Essay on Child Abuse and Neglect

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.

“The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act” states’ that “child abuse is the leading cause of death in children under the age of eighteen.” Child abuse occurs when adults inflict violence and cruelty upon children. Abuse is any willful act that results in physical, mental, or sexual injury that causes or is likely to cause the child to be physically, mental, or emotionally impaired. Abuse happens to children of any age, sex, race, religion, and social status.

Child abuse is epidemic in many countries as well as the United States. It is estimated that every thirteen seconds a child is abused in some manner: physically, sexually, emotionally or by neglect (Friedman). Each year, there are over 3 million reports of child abuse in the United States involving more than 6 million children. Child abuse can be reduced with proper education of the parents and with greater public awareness.

Every year there are millions of children who suffer from an epidemic of child abuse and neglect at the hands of the very people who they trust to love them and care for them. According to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2011), child neglect accounted for 78.3% of all reported cases of maltreatment. These statistics make neglect the most common type of child maltreatment, however it is often under-recognized. The Department of Health (1999) refers to neglect as the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development. Physical, psychological, medical, educational, and mental health, are the five major types of neglect identified by famed psychologist Erik Erikson. Many children who suffer from neglect experience detrimental physical and psychological consequences including, poor mental and emotional health, cognitive difficulties, poor hygiene, hunger, inadequate language skills, illness, and even death. Children who are young, irritable, disabled, or premature are more susceptible to neglect. In the article “Signs, Symptoms and Risk Factors: Health Visitors’ Perspectives of Child Neglect”, Helen Herron David Lewin and conducted a research study based on their expertise in the field of child protection, the perceptions of experienced health visitors with respect to 45 signs, symptoms and risk factors of child neglect derived from the literature (2007).

A type of child abuse is Physical abuse, this refers to a violent interaction with a child a parent's in which the parent inflicts bodily harm on to their child. Emotional abuse is abuse in which parents hurt their child’s feeling of rejection, abandonment, belittlement, name-calling, threatening, isolation or exploitation their child. Sexual abuse is when a child has exposed sex-related talk to sex-related actions that inflict some sort of harm on to a child. Neglect is another form of abuse where parents fail to care for their child’s basic needs, fail to provide a decent standard of living for their child and safety.

There are many things in our society today that unfortunately go overlooked. One such thing that is overlooked is the number of children who are being abused. Unfortunately these children are going through life not knowing whether or not their parents will loose their temper and perhaps kill them. There are many types of child abuse, such as physical, sexual, and emotional. Physical abuse is physical injury as a result of punching, beating, kicking, biting, shaking, throwing, stabbing, choking, hitting, burning, or otherwise harming a child. Such injury is considered abuse regardless of whether the caretaker intended to hurt the child. Sexual abuse includes activities by a parent or caretaker such as fondling a child's genitals,

The different forms of child abuse are physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, and Shaken Baby Syndrome. Physical abuse is violence directed toward a child by a parent. Emotional abuse is when the victim feels worthless and rejected. Sexual abuse is sexual contact between the child and an adult or even the perpetrator speaks to the child in a sexually explicit way. Neglect is when parents fail to take care of their child’s basic physical, emotional, disciplinary, and educational needs. Shaken Baby Syndrome is a form of child abuse, which occurs with startling

The subject of victimization and childhood trauma and neglect, especially sexual victimization is in desperate need of additional awareness despite the increase in the research literature over the past three decades. Youth who experience any form of victimization, whether it be sexual, emotional, and/or physical throughout their childhood are known to have difficulties in their childhood and adolescent development (McCuish, Cale & Corrado, 2015). The abuse they experience can be from their caregivers, sexual victimization by acquaintances and strangers, assaults by peers and can be exposed to violence in their neighborhoods (Finkelhor, Ormrod, Turner and Holt, 2009).

We can look at the recent event that is shocking the nation. As I looked at the late

Child abuse is the intentional omission of care by a parent or guardian that can cause a

Child maltreatment is a widespread issue that affects thousands of children every year. There are four common types of child maltreatment; sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse and neglect. All of these types of abuse are very serious and can have many consequences for the children and families. The most common consequence of severe child maltreatment is the removal of that child from their home (Benbenishty, Segev, Surkis, and Elias, 2002). Most social workers trying to determine the likelihood of removal evaluate the type and severity of abuse, as well as the child’s relationship with their parents (Benbenishty et al., 2002). When children are removed from their homes there are many options of alternative housing. The

This paper explores the numerous effects neglect has on a child's development. If a child lacks the necessary attachment and stimulation during the critical first years, they will have profound developmental issues throughout life. Possibly the most important aspects that are affected by neglect are the brain and a child's social development. Looking into the case of the Romanian orphans, readers will be able to see the harsh consequences. Severe neglect is child abuse that often goes unnoticed and is hard to reverse. By understanding the implications of neglect, we can intervene earlier in order to prevent severe cases from becoming irrevocable.

Child abuse in American today is amongst the most saddened topics of mankind. Many children are subjected to neglect and abuse on a daily basis. The sex and age of child makes no difference when it comes to child abuse.. Boys and girls are equally likely to suffer maltreatment. The problem is how often child abuse goes unreported. Millions of children across the world are abused in some way, whether it is verbal, emotional, physical or sexual. Child abuse has been happening all over the world to young children, however many children keep this a secret because of fear of what could happen. Child Abuse consists of any act of commission or omission that endangers or impairs a child’s physical or emotional health and development. It can be

Child abuse consists of any act or failure to act that endangers a child’s physical or emotional health and development. A person caring for a child is abusive if he or she fails to nurture the child, physically injures the child, or relates sexually to the child (Robins). Child abuse is broken down into four major categories: physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect. Aside from the abuse itself, the cost of the tragic events costs the United States billions of dollars each year. Every day, approximately 4 children in the United States die resulting from child abuse and the majority are under 5-years-old (Fromm). There are many organizations that promote preventative measures in reducing child abuse. If nothing is done,

Every year more than 3 million reports of child abuse are made in the United States involving more than 6 million children(Child Abuse Statistics & Facts). Child abuse doesn’t necessarily have to be physical, it can be mental, emotional, or sexual, it can even be neglect. Abuse doesn’t only effect the child being abused but it also affects the people witnessing the abuse. Child abuse can affect the child in many different ways. There can be many effects of abuse on the child (Kraizer). The worst way the child can be affected is suicide.