Childhood Sexual Abuse Essay

In both The Glass Castle and “The Life of Reilly”, both the authors got to know their dads and why they did the things they did, and both learned to forgive them and respect them as parents, despite their damaging choices, and in My Papa’s Waltz, despite the possible abuse in the poem, the child still clutches at their father before bed; this shows that children, despite abuse and neglect will always have the propensity to have some kind of loyalty to their parents. Firstly, in My Papa’s Waltz, the child in the poem is “dancing” with their father, but with lines like “you beat time on my head” (Roethke 13) and “such waltzing was not easy” it brings into question whether or not the poem is really about a dance. Assuming that the poem is creatively reframing abuse, it shows the vulnerability of children, and their helplessness in the face of a failed parent. Despite having just been beaten by his dad, the boy in the poem is “still clinging to your shirt” the pronoun, of course, referring to his father.

Clara enjoyed being an attentive listener when it came to her father’s reminisces about the

Of the many problems faced by children and adolescents, few provoke such moral outrage as childhood sexual abuse. Many times, as on the television show “To Catch a Predator”, such abuse can be inflicted by strangers who may gradually become familiar with the child online. Sadly, however, often times the perpetrator of sexual abuse on children is someone much more familiar to the child- someone the child may even love.

A father’s most precious moments are the ones he spends with his little girl. When Lord Capulet is first introduced, he is illustrated as the loving father all girls are lucky to have. He cares for and protects his daughter from many dangers, including boys with their own agendas. For instance, Lord Capulet says,

“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 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

deal with it in a way that works for them. To refer to the “Myths of

She was described as short, plump, and homely, she had yet to gain the character that would render her face so interesting according to her parents and siblings. Clara’s mother also neglected the child’s thick lustrous dark brown hair which was noted to be her one good feature. Her hair was close cropped which only served to emphasize her broad forehead and sallow complexion. Along with this, Clara had a speech impediment which caused her to lisp and this lead to increasing her bashfulness. Due to all of these difficult things Clara had to deal with on a daily basis, her timidness grew to be excessive. Clara’s mother regarded her daughter as shy and troublesome as well as “difficult to manage” this attitude only reinforced Clara’s own sense of being a burden. As she began to grow older, Clara gained a particular interest in helping others that could not help themselves and directly alleviating sickness or trouble. Her brother David grew extremely ill and sought to his sister for help. She spent large amounts of time trying to nurse her brother back to health. Clara refused to leave his side for nearly two years and acquiescing to his demands that she alone administer his medicine. Despite all of her relief Clara sensed a

An estimated 39 million survivors of childhood sexual abuse exist in America today (Darness2Light, 2009a ). This figure continues to grow daily as perpetrators of this crime continue in this destructive path. The definition of child sexual abuse is the force, coercion, or cajoling of children into sexual activities by a dominant adult or adolescent. Sexual abuse of children includes touching (physical) sexually including: fondling; penetration (vaginal or anal using fingers, foreign objects or offenders organs; oral sex, or non-physical contact including: sexual comments; indecent exposures; masturbating in a child’s presence; child prostitution or child pornography (Child Welfare, 2009a).

Although all therapists are aware of the childhood emotional abuse issue, it is possible that only few therapists understand the scope of the issue. Emotional maltreatment is harder to detect than other forms of abuse because it is more subtle. When Child Protective Services (CPS) conduct family assessments, it is the hardest form of abuse to prove because parents are very open about the topic and emotional abuse does not leave any physical evidence behind. However, it certainly influences a child's self-esteem, promotes the feeling of guilt, insecurity, and creates the inability to form stable relationships during adulthood. Although some behavioral disorders are related to emotional abuse, it is not possible to predict it correctly

Child sexual abuse has been reported up to 80,000 times a year, but the number of unreported instances is far greater, because the children are afraid to tell anyone what has happened (American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry). Childhood sexual abuse is a traumatic experience affecting the lives of not only the victim, but those close to the victim as well. Many think there is only one person truly traumatized, but in fact, everyone involved is affected. The victim has to deal with their experience the rest of their lives. They may be more at risk for other mental issues as well, including depression. The family involved has to deal with its pain, often causing hardship and discord within the family. This is especially true

Tom sat on the sofa, his shoulders hunched forward, his eyes staring listlessly into space. In his hands, a forgotten cup of coffee trembled violently, the lukewarm liquid spilling over his fingers. He hadn’t uttered a single word since his impassioned attempt to justify Booker’s assault, and as the minutes ticked by, his silence only added to Doug’s concerns. Although not an expert, as a cop, Penhall understood about trauma, and fearing his friend was going into shock, he made the decision to call 911. With an ambulance on its way, he dialed a second number, and after a brief conversation, he hung up. Turning his attention to Tom, he wondered how to proceed. While he wanted to offer comfort, he honestly did not know what to say. How did you console the victim of sexual assault when the perpetrator was a trusted colleague you worked side by side with day in day out? He was out of his depth and terrified of making matters worse, but he knew he needed to do something other than making a cup of coffee, and approaching Tom, he squatted down and laid a hand on his knee. “How ya doin’, buddy?”

Sexual abuse to children happens across every socioeconomic status, ethnic, cultural, religion and education. Getting treatment for a victim of child sexual abuse is a difficult process because of the lack of trust by the child. When child sexual abuse occurs the victim’s family has a difficult time talking about the abuse, which leads to the family pretending the abuse never happened. Once the family

Due to the rise of domestic violence in many families, psychologists are helping affected children cope and confront their emotional imprisonment by using various methods. Over the years, there has been a drastic increase in domestic violence cases. In many instances, the children are most affected in the involvement of the violent disputes. Psychologists study the behaviors of affected children and develop a plan of treatment that aim towards the child’s overall health. Psychologists provide the best treatment by immersing themselves inside the child’s situation and connecting with what the child sees. Furthermore, psychologist use a strategy of taking small steps in the overall treatment. Sadly, over the years, there’s been an increase

People may not be aware, but any one of their peers, friends, or neighbors may be victims of child abuse. Every day, someone experiences physical, emotional, neglect, and/or sexual abuse. Abuse can lead to death or injury for the rest of a victim's life, from either the perpetrator or themselves. In order to prevent child abuse society must: recognize the types of abuse, understand common causes of abuse, know the characteristics of abusers, and realize the effects abuse has, not just on the child, but on families and communities across the world.