Child Maltreatment And Its Effects On Children

The conceptualisation of the long-term effects of child maltreatment reflects the surrounding circumstances which expose child abuse as a common event. Childhood abuse is a growing epidemic which evokes extreme emotional responses both privately and publicly and is viewed as a risk factor for an extensive variety of consequent problems. 2014 demonstrated that over 137,585 child abuse cases involving 99,210 Australian children were investigated (Australian Institute of Family Studies 2015). Abuse is categorised into neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse and emotional abuse. Contrary to the implied supposition that emotional abuse is less injurious in comparison to sexual and physical abuse, emotional abuse ranked as the most commonly substantiated harm type in Victoria, Western Australia, Tasmania and the Australia Capital Territory (AIFS 2015). Childhood abuse occurs throughout a period where complex and ordered changes occur within a child’s physiological, psychological and sociological being. The following report will accentuate how the state of flux instigated by childhood abuse leaves children susceptible harmful consequences that will pervert or prevent a normal developmental procedure. Through psychological and physiological wellbeing, adult delinquency and the effects on different genders readers will be able to identify the harmful consequences childhood abuse places on victims and survivors.

Throughout the duration of this course, we can establish that neglect is a form of child maltreatment. By definition, child neglect occurs when the child’s parent or caretaker fails to provide basic, fundamental needs to the child (e.g., physical, emotional, medical, or educational) (Miller-Perrin & Perrin, 2013). It is a maltreatment that commonly begins at an early age and can be built to something more chronic in his/her life (Hildyard, 2002). Initial neglect can result in short-term consequences such as anxious or disorganized style of attachment; recognizing and distinguishing emotion in others; and intelligence and problem-solving skills (Rhoades, 2017). However, the consequences can persist and develop long-term. This paper will investigate

“27% percent, of the 702,000 victims of Childhood Maltreatment, are under the age of Three.” (Child Maltreatment, 2014)

Child maltreatment has been a serious public health problem not just in the United States but globally. Maltreatment is defined as neglect which means failure to provide for a child’s basic physical, educational, or psychological needs. Physical abuse such as causing physical harm, sexual abuse, abuse that includes fondling a child’s genitals or breasts, and psychological abuse, such as verbal put-downs and other behavior that terrorizes, threatens, rejects or isolates the child. “According to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS), in 2007 approximately 794,000 children (10.6 per 1,000 children of all ages) were identified as victims of child abuse or neglect. Approximately one-half (46.1%) of all victims were non-Hispanic white, 21.7% were African American, and 20.8% were Hispanic. One-third (31.9%) were under the age of 4 years.” (Gross, 2010)

Every year, within Australia, the number of children who are removed from the care of their parents and placed into government regulated care continues to grow significantly. For these children, maltreatment (or the risk of maltreatment), in the form of abuse or neglect within the family home result in the need for them to be relocated to alternative care arrangements, more commonly referred to as out-of-home care (OOHC). The research which investigates the effects of maltreatment on children, conclusively shows that experiencing trauma and/or neglect during childhood can result in considerable physiological and psychological effects on development across multiple key domains, such as cognitive, social-emotional, academic, and language

The maltreatment of children within the United States is an unfortunate but evident issue that presents some very detrimental consequences for the victims. Victims of child maltreatment typically suffer from both short-term and long-term consequences, resulting from the negligence of their parents. Across the nation techniques and measures have been taken in order to prevent the advancement of child abuse within high-risk homes, although despite these efforts sometimes it is too late for the child and the damage is too extensive for them to recover completely.

In 2012, nearly four million children were reported to Child Protective Services (CPS) with concerns of neglect or abuse (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2012). Out of those four million reports, approximately 563,000 children were found to be victims of substantiated neglect, as reported and inspected by CPS (DePanifilis, 2006). In 2002, 1400 children died as a result of abuse or neglect (Harder, 2005). Cases of neglect occur roughly three times more (75%) than cases of physical abuse alone (18.3%), five times more than sexual abuse (9.3%), and are more likely to result in the death of the child (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2012). The impact of neglect can severely damage the physical, cognitive, interpersonal and emotional development of the child (DePanifilis, 2006). Parent-training interventions are frequently utilized in the child welfare system when working to preserve the family unit or have reunification as an end result (Barth et al., 2005). In children that have been neglected, do parent-training interventions reduce the negative impacts of neglect?

