Child Abuse And Neglect And Physical Development

A once bright and chatty child may become withdrawn and shy away from adult attention. The child maybe showing signs of aggressive behaviour and/or exhibiting signs of self harm. Abuse can affect a child from infancy through to adolescence and then into adulthood. It can set back a child's physical development, such as a tense mealtime can affect the child’s ability to eat.

In 2013 an estimated 679,000 children were victims of maltreatment and approximately 3.1 million children received help from Childhood Protective Services in the United States alone. Abuse or neglect can be categorized as maltreatment, which takes many different forms from physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, and parental neglect. It is accepted that childhood maltreatment has lasting effects as the victims grow into adults. One example of these effects is behavioral

"Physical consequences such as damage to a child's growing brain, can have psychological implications, such as cognitive delay or emotional difficulties." () "The cognitive effects of abuse range from attentional problems and learning disorders to serve organic brain syndromes. Behaviorally, the consequences of abuse range from poor peer relations all the way to extraordinary violent behaviors. Thus, the consequences of abuse and neglect affect the victims themselves and the society in which they live. (Nap.edu) Parents think they don't do damages as long as there is no violence. False, children can suffer from low self esteem, anger issues, trust issues and many more. Is easy to destroy and change an infant's behavior and mind. According to nap.edu "the scientific study of child maltreatment and its consequences is in its infancy." But that is not the only thing that can cause issues, "maltreatment often occurs in the presence of multiple problems within a family or social environment, including poverty, violence, substance abuse and unemployment.

Barnett, (2010)There are no specific guidelines that determine when a child is being neglected; therefore, it is up to state government agencies and professional groups to determine what is considered neglect. In general, child neglect is considered the failure of parents or caregivers to meet the needs that are necessary for the mental, physical, and emotional development of a child. Child neglect is one of the most common forms of child maltreatment, and it continues to be a serious problem for many children. Child neglect tremendously affects the physical development, mental development, and emotional development of a child causing long-term consequences, such as poor academic achievement, depression (mood), and personality disorders. These consequences also impact society,

This could lead to deficits in cognitive and social skills or even mental retardation (DePanfilis 2006; Shipman and Taussing 2009). While neglect is generally the omission of care, this lack of care can lead children to sustain injuries from a lack of adequate supervision (DePanfilis 2006). These physical injuries may not be directly caused by the parent, but the inattention of the parent left the child in a harmful situation. It has been found that children may also suffer from intellectual damages, and have lower IQ scores (DePanfilis 2006). Socially, children may have a hard time coping. They suffer from mistrust, difficulty understanding emotions, impaired cognition and have a lack of empathy (DePanfilis

Neglect happens when a parent or caregiver does not adhere to parental and care giving obligations, which includes the physical, emotional, and educational well being of their child. Poor nutrition effects physical and psychological development. If proper nutrients are not provided during growth periods this will affect physical growth. Stunted growth, chronic medical conditions, inadequate bone and muscle growth and neurological development are all affects of poor nutrition. Additionally, brain-processing problems make it difficult for children to understand social relationships, understand direction and understand academic tasks. Neglect is also linked to mental health problems such as, depression and anxiety. Studies found that children who reported a history of childhood neglect were three times more likely to suffer from depression than children who were not maltreated. In conclusion, neglect poses severe and life altering consequences and can even result in death.

One study has shown that “experiencing childhood trauma and adversity..., is a risk factor for borderline personality disorder, depression, anxiety, and other psychiatric disorders”(Child Welfare Information Gateway). The most common type of mental abuse is neglect. About “75.3% of victims are neglected”(American SPCC). Abuse can also affect the child’s learning abilities. Abused children are more likely to repeat grades and eventually drop out of school.

My research question was “How might the impact of child abuse and neglect affect a child’s growth and development?”

Effects vary depending on the types of the maltreatment, characteristics of the child, and his or her environment. The consequences may be mild or severe; may come and go during their lifetime or last their lifetime; and affect them physically, psychologically, behaviorally, or in some combination of all three. Due to related costs to the public such as for health-care and educational systems, maltreatment impacts not just the child and family, but the public as well. Therefore, it is vital for the public to provide a scaffolding of preventative strategies and services before maltreatment occurs and to be prepared to offer remediation and treatment when

1. Why is child abuse & neglect is important especially in schools? “Children who are abused and neglected are more likely to experience emotional, cognitive, and behavioral problems, such as depression or have difficulty in school. Children may grow up to experience suicidal behavior, alcohol use and other drugs, etc.”

Every year, child abuse and neglect affect more than one million children nation-wide (Currie and Tekin 1). Along with this, child abuse is the source of severe injury to more than 500,000 children and the death of over 1,500 children (Currie and Tekin 1). These outrageously large numbers reveal the extent to which child abuse and neglect impact society; however, they do not acknowledge the effect abuse can have on a child’s life and the repercussions that may occur in both the individual’s childhood and adulthood. While the effects most certainly include physical pain and possibly future disabilities, child abuse and neglect can also affects the child’s psychological welfare. Psychological effects are often more difficult to recognize,

Children who have experienced neglect in multiple areas, global neglect, may have significantly smaller brains than the norm. This indicates they have fewer neurological connections, leading to lifelong intellectual disadvantages (DePanfilis, 2006). Neglected children often have lower IQ's and extreme difficulties in learning new things. Lack of intellectual stimulation causes deficits in language development. Ultimately, neglect causes damages to the brain

With child abuse and neglect being so prevalent globally, it is important to recognize why these types of maltreatment occur and is a relevant topic for all to explore. Many are interested in how child abuse and neglect affect the individuals who are victims as well as the use and efficacy of treatment procedures. Child abuse has serious physical and psycho-social consequences which adversely affect the health and overall well-being of a child. There are long-term consequences of experiencing these forms of maltreatment. Awareness and understanding needs to be brought to this devastatingly common crisis and the advancement of child abuse and neglect prevention needs to be encouraged.

The most obvious effect of child abuse is physical injury to the child. According to the Child Welfare Information Gateway, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, physical injuries can be minor, such as bruises, or severe, such as broken bones or even death, but the pain and suffering leaves much deeper emotional scars. Sometimes, abuse can lead to lasting or recurring health problems, such as shaken baby syndrome

Research question: In many cases child neglect is not identified until they enter the school system. Researchers have proven that children of neglect develop developmental issues. The question is; Can identifying the signs of child neglect early detour the effects of neglect on a child’s development and social skills? The creation of the question comes from the information that I acquired in my resources.