Childhood Sexual Abuse And Bronfenbrenner's Ecological System Theory

1077 Words3 Pages

Childhood Sexual Abuse and Bronfenbrenner’s Theory In 1874, a citizen acquired a lawyer to pursue a case regarding child abuse “because children ought to be deemed just as worthy of protection from abuse as dogs and cats” (Child Abuse). After this case, in 1875 the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children came into effect and then in 1974 The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act emerged. Child abuse and neglect effects cultures of all gender, racial/ethnicities, and economics but it is reported in higher numbers of cases that are involving families with lower economic status. Child abuse and neglect may come in the form of sexual abuse by close family members or a member of the clergy. The American Association for Marriage and …show more content…

Furthermore, this theory describes that a person develops within an elaborate system of inter-relationships, that are affected by numerous surrounding environmental factors (Berk, 2014, p.19). The ecological system theory proposes five levels; ontogeny development, the microsystem; the mesosystem, the ecosystem, macrosystem, and the chronosystem. The microsystem plays an important role on the child and the perpetrator of sexual abuse. The Microsystem’s Role in Child Sexual Abuse Berk (2014) informs us that the microsystem involves the “relations between the developing person and the immediate environment (p.19). This primarily includes the immediate family members, day-care providers or school officials, and the environment where the child plays. It is most likely that a child will be sexually abused by persons within this environment, it is usually someone they have a close intimate relationship with and should be able to rely on for their …show more content…

The behaviors may include low self-esteem, relationship problems, depression, substance abuse, and other disorders, Lower-income families are more likely to have dysfunctional families, and these dysfunctional families are more likely to incur parental sexual abuse. It is of extreme importance that we teach our children about sexual predators, and how they should handle the situation if it were to occur. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory addresses the issues of childhood sexual abuse and what factors influence this to occur. The most influential part of the microsystem that influences this behavior is the mesosystem. Childhood sexual abuse is more likely to occur from those within this part of the child’s life. Usually, it is a family member, clergy member, or day-care provider who is the perpetrator of the abuse. The exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem influence the sexual abuse in a small way compared to the influences of the

Show More
Related

  • Parties that Usually Report Child Abuse to Authorities

    1283 Words  | 3 Pages

    When children are hurt physically, emotionally, or sexually it is known to be child abuse. Children are known to be neglected when they are not getting the proper attention needed for children. When children are neglected or abused in any way it is the responsibility of others to report such acts to the authorities as to what they have witnessed first-hand or signs of abuse or neglect seen after the fact, these people who reports such acts are known as third parties. The proper authorities to report child abuse or neglect is called Child Protected Services also known as Child Welfare. After the abuse or neglect is reported the proper authorities will then investigate to see if the abuse or neglect is legit or fraudulent (Sedlak, 2001).

    Read More

  • Ghosts From The Nursery Book Summary

    482 Words  | 1 Pages

    Both authors provide a inspiring job of giving an explanation as to why ‘The interaction of biological variables with environment variables results in pro-social or antisocial outcomes.’ (Karr-Morse. Wiley, 1999) There are various examples of this interaction in every chaper of the book relating in very different scenarios. This then makes the reader quickly take that this is the important essential that needs to be made that ‘children will reflect what they have taken biologically and socially.’ Karr-Morse. Wiley, 1998) This book does an amazing job of assessing an amount of issues which are related to child abuse and neglect which include for example drugs being used whilst the child is in the womb, the relationship between the child and parent; whether there is enough interaction, any influence of an primary

    Read More

  • The Root Causes of Sexual Offending: Social Learning Theory

    1310 Words  | 3 Pages

    Many etiological theories exist attempting to explain the root causes of sexual offending. Although few provide substantial evidence and no definitive conclusions have been made, the social learning theory has been proposed to account for sex offending behaviors. Specifically, the social learning theory, or victim-to-victimizer theory, suggests sexually abused children learn these behaviors and are much more likely to perpetrate abuse when they’re older (Seto & Lalumiere, 2010). The following studies have provided substantial support for the social learning etiology. Through the use of a meta-analysis, Seto and Lalumiere (2010) concluded that sexual offending is tied to prior sexual abuse. Burton, Miller, and Shill (2002) discovered significant differences between sexual offending and nonsexual offending adolescents in the areas of sexual abuse. Lastly, Burton (2003) determined that sex offender’s methods of abuse mimicked that which was done to them. The introduction, method, results, and discussion of each study is addressed and the link between prior sexual abuse and future sex offending behaviors become apparent.

