Child Abuse And Its Effects On Children

Child abuse in America is an ongoing problem and something needs to be done. There are approximately one million children abused annually in the United States. (Table 339) Cases of child abuse and neglect are reported every ten seconds, and researchers believe that there’s three times that amount that goes unnoticed. (Child Abuse: Know the Signs and Stop the Violence Against Children.) Something needs to be done for these children who are too weak and too powerless to help themselves.

In the typical classroom, a 4-year-old child once said, “If someone wants to have sex with you, you have to do it.” (Rafanello) Child abuse is more prevalent now than ever, and the numbers are only growing. This shows us that child abuse is more relevant now than ever. The amount of damage inflicted on these children mentally range from mild to extreme. This is why it’s important that child abuse gets reported as soon as possible.

Back in the day there were not as many child protecting laws and assisting facilities like there are today. In 1960’s there was very little information as it relates to child abuse. A Canadian psychologist by the name of William L. Marshall said, “you could read all the information in one morning. With the lack of information there was no way for individuals to readily identify what constituted as child abuser. Child abuse before 1875 was in fact the era before child services were created to protect the children.

The experiences we have as children shapes our behaviors and they way our brains function as adults. Child abuse and neglect is a hidden epidemic that not everyone fully understands or knows about its existence. Every year three million reports are made against child abuse; more than six million children are affected annually. The United States carries one one the highest records of child abuse among industrialized countries. Abuse can be in many forms: physical, emotional, and sexual. Child abuse can cause many harmful heath issues in children. Mental heath disorders, sexual and reproductive health issues, and behavioral health (criminal behaviors) can all be a result of experiencing abuse as a child. Child abuse is more prevalent in children

The author of this book ,Stuart was abused by his step father that almost ruined his life and ended up in hospital, but in this book he writes about how he survived the

Child Abuse and Neglect continue to be a serious pediatric and social threat to the nation’s children. Child maltreatment is more than bruises and broken bones. While physical abuse may be the most noticeable, other types of abuse, such as emotional and sexual abuses, leave deep, lasting scars. Child Maltreatment includes significant negative experiences with long-lasting effects. These childhood experiences cause detrimental, long lasting effects during cognitive, behavioral, and emotional development and often well into adulthood. This paper will look at the various types of child maltreatment and the causes attributed to them, as well as the long term effects of child abuse and what can be done to prevent these abuses.

Of all the reported American child maltreatment in 2013, 79.5% of victims experienced neglect, more than four times the victims that were physically abused (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2013). Neglect is one of the most common forms of child maltreatment and public awareness of this problem was raised in the 1960s by the work of C. Henry Page 1 of 1Kempe which described the battered-child syndrome. It was only then that child maltreatment was regarded as a serious social problem. Since then, a new field has grown, with professionals researching to understand the problem and effective interventions needed and yet, neglect is still often given less attention than child physical and sexual abuse. The signs of neglect are usually less visible than the physical signs of abuse but it is just as detrimental to the general early development of children as abuse. By examining the consequences of neglect in children on their cognitive development, the problem can be slowly addressed and resolved to a certain extent. Not only does it affect cognitive, language and emotional development in children, it can also result in long term consequences such as poor academic performance and attachment problems. However, research has shown that an enriching environment given to the children once they are out of an environment of neglect can promote resilience which to a certain extent can recover the effects of neglect on various aspects of development.

Often, the abuse involves being used or hurt by a trusted adult. According to a 2003 National Institute of Justice report, “3 out of 4 adolescents who have been sexually assaulted were victimized by someone they knew well.”(“National Institute”). This number is rising every year. In many cases the child may become attached to the abuser for attention purposes. As they grow to be older, they may rely on sexual attention and become abusers themselves. “Researchers estimate that one-third of abused and neglected children will grow up to abuse their own children when they become parents.” (“Child Abuse”). Unfortunately since child sexual abuse is hard to prove, as many people do not believe children, many cases go unreported. However, if child sexual abuse is reported, it is important to get the victim the help they need so they can heal emotionally as they get

    Child abuse can be describes as “neglect followed by physical and sexual abuse” (2). Abuse affects everyone involved. “Child may be affected when they witness domestic violence, regardless of whether or not they are directly abused” (1). Child abuse has become more largely acknowledged as a common occurrence in homes around the world. Child abuse can inhibit children’s mental and physical development, which can affect the rest of their lives.

There are numerous long term effects that are a direct result of non-fatal child abuse and child neglect. A sad statistic and current reality is that “one child is reported abused or neglected every 34.9 seconds, according to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS).” (Orthmann & Hess, 2013) Child abuse covers everything from physical abuse, to child sexual abuse, as well as verbal abuse. Child neglect then covers the child who is neglected, and child endangerment. The vast majority of parents or caretakers who offend, offend by committing emotional or physical child abuse.

Child Abuse. How does one decide what constitutes abuse? Is there a thin line between abuse and discipline? We often hear the horrific stories of child abuse in our communities, but are we as a society so used to hearing these stories that we have become desensitized to them?

While the bodily harm that abused children suffer is unimaginable, the emotional damage can often be much worse. Maltreatment has been proven to be a major cause of dissociative disorders. For example, many times abuse victims take on multiple personalities to hide from their pain. (Morris 451) Also, in a study done by the National Institute of Justice, it was concluded that childhood abuse increases the likelihood of arrest for juvenile crime by 53%. (Breckenridge B3) Many of these children also follow the Intergenerational Transmission of Violence, where they learn violent behavior as a child and grow up to be abusive parents as well. In fact, about 30% of abused kids follow the same violent pattern with their children. (Encarta 2) In the 1960s, it was thought that fewer than 1000 children were physically harmed per year. It actually wasn’t until the 1990s when the matter of domestic violence came into the spotlight, and now it is known to be over 1000 times that amount. (Melton vii) Fortunately there are now more havens from abuse where adolescence can be counseled and educated about the wrongs they suffered. One of these centers, the Laurelwood Child Center in Cleveland, Ohio focuses on the recovery of child abuse victims. Although many of the patients at the center do grow up to better themselves, a good amount do not respond as well. In an article in The Plain

“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.

A child is abused every 10 seconds (Ark of Hope, 2017). Child abuse is a serious problem and needs be a priority to solve. Throughout the years there have been attempts such as stricter laws and abuse definitions but there are still millions of children being abused. This is a problem that will take years to solve but it’s time to jumpstart the solution. With child abuse comes even more problems. When someone is abused as a child increases their chances of abusing drugs, mental illnesses and the likelihood of jail time. All the negative effects of abuse combined, costs the United States approximately 124 billion every year (Centers for Disease Control). Parents examining their own behavior, education about child abuse and reporting any suspicions is an effective way to prevent child abuse from occurring.

People may not be aware, but any one of their peers, friends, or neighbors may be victims of child abuse. Every day, someone experiences physical, emotional, neglect, and/or sexual abuse. Abuse can lead to death or injury for the rest of a victim's life, from either the perpetrator or themselves. In order to prevent child abuse society must: recognize the types of abuse, understand common causes of abuse, know the characteristics of abusers, and realize the effects abuse has, not just on the child, but on families and communities across the world.