Child Abuse Is A Social Problem

Child abuse is a socially constructed problem. It is a problem that is growing bigger. Beating children is not defined as child abuse in every part of the world; and certainly if you go back far enough in time, the concept of child abuse did not even exist. What western society considers child abuse today may have been considered appropriate discipline in the past. The idea of childhood as being a time in which children develop their intelligence, abilities, and individual personalities, and the idea that society should protect and foster this development and safeguard the innocence of childhood, are modern conceptions. The past did not view childhood in this way and therefore children could be, and were, treated as chattel with no rights. Therefore the idea of child abuse did not exist in the past. Child abuse is a social problem because it socially constructed; modern society has deemed it to be a problem.

Abuse, especially child abuse, is a widely condemned social problem that remains prevalent to this day. The abuse suffered at a young age can result in an individual having a disturbed self-concept, putting them at an increased likelihood of perpetuating abuse as opposed to others who have not had similar experiences. Individuals who are exposed to abuse early on in life are more likely to have difficult relationships with others, have difficulties in school, a lower socioeconomic status, and engage in criminal behavior (Finkelhor, 2015). Factors such as these may also contribute to an intergenerational perpetuation of abuse by an individual whom has experienced familial abuse as a child. The Symbolic Interactionist perspective is useful in understanding the dynamic of abuse (Holmes, Mooney, Knox, & Schacht, 2016, p. 149) and suggests that one’s identity or sense of self is shaped by social interaction (Holmes et al., 2016, p. 13). Furthermore, this micro-sociology focuses on the psychological dynamics of individuals interacting in small groups; relating, in this case, to the familial institution (Holmes et al 2016., p. 13). In applying this sociological lens to the issue of child abuse, certain policy recommendations can be ascertained, focusing on early familial intervention.

Capaldi and Pears studies show that abuse is found in low socioeconomical environments and also with relatively young parents (2001, pg 1442). Bensley says one process of intergenerational abuse is the normative beliefs regarding appropriate parenting behaviors, which she describes as believing that certain abusive behavior are normal ( Bensley, Ruggles, Simmons, Harris, Williams, Putvin, Allen, 2003, pg 1323). Which supports the idea that an abusive parent justifies abuse as a legitimate punishment ( Bensley, Ruggles, Simmons, Harris, Williams, Putvin, Allen, 2003, pg 1331). Graur identifies 3 different cause of child abuse and neglect, the first cause is called the “economic theory” which says economic depression or socioemotional difficulties cause rejection behaviors on the part of the parent (1996, p.55-56). The second cause is called the ecological theory which says any disorder affecting society will also affect the family (1996, p. 56). The third and final cause of neglect found by Graur is called the personality theory which states that traits such as low self esteem, sadness, and previous experiences affect the way a parent acts towards a child (1996, p.56). In the article titled Child abuse there are 4 main cause of child abuse identified, the first has to do with life history and personality meaning their own experiences as a

Most parents and other caregivers do not intend to hurt their children, but abuse is defined by the effect on the child, not the motivation of the parents or caregiver.Tens of thousands of children each year are traumatized by physical, sexual, and emotional abusers or by caregivers who neglect them.Child abuse as common as it is shocking. Most of us can’t imagine what would make an adult use violence against a child, and the worse the behavior is, the more unimaginable it seems. But the incidence of parents and other caregivers consciously, even willfully, committing acts that harm the very children they’re supposed to be nurturing is a sad fact of human society that cuts

For the purpose of this assignment, the intention is to describe the four theoretical models of child abuse. The 4 models that I will be looking at are; the medical model of abuse, sociological model of abuse, psychological model of abuse and the feminist model of abuse. I will also be looking at the aspects of the theories that are similar or different. To conclude I also intend to evaluate the four theoretical models of abuse by identifying the advantages and disadvantages.

The aim of this assignment is to enable learners to understand the theoretical models of child abuse and consider the implications of each model. There are many theories about why people abuse children and who are more likely to abuse. These models aren’t rules or laws and they may have flaws. I will be comparing and writing about these flaws and also where the models have a point and backing these up with cases of child abuse which have been in the media. The models that I will be describing, comparing and evaluating are the Feminist Model, the Social learning theory,

Children are very fragile beings, their minds soak up all the information around them. Being easily impressionable, it's a very easy for their future to be developed negatively. Therefore, we take care of them throughout their adolescence in order help them develop. Once we take away that veil of security by subjecting children to sexual abuse and parental neglect. It affects the child in the long term. In “North of Normal”, Cea Sunrise Person clearly demonstrates how parental neglect and adolescent sexual abuse makes her into an emotionally inept adult.

