Dysfunctional Family

Physical abuse – involves causing deliberate physical harm to a child and may include burning, drowning, hitting, poisoning, scalding, shaking, suffocating or throwing. Physical abuse also includes deliberately causing, or fabricating the symptoms of, ill health in a child.

The extent or the severity of each case is determined by the time span of abuse, the more serious the abuse, the younger the child is and the relationship of the child to the abuser. Once sexual abuse has been identified the support of an adult who believes the child helps, starts to help the child understand the abuse and can therefore offer help and protection to the abused child.

Physical abuse is “the mistreatment of a child that causes physical injury, impairment, or endangerment.” (Layman 15) It accounts for about 25 percent of abuse cases. (Moses) Children who have been abused usually show certain signs. They tend to be apathetic and withdrawn, but at the same time, constantly scanning their environment for danger. (Oates 43) Physical abuse can leave all kinds of injuries.

Physical abuse involves hitting, kicking, poisoning, burning and shaking or causing harm to a child, and it can occur when parents fabricate symptoms, or purposely induces illness to a child (DfES, 2010). According to National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty Children (NSPCC) (2013), explains that when parents are caring for children can sometimes be a struggle, and they can use punishment like hitting as a way to discipline them which can cause physical injuries such as scares and fracture, and the best way to do it is by setting boundaries, talking, explaining and listening which can be a better way than kicking or burning a child. However, according to Beckett (2003), described there those injuries that

Do you know the difference between child abuse and discipline? Child Abuse is when someone physically and mentally hurts another person. Discipline is teaching someone or something to do the right thing. Child Abuse is very common in the United States. Many children suffer from bruising, swelling skin, and broken bones. Situations like this happen because of problems at home or personal problems. Parents at home abuse their children because of drinking and depression issues. In this crazy world, there are numerous types of abuses. There is sexual abuse, physical abuse, neglect, and emotional or psychological abuse. Sexual abuse is an intentional incident that involves sexual relationship to a child using all their power and taking advantage of them. According to Family & Community Services, Physical abuse is a nonstop injury that happens more than one time. Neglect is a type of abuse you just don’t care or pay no attention to your child. Emotional or psychological harm is when you make your children think something that isn’t true. Discipline children usually do the things their parents or guardian tell them what to do because they teach them to pay attention and be polite.

Physical abuse also defined as non-accidental trauma or physical injury, of which can be caused by punching, beating, kicking, biting, burning or harming the child. Physical abuse is the most visible and second most common form of child maltreatment.

Physical abuse is when a child is physically hurt . Hitting, beating, throwing, shaking are all physical abuse.

Child abuse consists of different types of harmful acts directed toward children. In physical abuse, children are slapped, hit, kicked or pushed, or have objects thrown at them causing wounds, broken bones, or other injuries. Severe abuse may result in major injury, permanent physical or developmental damage, or even death. Emotional abuse involves humiliation, dishonoring or other acts carried out over time that terrorize or frighten the child. Sexual abuse consists of a wide

According to Texas Woman's University, family dysfunction is any circumstance that affects the normal functioning of a family. It continues to explain how dysfunctional families tend to hold on to a crisis and make its effect long-term (1). However, normal

"Because they don't know what normal is, a dysfunctional family is participating in the pretense that they are a normal family bringing up children within the range of what is normal. Because we live in a culture that respects family privacy, someone usually has to get badly hurt before the illusion is questioned by anyone outside its ranks," (Hartwell -Walker).

In the story “Stepdaughters” Written by Max Apple, we have a perfect example of what is a “dysfunctional family”. In the story, the daughter named Steph idolizes her dad she has all his old things and even a poster of his face on her wall. Her step dad said that that made him feel “timid and sentimental’ and that he “dreaded going near Stephanie’s room” Max Apple, “Stepdaughters” Initiation Stories: An Album page 129 because maybe he just didn’t feel accepted as a father figure to her. Stephanie also creates a club type group called “the stepdaughters” hence the name of the story. The steps are essentially a group of step children that meet to discuss family issues together.

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,

Physical abuse involves the use of force by pinching, punching, slapping, scalding, hitting, kicking, burning or misuse of medication, restraint or inappropriate sanctions. It is a form of physical attack on an individual, it can also be a intentional neglect to prevent physical injury.

A dysfunctional family is a group of people usually related by some means, not always necessarily by blood, in which conflict, misbehavior, maltreatment and neglecting create a hostile life for its members. To explain this idea better we will see the definition of family, the differences between a healthy and a dysfunctional family; their characteristics and behavioral patterns. Some examples will help us examine this issue better, taking us to discuss the different factors that contribute to the formation of such families, along with its consequences in today’s society.