    Read More

  • The Effect of Childhood Sexual Abuse during Adulthood

    1293 Words  | 3 Pages

    There have been a large number of studies that compared adults that had been sexually abused as well as adults that had not and what their differences were. What about the effects that child abuse has on Adults? This study purpose is to try and pinpoint the effects that psychosexual functioning in adults has on sexually abused children. During this study it got a closer look at how events of childhood sexual abuse effected psychosexual functioning, emotional, behavioral and evaluative after childhood. This article looks at the effect that childhood sexual abuse can have on an adult. It compares the different effects if the child tells someone when the attack happens or if they don’t what the long term effects could be. The questionnaire was given to find out which effect child abuse had on 165 different adults: fear of sex and guilt during sex, issues with physical touch, sexual arousal, and sexual satisfaction. First the characteristics of the adults have to be determined. They were looking and determine characteristics like age...

    Read More

  • Child Abuse in A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer

    1704 Words  | 4 Pages

    In American society today we fail to address several issues that need to be addressed. Unfortunately, child abuse is one of the major issues that our country is plagued with, yet we neglect to bring this to the attention of the entire nation. It is often over looked because everyone has a different view of what exactly defines child abuse. The International Child Abuse Network (ICAN) uses four basis categories to docunment the child abuse cases. They are: emotional abuse, neglect, physical abuse, and sexual abuse. I will be describing the first three.

    Read More

  • Effects of Childhood Sexual Abuse in Adulthood

    1200 Words  | 3 Pages

    Child abuse is a serious issue in today's society. Many people have been victims of child abuse. There are three forms of child abuse: physical, emotional, and sexual. Many researchers believe that sexual abuse is the most detremental of the three. A middle-aged adult who is feeling depressed will probably not relate it back to his childhood, but maybe he should. The short-term effects of childhood sexual abuse have been proven valid, but now the question is, do the long-term effects of childhood sexual abuse affect middle-aged adults? Many contradicting views arise from the subject of childhood sexual abuse. Researchers and psychologists argue on this issue. Childhood sexual abuse has the potential to damage a child physically, emotionally, and behaviorally for the rest of his or her childhood, and the effects have been connected to lasting into middle-aged adulthood.

    Read More

  • Risk Factors Of Child Abuse

    1962 Words  | 4 Pages

    Family risk factors are those factors associated with the child’s family. They include common conflict and physical violence in the family, history of child sexual abuse in the family, poor child adults relationship especially those of the opposite sex and supportive family environment to such abuse. Community factors include poor neighborhoods, lack of support from the legal system, community tolerance towards sexual violence and high levels of crime in the neighborhood (Finkelhor et al,

    Read More

  • Promiscuity And Powerlessness

    191 Words  | 1 Pages

    . “Sexual abuse experiences that are perpetrated by family members or other trusted persons obviously involve more potential for betrayal than those involving strangers” (Browne & Finkelhor, 1985, Pg. 3). The third concept was powerlessness, which can also be disempowerment. The last one is stigmatization, which is the negative connotation such as guilt and shame that the child incorporated into their self-image. Promiscuity and compulsive sexual behaviors are some of the characteristics of CSA victims then they become adolescents or adults. As an adult, the victim may start showing signs of impaired judgment about trustworthiness of other people or become desperate to find a redeeming relationship (Browne & Finkelhor, 1985). This research

    Read More

  • Child Abuse in the United States

    707 Words  | 2 Pages

    Child abuse goes way back in history starting from the time when a little 10 year old girl got removed from her parents home in 1874. The case is connected to the founding of the New York Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children, which gave rise to the founding of similar societies (National Association of Counsel for Children). Most children under the age of 3 tended to have a higher rate of victimization and girls had a higher risk than boys. Sexual abuse was frequently associated with family problems such as parental alcholism, parental rejection, and parental marital conflict (Bright Futures 4 Kids). Throughtout history, child abuse seems to be less crucial and likely than it was before because back then there was a lower rate of child care. Man...

