For my current reflection, I chose to study maltreatment of children. Maltreatment is cruel treatment or mistreatment and it may be violent. Child maltreatment comes in many forms such as physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse and neglect (Papalia, 2015). This matter affects many children all over the world; it has emotional and physical effects on children that may be long-lasting if it is not resolved. The child will likely need help from a therapist resolving emotional and physical effects that have been left of them. “Do you feel safe at home?” is an important part of getting a check-up is when the healthcare provider asks this question. Also, asking if that child or teen has experienced abuse during their lifetime because a person’s history of abuse is very important for their future (Peeke, …show more content…
If soon-to-be parents had education about early childhood development it may lead to less deaths in children. Many of the deaths are due to accidents, some are maltreatment on purpose. Parents should be required to learn how to properly handle situations with their children for example, the proper way to discipline a child. Confused parents may be getting frustrated and they turn to ignoring the child (neglect), putting the child down with hurtful words to shut them up (emotional) or hurting the child to get them out of the way (physical) and all of this will lead to a harmful situation for the young, confused child. Dr. Papalia stresses how maltreatment can be brought on by the parents due to other issues with money, family or drugs as well. Many children that are abused are from poor, single-parent families and most of these children are being neglected. One-third of maltreatment cases involve substance abuse (Papalia, 2015). Eight out of ten cases of maltreatment the parents are the perpetrators although some cases it may be a family friend, or a family member (Papalia,
Child abuse can be Physical, Sexual, Emotional, and Physiological Abuse. Child abuse is not only just about abuse but neglect as well. The difference between abuse and neglect is, that abuse is the maltreatment of someone and neglect is failure to give the proper care to a person (Jilani, 2010). Neglect has different types as well, such as Educational, Emotional, and Physical Neglect. Every place in the world has some types of statistics on Child Abuse and Neglect. For example, “The United States has one of the worst records among industrialized nations – losing on average between four and seven children every day to child abuse and neglect (Childhelp, n.d.).” The fact that so many young lives are lost before they even get to begin is
Child abuse or maltreatment of children can occur in all families, despite their social class or status, race or religion. Families from all walks of life can experience child abuse or maltreatment. There is no single cause for child abuse, whereas, many factors can contribute to child maltreatment. Many forces combined together,
“Simply having children does not make mothers,” said john A. Shedd (“John”). When it comes to child maltreatment this is especially true, if a parent does not know how to take care of a child, they can abuse or neglect their child. The definition that the Centers for disease Control and Prevention uses is, “Any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or any other caregiver that results in harm, potential for harm, or threat of harm to a child.” Maltreatment can be split into two umbrella categories, acts of omission or acts of commission. Acts of omission are most commonly known as neglect, and can include not meeting the child’s physical, emotional, educational, or medical needs. An act of commission is most commonly physical abuse, but can also extend to the psychological or sexual abuse of a child (“Child Maltreatment”). Child maltreatment is a problem worldwide; the only way to stop it is to give parents a better understanding of the issue.
Child abuse in America is an ongoing problem and something needs to be done. There are approximately one million children abused annually in the United States. (Table 339) Cases of child abuse and neglect are reported every ten seconds, and researchers believe that there’s three times that amount that goes unnoticed. (Child Abuse: Know the Signs and Stop the Violence Against Children.) Something needs to be done for these children who are too weak and too powerless to help themselves.
Children often learn by observing others and normally while growing up, they all have someone that they look up to. They are normally seen to be innocent at a young age when they do not know any better. But there are many of cases in which children do not have the luxury of being with people that love them and treat them right. In most cases, children get abused and neglected by their parents and/or guardians, urging for Child protective services to step in and save the child. Child maltreatment includes child abuse and child neglect and is a major problem in the United States. The National Bureau of Economic Research states that “Over a million children are victims of maltreatment annually” (Currie & Tekin 2006). Child maltreatment could lead a child down a path of delinquency and more should be done to stop this from happening, and providing better opportunities for children that
Child abuse is the intentional omission of care by a parent or guardian that can cause a
Since the beginning of our nation’s history, child abuse has made an impact of great measures. Many kids have become victims of abandonment, physical or sexual abuse, sex trade working, or criminals by default in order to survive. Though the cause and effect of child abuse can vary, it is a common problem within families. Today countless stories are documented of kids being abused by loved ones, in government programs, by caregivers and in other places deemed safe for children. However, because child abuse is a reoccurring factor in the history of America, the government is currently passing laws that enforce stricter punishment to individuals that cause maltreatment.
Many children suffer at the hands of adults - often their own parents. They are beaten, kicked, thrown into walls, and burned with cigarettes. They have their heads held under the water of toilet bowls, are scalded by hot water or they are forced to stand in freezing showers until they pass out. A child could be stuffed into running washing machines or sexually molested, suffer from neglect in the forms of starvation and lack of medical attention, and still go unnoticed by outsiders. In fact, it is estimated that about five children die every day in the U.S. from some form of child abuse. It is a sickening practice that has no set standard of rules to finish off the persisting problem. Different states have different methods and agencies to help prevent abuse in the home, some work quite well while others bomb - a dangerous gamble when it comes to the life or mental state of a child.
