Child Abuse: Children's Mental And Physical Development

The published articles in this literature review all prove evidence that child abuse can negatively affect those children in either their adolescences or adulthood, or even in both. None of the articles explore if those children abused later abuse their future children, however a study by Ehrensaft,

Child welfare is one of the most important sociological topics today. It is a concept that is used to describe the combination of efforts and services that are designed with the primary objective of maintaining and promoting the safety as well as the wellbeing of children and ensuring that families have the necessary support they need to ensure that their children have been successfully cared for. In essence, child welfare is social work that is focused on the welfare of children (Keddell, 2014). Child welfare is a broad topic that involves, among others, child protection from abuse, support for families to effectively care for their children, investigation of child maltreatments and neglect, and support for children in

Child abuse and neglect is a significant problem in the United States that should demand direct attention. There are approximately three million child abuse reports made each year, and these reports involve more than six million children. Out of four to five children that die daily, 70 percent are under three years of age. There are 90 percent of cases involving of children who know who know their perpetrator. The main factors of child abuse are physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. In many cases involving sexual abuse, there is usually not any medical evidence to be shown, and there are usually not any witness due to the sexual acts taking place in private places. That is why it is considered the “hidden” form of abuse. Neglect is a type of maltreatment related to the failure to provide needed, age-appropriate care.

This article paper aims at providing an overview of the article “The long-term health consequences of child physical abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect: a systematic review and meta-analysis” by Norman, et.al. The research aims at highlighting the evidence that relates child physical and sexual abuse, emotional abuse and neglect with the subsequent mental and physical health outcomes. Child physical abuse, emotional violence, sexual assault, and neglect are some of the most severe concerns affecting children and our society as a whole. These behaviors have adverse short-term and long-term physical and psychological effects on children. The study of child physical and sexual abuse by sociologists has intensified in the recent past as sociology of childhood has emerged as a crucial area of study. Sociology of childhood emphasizes the role played by communities and different cultures in shaping and defining childhood experiences.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact that child neglect imposes on a child’s early stages of their development. Primarily in the child’s development areas of emotional, behavior, and learning problems. In new studies and research maltreatment now defines and refers to all intentional harm and / or endangerment of any person (s) under the age of 18. (Berger 2014) The main focus of this paper will be on child neglect and how it effects a child’s development; however throughout the paper information may be supplied to show comparisons, differences or even similarities

The instant physical effects of abuse can be minor such as bruises or small cuts, or ever such as broken bones, hemorrhage or in serious cases death. In some cases, the physical effects are only temporary, however, the pain and suffering that the abuser caused the child should not be ignored. Social consequences effects society as they pay for the price of child abuse and neglect in both direct and indirect costs. Indirect costs represent the long-term economic consequences to society because of child abuse and neglect. These include costs associated with increased use of our health-care system, juvenile and adult mental illness, criminal activity, substance abuse, and domestic violence. Unlike other consequences not all victims of child abuse and neglect will experience behavioural consequences. However, the children who do experience behavioural issues have difficulties during adolescence. In a recent study NSCAW data reveals that more than half of youth with reports of maltreatment are at risk of pregnancy, grade repetition, delinquency, substance abuse,or truancy,” Child abuse affects us all and should have more drastic changes made to avoid this issue. (Child-welfare,2013)

The Child welfare Fact sheet report presented clear data obtained from many medical studies and extensive

Child abuse is any physical, emotional, sexual or psychological active that has been done to a child such as, burning, kicking, biting, choking or stabbing etc. As well as neglect, which is not giving the child its required basic needs, for example, food, clothes and shelter. Each week the Child Protective Services get approximately sixty thousand reports on potential child abuse or neglect. In the year 2007, the Child Protective Services agencies check thoroughly into the family living environments of around 3.5 million children in the United States (Zinn, Eitzen & Wells, 2010).

