Safe Child Abuse

The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act of 1974 was originally created to protect a target population of children, under the age of 18, from child abuse and neglect; however, over the years this act has been amended and improved to protect a wider population, with many specific subpopulations, over the past 42 years. In the original text of the act, two specific populations are addressed with different goals: reducing the rate of child abuse in children under the age of eighteen, and improving the treatment of children who had been maltreated or neglected (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2014). It is easy to see that this act and policies within it are aimed at protecting children specifically, yet looking only at the children,

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

Every year, child abuse and neglect affect more than one million children nation-wide (Currie and Tekin 1). Along with this, child abuse is the source of severe injury to more than 500,000 children and the death of over 1,500 children (Currie and Tekin 1). These outrageously large numbers reveal the extent to which child abuse and neglect impact society; however, they do not acknowledge the effect abuse can have on a child’s life and the repercussions that may occur in both the individual’s childhood and adulthood. While the effects most certainly include physical pain and possibly future disabilities, child abuse and neglect can also affects the child’s psychological welfare. Psychological effects are often more difficult to recognize,

Abuse and neglect comes in all different forms and each one of them are as equally as damaging as the next. Others will agree that abuse and neglect are hard to define in some cases, but there are clues and signs that professionals and nonprofessionals can detect in a child

Child abuse, in any form, is cause for outrage. This makes the question of whether neglect, benign or otherwise, is better than violence hard to consider. According to Canada’s Public Health Agency, parental neglect, at 34% of cases, is the most commonly reported form of child maltreatment (31). In Roald Dahl’s Matilda and Neil Gaiman’s Coraline, parental neglect is contrasted against violence as both are shown to be psychologically detrimental to a child, while the impact of these imperfect parents is able to help a child redefine their sense of self.

Safeguarding legislation and government guidance says that safeguarding means: Protecting children from maltreatment also preventing impairment of children’s health or development. This ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care. Taking action to enable all children and young people to have the best outcomes.

Neglect and abuse towards children still occurs in society today as it did in pre-industrial times. Adult control over children can take the extreme form of physical neglect, or physical, sexual, or emotional abuse. Some may say due to figures from charities such as Child Line rising there is a ‘dark side’ to family life, where children are victims. This shows in some cases the status of children hasn’t changed over time.

a. An explanation of the importance of safeguarding children and young people All people have the basic right to be kept safe from harm, especially children and young people. No-one deserves to suffer from any form of abuse – whether emotional, physical, sexual or subject to neglect. If children and young people are safeguarded; they are more likely to grow into confident well-rounded adults. As adults working with children and young people, it is important that we recognise signs of abuse, and are able where

Dave Pelzer’s book, “A Child Called It” (1995), chronicled the unforgettable accounts of one of the most severe child abuse cases in California’s history. The book is an intriguing, yet intimidating journey through the torturing childhood of the author, himself. The child, Dave Pelzer¸ was emotionally and physically tormented by

Abuse is a big issue that people face and it is especially harder for young children because being young, it is harder for them to be able to comprehend what is going on and it is even harder to them to get help. Children in the foster care system go

5) When Marc Parent first moved to New York City, he landed his first job as a counselor in a home with adults who had rich relatives with a lot of guilt. However, he soon got fired from the job and he was left wondering where he should head next. It

In 2013, I attended the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) Conference in San Francisco. At that time, I was a doctoral student eager to present my dissertation literature review on young children with disabilities (and their families) who have experienced, abuse, neglect and trauma. At the poster session I had the opportunity to speak with many people about the importance of this topic however, one interaction made a lasting impression. One mid-career practitioner approached my poster and asked me to explain what our field can learn from the literature about young children with disabilities who have experienced abuse and neglect. I explained in detail the strong, and admittedly disturbing relationship between young children with disabilities and the likelihood of experiencing abuse as well as the likelihood of young children who experience abuse to develop a disability. After my explanation, the practitioner looked at me and said: “Oh, I don’t think I want to think about this. It’s just too sad. I need to walk away” as she proceeded to walk on to another poster. At that moment, I knew our DEC community had both a responsibility and an obligation to (1) address the needs of young children with disabilities and their families who have experienced abuse, neglect and trauma and (2) support the professionals who work with these children and families.

The upbringing of a child might just be the most important task there is. The way a child is raised, treated and the situation at home during its childhood take a huge impact on the rest of a child’s life. It effects one not only one’s emotional stability, but also physical and mental health can be affected by one’s childhood. Sometimes the lack of love and support, harassment or other more severer forms of abuse can be found just next door without anyone knowing. It is not always that obvious when a child is suffering, and it doesn’t always have to be abuse or the lack of love that take a negative effect on a child. Overprotectiveness for instance can also cause ‘damage’.

(Child Abuse Learning Center). 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).

In the nineteenth century, although society became a bit harsher on those who abused or neglected children and child welfare organizations mushroomed, child abuse and neglect were still not considered crimes (Hirschy, & Wilkinson, 2012). However, all through the twentieth century, the social perceptions of child abuse and neglect have shifted a great deal from something that was totally unacceptable to a demeanor that can no longer be allowed both in legal and social circles. But the criminalization of child abuse and neglect was only one step towards overall child wellbeing. There is still much more to be done to ensure that child maltreatment has been eradicated.