The oppressed in our society also include individuals who have suffered abuse and neglect. Hundreds of thousands of children have been placed in the foster care system due to an array of maltreatment (Child Welfare). Children who are neglected do not experience the same developmental advantages as children raised in a nurturing environment. Research has shown that neglect in the early years of life affects a child’s brain development (Hamilton). Studies have also shown that the impact of neglect may become more severe as a child grows older and eventually have lasting effects on intellectual, behavioral, social, and cognitive development (DePanfilis). Acknowledging the significance of

Childhood victimization and maltreatment is a widespread issue that has frequently been a topic of conversation among mental health professionals. While much research has focused on the behavior and treatment of the perpetrator, the abusive parent, a topic of significant concern is the breadth of consequences, both short and long term, that may be faced by the victim of child abuse (Malinosky-Rummell & Hansen, 1992). Short term impacts of abuse can present as lower intellectual functioning or academic achievement, as well as negative social behaviors or depression. Of particular attention are the enduring affects, rather than the immediate consequences, specifically what an adult may look like after experiencing abuse or neglect in their childhood.

Although child abuse and neglect has been and continues to be a major societal issue, it only attracted major attention through the pivotal work of Kempfe, Silverman, Steele, Droegmueller and Silver (1962) who coined the term, “the battered- child syndrome” (Krug, 2002). This term was used to define children who have been subjected to mild to serious physical abuse from their parent/carer on one or multiple occasions (Kempfe et al., 1962) and lay the foundations of what is today defined as “child abuse and neglect” (child maltreatment). Child maltreatment predominantly falls under four categories - physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse and neglect (Garbarino, Guttmann, & Seeley, 1986; Matthews, 2014a; Goldsworthy, 2015). Given that

The topic of child maltreatment is a serious subject, and is important because maltreatment can hinder cognitive, biological, and social development. This topic has a large impact on caregivers of maltreated children. This information is relevant because it can help individuals in understand and interact with those who were maltreated in childhood. For example, maltreated children have lower rates of prosocial behavior, and exhibit withdrawn and aggressive/disruptive behavior (Alink, Cicchetti, Kim, & Rogosch, 2012). By knowing this information, caregivers can find more effective ways of communicating and interacting with maltreated children. Additionally, maltreatment occurs more frequently than we think. In a nationwide survey of young adult,

Child abuse is considered socially unacceptable, unfortunately it happens every day. The effects from childhood maltreatment are long lasting and potentially life threatening. Childhood maltreatment is an act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or other care giver that results in harm, potential for harm, or threat of harm to a child (Saha, 2012, p. 213). Child abuse acts are committed behind closed doors and lack the necessary attention they need to be prevented. Research has shown that the acts of abuse do not stop behind closed doors. Maltreatment of a child causes effects such as; relationship violence, suicidal behaviors, and repercussions to the brains structure and function.

Abuse and neglect is , unfortunately, not an unusual occurrence in the lives of young children. The maltreatment that they experience often have harmful long-term effects that depend on many factors. These factors are dependent on the age of the infant/child at the time of the occurrence, the question of whether the abuse was a single event or a ritual norm, and the relationship with and the identity of the abuser, as well as whether or not the child had a nurturing presence in their life. Other factors include the type of abuse , the severity of said abuse, as well as the intervention, if any, and how long the mistreatment took place. These factors all have an influence on the cognitive, behavioral, and emotional development of the infant’s brain. The issues of chronic abuse and neglect on a child can cause major neurological, behavioral, and emotional problems or consequences, such as trauma or PTSD, throughout the child’s life.

million children every year. While killing an average of 4 to7 children every day, and about

Through news headlines, papers, articles, the TV, and books child abuse is often times seen as a far more common thing occurring within society. Unfortunately, most people don’t take it too seriously. They don’t realize that not only is it corrupting the social aspect of a situation but it is extremely harmful to the child that is the victim. Child abuse affects children physically, emotionally, and mentally in unbelievable ways.