Child Abuse Essay

Family violence encompasses child abuse, intimate partner violence, and elder abuse. Each of these forms of abuse can include psychological, physical, and sexual components (Fife, 2012). Family violence is not discriminate towards one type of individual; instead it crosses all socioeconomic, demographic, educational, and religious boundaries.
A report of child abuse is made every ten seconds ("National child abuse"). Child abuse as defined by the CAPTA Reauthorization Act of 2010 defines child abuse and neglect as, at minimum:
“Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation; or an act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm.”
Reports of parent-child abuse such as infanticide, abandonment, neglect, and other forms of violence such as physical and sexual abuse have been documented in literature such as old novels and diaries or in modern day autobiographies and records.
Mommie Dearest, best selling autobiography, turned motion picture, depicts the abusive and traumatic adoptive upbringing of Christina Crawford from her Hollywood famous mother Joan Crawford. Joan, despite her problems with alcohol, men, and the pressures from her job, decides to adopt children. However, when these problems begin to combine, Joan turns into a mentally and physically abusive wreck.
The parent-child abuse begins when Christina begins to rebel against her mother’s strict demands and standards. It is important to realize that as the film precedes the acts of abuse become more violent, which is what occurs in most cases of violence. The first act of abuse is when Joan intentionally surpasses Christina in a swimming po...

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...ture. Unlike biological parents, stepparents as well as adoptive parents don’t have this restraint, which is why abuse on the children in these types of relationships is fifty to a hundred times greater (Daly & Wilson, 1998).
Malicious violent attacks on the innocent in society, occurs in family settings. Child abuse encompasses physical, emotional, and sexual components, all of which can seriously harm and change a child’s outlook on life. The film Mommie Dearest, which is based on real case of child abuse, portrays different levels of abuse directed toward the daughter of the antagonist. Although there is no known cause as to why some parents abuse their child each act of violence can be derived from several different risk factors such as, a single mother, family systems theory, substance abuse, inclusive fitness, and nepotistic restraint.