    Read More

  • Essay On Behaviour Is A Socio Cultural Construct

    1524 Words  | 4 Pages

    Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory will be applied throughout this essay to delve into the reasoning behind particular behavioural issues. According to Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory, an individual has multiple environments known as their ecological systems (Bronfenbrenner, 1994). Bronfenbrenner (1994) suggests that a developing child is influenced by the relationships surrounding them and the best way to understand a child’s behaviour is to look at the numerous aspects of the child’s environment and how they interact with each other. The relationships and environments that the child interacts with have been separated into layers known as the microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem and the overarching chronosystem (Bronfenbrenner, 1994). The microsystem is the environment where the child has direct face-to-face relationships such as at home, day care and school (Bronfenbrenner, 1994). The relationships formed within the microsystem directly impact the development of a child (Bronfenbrenner, 1994). It is through the processes of repeated interactions with people, objects and symbols that the human develops (Bronfenbrenner, 1994). The second layer in the ecological model is the mesosystem, which is the interaction between two of the microsystems such as the relationship between a parent and a teacher (Bronfenbrenner, 1994). The exosystem is an external environment, with which the

    Read More

  • The Severity of Child Sexual Abuse

    1021 Words  | 3 Pages

    Zieve, David, Juhn, Greg, and Eltz, David R. "Child Abuse-Sexual." New York Times. N.p., 13 Oct. 2008. Web. 12 Jan. 2014.

    Read More

  • Child Abuse Is A Social Problem

    1365 Words  | 3 Pages

    Child abuse is a social problem in America that has many contributed factors. Factors that contribute to child abuse and neglect includes poverty, divorce, substance use, lack of education, stress due to unemployment, mental health issues, teenage parent, and a history of child abuse in the family. It took decades for physicians to conclude that parents have been violently assaulting their children. Child abuse, child labor, juvenile delinquency, and similar social questions historically were ethical and moral problems, not strictly medical ones. (Helfer, Kempe, & Krugman, 1997). In 1962, the Journal of American Medical Association published “The Battered-Child Syndrome.” The article transformed society’s views and dates the rediscovery of child abuse as a social problem. Following this article, the U.S. Children’s Bureau adopted the first laws mandating physicians to report any suspicions of abuse and neglect to the police or child welfare. By 1974, some 60,000 cases were reported. In 1980, the number exceeded one million (Myers J. E., 2004).

    Read More

  • The Gravity of Domestic Violence in America

    1422 Words  | 3 Pages

    Although physical abuse is the most recognized form of domestic violence, sexual abuse on a child is the most common, and despite the fact that 91 percent of sexual abuse is committed by a non-family member, it still takes place in the child’s home. This kind of activity can drastically change the behavior and judgment of children with their sexuality, self-esteem, and overall outlook on life.

    Read More

  • Nature Vs Nurture Theory Bronfenbrenner

    1023 Words  | 3 Pages

    The first system, microsystem, is the immediate environment around a child, such as their family and carers, as this is where most of a child’s nurture will come from. From these interactions, they are going to develop the social skills and their morals. This is supported by https://www.psychologynoteshq.com,

    Read More

  • Child Sexual Abuse Essay

    1390 Words  | 3 Pages

    It is most important to understand that children and teens of all racial, religious, ethnic, gender and age groups, at all socio-economic levels are sexually abused. Although there are risk factors that may increase the possibility of sexual abuse, sex abuse can be found in all types of families, communities, and cultures (The Scope of, 2016). Childhood sexual abuse is an important issue to address because the impact of sexual does not end when the abuse ends. Childhood trauma follows into adulthood and can have long-range effects. “Survivors of sexual abuse are at significantly greater risks for severe and chronic mental health issues, including alcoholism, depression, anxiety, PTSD and high risk behaviors” (The Scope Of, 2016). Victims may experience traumatic sexualization, or the shaping of their sexuality in “developmentally inappropriate” and “interpersonally dysfunctional” ways (Effects of Child, 2012). “A child who is the victim of prolonged sexual abuse usually develops low self-esteem, a feeling of worthlessness and an abnormal or distorted view of sex. The child may become withdrawn and mistrustful of adults, and can become suicidal” (Effects of Child, 2012). Overall, the effects and impact of childhood sexual abuse are long lasting and do not diminish when the abuse ends, their childhood trauma follows them into

    Read More

More about Childhood Sexual Abuse And Bronfenbrenner's Ecological System Theory

Open Document