Working in education, specifically in the disciplinary area, I have had many meetings with single mothers about behavior issues related to their child. This does not mean that meetings with single fathers never occur, but not as frequently as with single mothers. Now of course there have been several published works that have identified negative behavioral characteristics to be associated with being raised with an absentee father. Those effects include engaging in drug abuse, experiencing educational, emotional, and behavioral problems, becoming victims of child abuse, and engaging in criminal behavior. This data implies that these unfortunate social problems are associated with the absence of a father from a child’s life. However, “differences in children’s well-being remain contentious because research on parenting has developed contrasting theoretical accounts of the effects that fathers may have on children’s development (Debell, 2008 p. 428). As a result, I began to wonder about the children who are in fact being raised by their father and if the same risk factors related to behavior exist.

One of the major problems which face our society today is child abuse and neglect. Child abuse and neglect have always existed, but studies have shown that it is causing disastrous results in their mental and physical health. Not only does it affect people when they are children, but it affects them as they grow. In many cases, child abuse and neglect experiences follow and haunts victims as they age. It greatly affects how people act and communicate

However, all forms of child abuse carry emotional consequences because the child's psychological and emotional development inevitably suffers from all forms of abuse. An intervention model that would focus on emotional abuse could also focus on preventing other forms of abuse because violent behavior towards children often comes from the same underlying causes, and most risk factors for child maltreatment are associated with caregiver, family, and environmental factors (McDonald, 2007). With this in mind, a possible solution would have to include early detection, but the intervention would most likely focus on factors that cause all types of child abuse. Despite the widespread occurrences of all forms of abuse, emotional neglect or maltreatment are practically impossible to detect while they occur and impair the child's normal development and social integration. Emotional abuse includes includes verbal, mental, and psychological maltreatment of children, and it is frequently overlooked by the community and mental health professionals who do not define emotional abuse as a suitable factor for diagnostic purposes (as cited in Schneider, Baumrind, & Kimerling, 2007). In reality, emotional abuse is frequently used in many families, it occurs in several worldwide cultures, and it carries significant consequences that should not be overlooked.

It is documented that millions of children are abused every year and that most abuse cases happen in the home. The most common forms of abuse that occur to children are maltreatment and neglect. (Hodgdon, Kinniburgh, Gabowitz, Blaustein, & Spinazzola, 2013). Research shows that abuse causes a negative impact on children who have been mistreated. Some examples of this are the abuse disrupts the biological and psychological development of these children, and the abuse also causes behavior, learning, and emotional problems within the children who have experienced any sort of abuse (Brassard & Rivelis, 2009). Some of the symptoms that children who have been abused experience are depression, PTSD, internalizing and externalizing behaviors (Kjellgren, Svedin, & Nilsson, 2013). Overall, abuse can have a severe negative effect on children and their development, which means that there needs to be an effective treatment to help these children cope and treat their symptoms.

In 2013, an estimated 679,000 children victims of abuse and neglect and 1,520 children died from abuse and neglect in the United States (National Children’s Alliance, 2014). However, child maltreatment is not prevalent exclusively in North America. It is estimated that worldwide, almost 13 percent of children are sexually abused, almost 22 percent physically abused, 16 percent physically neglected, and over 18 percent emotionally neglected (Stoltenborgh, 2015). Severe consequences, such as impaired brain development, heart disease, poor attachment, depression, and anxiety, can be the result of child abuse and neglect (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2013). Therefore, child maltreatment is a serious and global issue.

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,

Abuse of children has become a major social problem and a main cause of many people's suffering and personal problems. Neglect, physical abuse, and sexual abuse have an immediate and long-term effects on a child's development. The long-term effects of abuse and neglect of a child can be seen in psychiatric disorders, increased rates of substance abuse, and relationship difficulties. Child abuse and neglect is a huge problem. People that abuse are people who have been abused and neglected themselves.

Likewise, it is suggested that these children are more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior, increasing their chances of contracting a sexually transmitted disease. Research consistently shows a correlation between childhood trauma and drug or alcohol abuse. Many use alcohol and drugs to numb the painful memories and feelings associated with the trauma. Perhaps more shocking is the cyclical nature of child abuse and neglect. Many abusive parents experienced abuse themselves as a child. Violence is a learned behavior making it more likely for children who witness abuse growing up to repeat the abuse as an adult.