best interests within. Children are being abused every day in different countries. While commonly accepted wisdom had been that childhood sexual abuse results in long lasting negative outcomes.
Dr. Steve Maraboli once said, “it is never pretty when you leave an abusive and controlling relationship. The warden always protests when the prison gets shut down.” In society today, there are different forms of well-known abuse: psychological, sexual, human trafficking and physical. No child has the will strong enough to endure the physical and mental pain abuse brings. Every child needs support and someone to nurture them but there are kids who endure abuse from parents, classmates and other adults. Children who are abused will become mentally unstable, develop disorders and are traumatized, therefore there should be harsher consequences to prevent abuse.
The maltreatment of children within the United States is an unfortunate but evident issue that presents some very detrimental consequences for the victims. Victims of child maltreatment typically suffer from both short-term and long-term consequences, resulting from the negligence of their parents. Across the nation techniques and measures have been taken in order to prevent the advancement of child abuse within high-risk homes, although despite these efforts sometimes it is too late for the child and the damage is too extensive for them to recover completely.
Sexual abuse constitutes a serious violation of children’s rights and human dignity. Sexual abuse occurs when a person uses their power over a child, and involves the child in any sexual act. The power of the abuser lies in their age, advantage, superiority of intellectual or physical development, or in a relationship of authority with
While the theoretical reasoning that supports the idea that child abuse often leads to crime gives a basis for the concept, much of the evidence that links the two lies in the concrete details. The visible effects of child abuse and neglect that assist with the basis that has been given by the psychological theories lies in observable behavioral and emotional effects of those who are known to have been subject to maltreatment as children. Some children who have a history with abuse do not experience any repercussions while others experience extreme consequences; this is largely because of the certain child’s ability to handle and grow from negative experiences (Child Welfare Information Gateway 3). Children who experience consequences
An estimated 39 million survivors of childhood sexual abuse exist in America today (Darness2Light, 2009a ). This figure continues to grow daily as perpetrators of this crime continue in this destructive path. The definition of child sexual abuse is the force, coercion, or cajoling of children into sexual activities by a dominant adult or adolescent. Sexual abuse of children includes touching (physical) sexually including: fondling; penetration (vaginal or anal using fingers, foreign objects or offenders organs; oral sex, or non-physical contact including: sexual comments; indecent exposures; masturbating in a child’s presence; child prostitution or child pornography (Child Welfare, 2009a).
We are becoming more and more aware of a serious problem over the last several decades. The horrors of sexual abuse to children has been continuously gaining attention. Child sexual abuse is any sexual contact with a child through the use of force, threat, or deceit to secure the child’s participation, or any sexual contact with a child who is incapable of consenting by virtue of age, disability, or power (Finkelhor, 1990b).
Psychological abuse, though not often recognized, has a serious effect on children and young adults. Studies have shown that as many as “80% of 21-year-olds who reported childhood child abuse met the criteria for at least one psychological disorder” (Child Abuse Statistics), and another
Child sexual abuse (CSA) is the act of engaging a child in unwanted sexual behavior and activities such as rape, incest, molestation, prostitution, and other forms of sexual exploitation (as cited by Goodyear-Brown, Fath, &Myers, 2012, p. 4; McGarth, Nilsen, and Kerly, 2011, p. 485). From the efforts for child protective movement in the 1800s to the feminist anti-rape movement a 100 years later in the 1970s that brought to light CSA as a crime against women (Whitter, 2009, p. 7), this type of abuse has been an ongoing issue that has constantly been in and out of sight of the public spectrum of social problems. It is an abuse that children throughout history have been subjected and overlooked by society as taboo and rare occurrence; however, recent literature points otherwise. According to statistics one in twelve children are victims of child abuse (McGarth et al., 2011, p. 485) and in the United States there are approximately 39 million survivors of CSA (as cited by Gaskill& Perry, 2012, p. 29). The survivors are not only left to cope with the traumatic experience, but also the negative effects of the abuse that follow them to adulthood that create unfavorable outcomes such as mental health problems, criminal behavior, and employment obstacles that make it hard for survivors to lead successful lives.
The idea of child sexual abuse is one that not many people like to think about or even really talk about. It is a subject that most people believe is clear cut. According to the law, it is wrong to have child-adult sex no matter the circumstances. However, when reading Rind et. al. (1998), the idea of unwanted verses a willing encounter of child-adult sex is discussed. While, this idea may be controversial, I do agree that it is a very important factor when considering the effects that child sexual abuse (CSA) has on an individual. Although, children and adolescents are not fully developed, there is a level of understanding that comes with ‘right and wrong’ according to laws as well as social norms. Whether someone is willing or unwilling changes their perception of the event happening. While this most likely depends on age (the older you are, the more understanding you have about a sexual encounter), it is also important to distinguish that each individual may react differently to any given situation. For example, even something as simple as a surprise birthday party can garner two separate reactions from two different people.
Child abuse is not a new problem. Each year in the United States alone, there are over three million children who are abused or neglected by their parents or caregivers. Many are brutally beaten and permanently injured. Child abuse has been a problem that has existed through out history and in recent years many researchers have begun dealing with this issue. There is a variation among researches on their approach to the topic. Child abuse is not only the mental or physical injury it is also sexual. These kinds of abuses harm the child’s mental and physical health. The emotional and psychological effects of maltreatment may be far more harmful to the well being of the child than the apparent physical injury. Many studies
One million children in forty- eight states were victims of substantiated child abuse and neglect in 1994 (Child - Abuse Prevention 1). Out of all the abuse allegations in 2000 only 879,000 cases were able to be proved. Which approximately 1200 children died as a result of child abuse or neglect and forty-four percent of these were younger than one years old. Defenseless children are severely abused constantly every year across the United States, leaving life -long negative effects on their futures. By educating our youth about the impact their words and physical abuse can cause someone, our future generations will have an understanding of why they should handle their aggression.
Child abuse is a topic that mostly everyone knows or is at least familiar with. It is an inexcusable action that is unforgivable, it can do detrimental damage that may be irreversible. Many see it only as the story that is told, but they do not see the effects it could have and the journey the children and families go through to change or have control of the situation. Children are the main victims of abuse but their families and peers also get affected by this unjustifiable act. Through the fearful situation they have experienced, they can develop physiological problem, go through the court system, but one thing they need the most throughout their journey is support, and their families and peers can also seek it to prevent future situations to develop.
No one ever thinks it will happen to them, or to anyone that they know. It is a tragic event that can be life changing. “More than four children die every day as a result of child abuse(AmericanSPCC,2015).” There are five main types of abuse and they are neglect, physical, sexual, emotional/psychological, and medical neglect. The most common one according to the American humane society is neglect with sixty-two point eight percent. “Boys and girls are equally likely to suffer maltreatment (American Humane, 2013).” It can happen to anyone it does not matter the gender.
“Every year more than 3 million reports of child abuse are made in the United States” (childhelp). Child abuse is very common. Those who live around child abuse either try to make the world a better place trying to end it or they learn to continue it. Being abuse is something that people experience and it is difficult to live a normal life afterwards. It is not easy to recognize when a child has been abuse.