There are significant signs of psychological trauma due to any kind of abuse. Children experience feelings of low self esteem and depression. Many exhibit behavioral problems including aggression towards other children. Other emotional problems include hostility, fear, humiliation and the inability to express feelings. The social impacts of physical abuse include inability to form relationships, poor social skills, poor cognitive language skills, distrust of others, over-compliance with authority figures, and tendency to solve interpersonal problems with aggression. (2008, p. 1). Verbal and physical abuse has a cumulative impact on children’s socialization. Abused children are caught in damaged relationships and are not socialized in positive, supportive way (Craig & Dunn, Ex.: 2010, p. 196). They learn defiance, manipulation and other problem behaviors that are used to escape any maltreatment. In turn they will learn to exploit, degrade and terrorize.

The Sociological Perspective was a concept argued by C. Wright Mills was and still is a valuable tool to help people look at, understand and interpret their everyday lives and social world around them (in which they live). The argued perspective will be discussed through the use of the Sociological Imagination with the Personal Problem of Depression and the Social Issue of Child Abuse with what can be done to solve both of these ‘Dilemmas of Youth’.

The psychological theory and the sociological also have the “cycle of abuse”; children who were abused as children do not know any other way of parenting and so abuse their own children, which can result in depression and trauma, which can continue the cycle.

Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of children. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or also known as CDC defines child abuse as any act or series of acts by a parent or other caregiver that could result in harm to a child. Most child abuse occurs in a child's home, but it could also be found within organizations, schools, or communities that the child interacts with. There are four major categories of child abuse: neglect, physical abuse, psychological/emotional abuse, and also sexual abuse. In the story I selected, it shows many signs of sexual and physical abuse within a little girl and her older brother. Of course the mother

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?

Child abuse and neglect have immediate and long-term consequences. In addition to negatively impacting the child, child abuse and neglect impacts the family, the school community, and even future generations. The ability to survive and be successful in the face of child abuse and neglect depends on a variety of factors, including the extent and type of abuse or neglect, whether it was continual or infrequent, the age of the child when abuse was initiated, the child’s relationship to the abuser, and how the abuse or neglect was responded to. Outcomes are also dependent on the child’s personality traits, inner strength, and the support the child receives from those around them. It is important to acknowledge that some children will not develop behavioral problems, so it cannot be assumed that a

In today’s society, child abuse is widespread and has an affect on everyone who comes across it. The act of child abuse happens everyday to a variety of kids who are typically younger and scared to tell anyone. All children are born with the right to be able to develop, grow, live and love according to their needs and feelings. For a child 's development they need protection and reassurance from adults who love them and help them acquire the skills to be a successful adult. However, some children are neglected and hurt by adults that they trust. The abuse a child receives makes them feel bad about themselves, and it is much worse when it occurs within a family because it makes them feel unloved and alone causing them to have problems. “Abuse of all types was more frequent in those from disturbed and disrupted family backgrounds. Logistic regressions indicated that some, though not all, of the apparent associations between abuse and adult problems was accounted for by this matrix of childhood disadvantage from which abuse so often emerged. Numerous studies have investigated the psychological sequelae of childhood trauma, including posttraumatic stress disorder(PTSD), dissociation, personality disorder, and substance abuse ”(“New Retrospective Measure of Child Abuse and Neglect” by David P. Bernstein). The act of child abuse causes kids to have one or more mental problems. Additionally, since people do not recognize the abuse while it is occurring, it causes these problems to

Family situations in which both parents are under mass amounts of stress and must work tediously to make ends meet are often inclined to have victims of child abuse in the home. Often because of troubled times economically parents reach a breaking point and enforce their anger onto his or her child, beating them physically. In many cases, parents take “teaching their child a lesson” to very high extremes, using the act of discipline to mask an act of physical child abuse. While many parents abuse under stress and frustration, some are too young or immature to handle the responsibilities of a child; not containing the capacity or patience to care for a young one often ends in abuse. As seen there many cases in which guardians cannot handle the tasks of parenthood, leading to acts of abuse. Whereas, there are also many cases in which parents suffer from disorders, increasing the probability of child abuse in a home.