In Dent County alone, during the year of 2012, four children were physically abused, six were the objects of neglect, one was emotionally abused, and eleven more children were the victims of sexual abuse according to records kept by the Missouri Department of Social Services (“Child’s Division” 38). In that same year, 92,593 children were reported as being abused in the entire state of Missouri (“Child’s Division” 1). Fortunately, only 6,322 children were found to have been abused out of all of the children reported. However, an additional 7,092 were classified as ‘Unsubstantiated-Preventive Services Indicated.’ This means that not enough evidence existed to move further with prosecution, but still enough to indicate that abuse was imminent. Another 44,070 of the reports warranted an assessment of the child’s family in order to ensure the safety of the child (“Child’s Division” 5).
“The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act” states’ that “child abuse is the leading cause of death in children under the age of eighteen.” Child abuse occurs when adults inflict violence and cruelty upon children. Abuse is any willful act that results in physical, mental, or sexual injury that causes or is likely to cause the child to be physically, mental, or emotionally impaired. Abuse happens to children of any age, sex, race, religion, and social status.
Child abuse is a very serious problem, and many people have failed to help correct this issue. Child abuse comes in five different forms: Neglect, physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and medical abuse. Sadly, millions of children are exposed to all five forms of abuse during their childhood. Neglecting a child is when a person does not provide a child with his everyday needs. Physical abuse is leaving bruises, broken bones, and other marks on a child. Emotional abuse is when a parent verbally assaults their child resulting in the child forgetting his self-worth. Sexual abuse or molestation of a child is when a person touches a child inappropriately and forces them to perform sexual acts with them. Medical abuse is when a child is
Child abuse is worldwide problem, according to the Journal of Child Abuse and Neglect it is interpreted as any recent act of failure to act the part of a parent or caretaker which which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation, an act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm. Abuse comes in many forms such as: emotional, physical, sexual, verbal and neglect. Neglect has been proven as the most common form of maltreatment. Furthermore, some foresee physical abuse is just getting bruised up or thrown around or hurt in an aggressive way, however, physical abuse can not only be physically traumatizing, but also emotionally traumatizing; The physical assaults are usually paired
Child maltreatment is a widespread issue that affects thousands of children every year. There are four common types of child maltreatment; sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse and neglect. All of these types of abuse are very serious and can have many consequences for the children and families. The most common consequence of severe child maltreatment is the removal of that child from their home (Benbenishty, Segev, Surkis, and Elias, 2002). Most social workers trying to determine the likelihood of removal evaluate the type and severity of abuse, as well as the child’s relationship with their parents (Benbenishty et al., 2002). When children are removed from their homes there are many options of alternative housing. The places they are allowed to live are a relative’s home, foster home, or a group home. In a study of children removed from their homes, 68% went to a foster home rather than a relative or another form of alternative housing (Faller, 1991). Reunification with a parent is the most common goal that is set forth by Child Protective Services even though recurrent abuse is likely to happen based upon the prior type of abuse and the age of the child (Connell et al., 2009). Child maltreatment is becoming a prevalent problem that has numerous consequences for both the child and family.
Child maltreatment can affect any child, usually aged 0-18, and it occurs across socioeconomic, religious, ethnic or even educational backgrounds. Arguably, child abuse and neglect is a violation of basic human rights of a child resulting from social, familial, psychological and economic factors (Kiran, 2011). Familial factors include lack of support, poverty, single parenthood, and domestic violence among others, (McCoy and Keen, 2009). The common types of child maltreatment include physical abuse, emotional maltreatment, neglect, and sexual abuse among others. Abuse and neglect can lead to a variety of impacts on children and young people such as physical, behavioral as well as psychological consequences which will affect the development and growth of the child either positively or negatively based on the environment and agency. More so, emotional, cognitive and physical developmental impacts from child neglect in the early stages of childhood can be carried on into adulthood. Research findings reveal that the experience of maltreatment can cause major long-term consequences on all aspects of a child’s health, growth as well as intellectual development and mental wellbeing, and these effects can impair their functioning as adults. Commonly, the act of abuse/ or neglect toward a child affects the child’s physical, behavioral development and growth, which can be positive or negative, depending on the child’s environment and agency. Another way to understand how the act has affected the child is to look at the child for who they are, and interviewing and observing their behaviors of their everyday life.
According to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) (n.d.), the causes of child abuse are 1) poverty, 2) less education, 3) unemployment, 4) changes in address, 5) marital problems, 6) lack of support, and 7) isolation. These factors are not only individual problems, but also social problems. Also, factors are considered to be interrelated to each other. For instance, parents in poverty are at higher risk of abused their children because they are more likely to struggle with economic problems because of unemployment. They are less likely to have stable jobs because of lack of education.