Child Abuse in A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer

1704 Words4 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. Emotional Abuse, (also known as: Verbal abuse, mental abuse, and psychological cruelty) includes acts or the failures to act by parents or caretakers that have caused or could cause serious behavioral, cognitive, emotional or mental disorders. This can include parents and/or caretakers using extreme or bizarre forms of punishment, such as the child being confined in a closet or dark room, being tied to a chair for long periods of time, or threatening or terrorizing a young mind. Less severe acts, but no less damaging is overly negative criticism or rejecting treatment, using degrading terms to describe the child, constant victimizing or blaming the child for situations. Neglect (the failure to provide for the child?s basic needs) can be physical, educational, or emotional. Physical neglect can include not providing adequate food, clothing, appropriate medical care, supervision, or proper weather protection (heating or coats) to the child. Educational neglect can include failure to provide appropriate schooling or special educational needs, allowing excessive truancies, to the child. Psychological neglect is the lack of any emotional support and love, never attending to the child, spousal abuse, or drug and alcohol abuse including allowing the child to participate in drug and alcohol use. Physical abuse is to cause or inflict physical injury upon the child. This may include, burning, hitting, punching, shaking, kicking, beating, or otherwise harming a child. The parent or caretaker may claim not to have intended to hurt the child, that the injury was an accident. It may have however, been the result of over-disciplines or physical punishment that is inappropriate to the child?s age. In 1998 NCANDS (National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System) calculated the Fatalities by Maltreatment, Child Abuse... ... middle of paper ... ... Year Published: 2004 3. The Child Welfare League of America. (1999). State Child Welfare Agency Survey. US Bureau of the Census; ?Estimates of the population of state by age, sex, race & Hispanic origin: 1990 to 1999;? published 12/29/99 Administration for Children and Families Fact Sheets and Publications Table of Contents: Child Maltreatment 2000 Chapter 5 4. The World Wide Web Virtual Library: The Men's Issues Page Child Abuse and Neglect Statistics from the National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse April, 1994 and 1995 Number of Child Abuse and Neglect Reports Nationwide · American Association for Protecting Children (AAPC). (1988) Highlights of Official Child Neglect and Abuse Reporting, 1986. Denver, CO.: American Humane Association. · Ogintz, E. The Littlest Victim. Chicago Tribune, Thursday, October 6, 1988. · Sedlak, A. (1990) Technical Amendments to the Study Findings--National Incidence and Prevalence of Child Abuse and Neglect: 1988. Rockville, MD: Westat, Inc. · Wiese, D. and Daro, D. (1995) Current Trends in Child Abuse Reporting and Fatalities: The Results of the 1994 Annual Fifty State Survey. Chicago, IL.: NCPCA.

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