Overview of Child Abuse

2002 Words5 Pages

A 19-year-old new mother, named Sheryl asked her boyfriend to watch her 8-month-old baby while she went shopping. Her boyfriend kindly agreed assuming that the baby would fall asleep, and he would continue watching the game. However like most newborn babies, Sheryl’s child was a little fussy and was crying. That caused Sheryl’s boyfriend to get annoyed and agitated. He went over to the baby, picked him up and shook him hard. When Sheryl came home she found her baby injured, unfortunately what happened to Sheryl’s baby it’s something that happens to many children in America every day. Child abuse is a very serious issue, that I believe has been neglected and we as a society haven’t done enough to protect these children. In this essay I will be speaking about what child abuse is; I will discuss physical, emotional and sexual abuse. I will also cover the affects that children endure due to child abuse. According to the Child Welfare Information Gateway, child abuse is when a parent or caretaker makes a decision that leads to the death, physical abuse, emotional abuse, or sexual exploitation of a child. American Society has always been described as being extremely focused on children, and their well-being. Almost every election there is a politician that stands up and gives a speech about how our kids are our future, how we need to protect and provide for our children, in order for them to succeed in life. Children are our future is repeated over and over again. “This idealized image seems, however, contradicted by various destructive aspects of child life in the United States such as widespread poverty, hunger, malnutrition, and exploitation” (Gil 637). The image about keeping our children safe isn’t as perfect or easy, as polit... ... middle of paper ... ...Web. 13 Apr. 2014. Margolin, Leslie, and John L. Craft. "Child Sexual Abuse by Caretakers." Family Relations 38.4 (1989): 450-55. Web. 12 Apr. 2014. Martin, Michael J., and James Walter. "Familial Correlates of Selected Types of Child Abuse and Neglect." Journal of Marriage and Family 44.2 (1982): 267-76. Web. 12 Apr. 2014. Marshall, Elizabeth. "The Daughter's Disenchantment: Incest as Pedagogy in Fairy Tales and Kathryn Harrison's The Kiss." National Council of Teachers of English 66.4 (2004): 403-26. Web. 13 Apr. 2014. Sinanan, Allison N. "Bridging the Gap of Teacher Education about Child Abuse." (2011): 59-73. Web. 13 Apr. 2014. Valman, H B. "Child Abuse." British Medical Journal (Clinical Research Edition) 294.6572 (1987): 633-35. Web. 12 Apr. 2014. Weaver, Ray. "Measuring the Child-Porn Trade." Wall Street Journal . N.p., 18 Apr. 2006. Web. 7 May 2014

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