Preventing Childhood Abuse

Child abuse and addiction are interrelated. Adolescents who were abused as children are more likely to give into peer pressure and engage in risky behaviors, such as drug use and addiction due to abnormalities in brain function and development. Abuse causes undo stress on a child. Some children develop PTSD, which follows them into adolescence. According to Bremner (2006), “brain regions

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.

Growing up in the household under substances influence can cause severe damage to the child. Parental substance abuse has a significant impact on family function, and it may also contribute to child maltreatment. It heightens the risks to both of the physical and emotional safety of the children, and it generates children’s problematic outcomes. Children who grow up in such families may also experience mental health issues, social isolation, financial difficulties, and exposure to stressful life events and so on.

The Center for Disease Control reports about 3.4 million children being abused or neglected in the United States in 2012 and 1 in 4 children will experience some form on abuse, maltreatment or household dysfunction while growing up. (Campbell, 2015).Past research has shown a relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences and substance abuse as an adult. Risk factors in the form abuse and neglect as child may cause a higher likelihood of substance abuse as an adult. Font and Jack (2015) also says that poor socioeconomic circumstances are associated with poor health conditions. Someone who scores with multiple adverse childhood experiences may report social and economic problems as an adult, such as financial hardship, homelessness and not making it through high school or an undergrad program (Font and Jack, 2015).

Child abuse is a very sensitive issue that needs to by carefully handled. Child abuse is defined as a no accidental injury or pattern of injures to a child for which there is no reasonable explanation.

Each week Child Protective Services receives more than 50,000 allegations of child abuse. Two-thirds of the allegations have enough evidence to start investigations. The results of these investigations showed 2,450 children are abused everyday (Ianelli, 2006). In 1999, CPS, nearly four, confirmed an estimated 1,401 child abuse and neglect fatalities every day. (Child Abuse Statistics, nd).

Explore what support is available to children at risk of abuse and critically examine its impact for safeguarding children.

The abuse is usually frequent enough that the victim internalizes it. This leaves the victim feeling fearful, insignificant, untrusting, emotionally needy, and unlovable. Survivors of this form of abuse have a hard time understanding why they feel so bad (Munro, K. 2001.).

Along with illegal behavior often a substance abuser will find themselves as homeless, spending their paychecks on their habits of using substances (Tracy, 2005). Children of abusers are affected by both possessing negative role models that set the example that drug use is not wrong and sometimes the children are placed into the care of the community because of neglect and abuse by the substance user (National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Adolescent and School Health [CDC], 2009). Other medical, social, and economic issues also are being experienced from substance abuse and use.

factors in a majority of cases of emotional abuse and neglect. In fact, neglect is the

According to Pecora, Sanders, Wilson, English, Puckett & Rudlang-Perman (2014), “Every year in the USA, about 695,000 unique children are confirmed as victims of child maltreatment (US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children’s Bureau 2011) (p. 321). Such startling statistics suggest that child abuse is not just a public health issue; it is an epidemic. However, research reveals that prevention is possible through a collaborative effort made by parents, schools, the government, social services, and the

Drug addiction is a serious issue in not only America today, but globally. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, substance addiction is a “chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite the harmful consequences” (“What is drug addiction?”). Drug abuse affects not only the user, but those around the user as well. The actions of a drug user place a significant amount of worry on the people that are closest to them such as friends and family. Children with parents who are addicted to drugs or alcohol can be severely affected by the actions of their parents which can cause them much harm in terms of biological and

Often victims of child abuse suffer from posttraumatic disorder, which according to Mayo Clinic a nonprofit medical practice and medical research group posttraumatic disorder is defined as “A mental health condition that’s triggered by a terrifying event either experiencing or witnessing (Mayo clinic staff 2014). Victims who deal with psychological disorder not always commit violent crimes but instead victims tend to depend on drugs, alcohol to try to live their lives day by day, as time goes on these individuals tend to be classified as drug addicts or alcoholics. The fact that individuals depend on alcohol and drugs can lead them to ended up living in the streets and becoming what we know as the “homeless” often these individuals the lack of resources to buy drugs or alcohol lead them to commit property crimes and lead them to be processed into the criminal justice system as offenders. According to Exploring the Role of Child Abuse in Later Drug Abuse “As many as two-thirds of all people in treatment for drug abuse report that they were physically, sexually, or emotionally abuse, and witnessing or being threatened with violence or other abuse”. (Neil Swan 1998). As has been noted individuals who abuse substances and alcohol are not regular people

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

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.