Child abuse in its many forms is a major social issue in current society. Child abuse is defined as “the non-accidental behaviour by parents, caregivers, other adults or older adolescents that is outside the norms of conduct and entails a substantial risk of causing physical or emotional harm to a child or young person” (Australian Institute of Family Studies, 2014). There are five types of child abuse, physical, emotional, sexual, neglect and the witnessing of family violence. It has the potential to impact on the development and wellbeing of the individual throughout the lifespan. This paper will examine the impact child abuse has on the physical development, emotion development, social development and wellbeing of the infant. This paper …show more content…
When abuse is suspected it is important for the nurse to gather as much information as possible by make thorough notes, observe behaviour, consult colleagues, talk to the child and the parents. However as every situation is different it is important for the nurse to evaluate on a case-by-case basis and respond accordingly (Wilder, 2012). The registered nurse is mandated to notify child protection if there is any abuse suspected. As a mandated notifier, there is a legal obligation to report to child protection if it is believed on reasonable grounds that a child is in need of protection (Nayda, 2005). This report needs to be completed without delay. There are also obligations reporting any further times it is believed the child needs protection. It is important that mandatory reporting is understood, the reporter does not have to provide evidence that abuse is occurring, they are solely report their belief that a child is in need of protection (Nayda, 2005). It is also impetrative that reports are made. The mandatory requirements take precedence over any professional codes of practice where client confidentiality exists (Nayda, 2005). When making a report it is important to include as many details as possible out the child, the indicator the injury may be non-accidental, the reason the call is being made, an assessment of the current safety of the child and the …show more content…
There five types of child abuse, physical, sexual, neglect emotional and witnessing domestic violence. Child abuse has a colossal impact on the development of children. Failure to thrive is four times more likely to occur in a child or infant that has experienced abuse. Abuse can also developmentally delay infants in reaching milestones in their development. It can also cause the infant to regress in their development and lose abilities that have already been reached. Child abuse can cause a long lasting impact, as the brain is at it most important development in early childhood. Recurrent abuse can cause the child to be more reactive and less adaptable to stressful situations. There are many signs that abuse is occurring, in Mia’s scenario the time difference between the injury and seeking assistance can be seen as a red flag. It is important to look at each suspected case individually and note all the factors before coming to a conclusion. Registered nurses have the responsibility to report any suspected abuse to child services due to mandatory reporting legislation. When reporting it is important to relay as much information as possible that can be obtained in the specific situation. Due to the legislation of mandatory reporting overrides any policy of confidentiality of the
Ward, H. et al, 2012. Safeguarding babies and very young children from abuse and neglect. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. P 205.
All children are vulnerable and open to be abused by any adult that has contact with them. As an early years practitioner, it is exceptionally important to be able to recognise when a child’s behaviour is changing for the worst and link this to signs of abuse. As the early years setting is an establishment young children know well and are comfortable in, adults present can make children somewhat aware of what abuse is, how it is wrong and what they must do if they recognise abuse may be or is being inflicted upon them.
Thurston, C. (2006). Child abuse: recognition of causes and types of abuse. Practice Nurse, 31(10), 51-57.
They emphasise that the needs of the children and families must be at the centre of the child care and child protection activities and the welfare of children is of paramount importance. The investigation that is carried out involves an intrusion of privacy; however, this is dismissed due to the greater good of protecting the child and other potential victims. There is also a need to honour legal and constitutional imperatives to punish the criminal abuser. (Children First National Guidelines for the protection and welfare of Children, 2017). One of the primary considerations of these guidelines is to minimise the stress caused by the investigation and assessment of child abuse.
The effects of abuse tend to vary with different children but any type of abuse can cause serious damage. Not all children display the same responses to physical and emotional abuse. A few of the typical emotional responses include; showing excessive fear, extreme anger, low self-esteem, and an inability to trust adult figures. In contrast a few physical responses are difficulties developing speech patters, difficulties getting involved with other ch...
This assignment will discuss “Amie’s case study” and will explore some of the risks that she is exposed too and how they can have effect on her welfare. I will start by defining what is child safeguarding centred on the legislation framework of the Children Act 2004. I will also look on what is abuse and naming types of abuse, and establish the knowledge and understanding of Assessment Framework in Amie’s case. I will also look at multi-professional strategies that can provide help and protect Amie and her siblings according to legal legislation.
Lamont, A. (2010). Effects of child abuse and neglect for children and adolescents [Family study]. Retrieved from Australian institute of family studies: www.aifs.gov.au
The early childhood years are a period of rapid change in the brain, this leaves children exceptionally vulnerable to psychological abuse. Psychological abuse includes rejecting, ignoring, criticizing, belittling, humiliating, threatening with violence, or otherwise terrorizing the child, all of which have the effect of eroding the child's self-esteem and sense of security. Psychological abuse can come as a result of actions that do not specifically target the child. Studies show that children who have experienced domestic violence are more anxious and insecure then those who do not. Children who observe violence react with many of the same psychological symptoms as children who have experienced it directly. Psychological abuse is often accompanied by other forms of abuse. It is difficult to prove, however, and rarely is
Calam, Rachel. Child Abuse and its consequences: observational approaches. Cambridge, N.Y.: Cambridge University Press, 1987.
To understand child protection in regards to safeguarding children and young people a number of factors need to be considered. It is the responsibility of all service providers, educational and health services that work with children and young people in schools where teaching staff have daily contact or external service providers and professionals who come into contact with them on a regular basis to abide by their duty of care by taking reasonable measures to ensure they protect them from any form of harm, abuse or neglect.
Child abuse is a problem that affects the well-being of children, and it is something that can be avoided with the proper detection and implementation of interventions (Sanders Jordan & Hatfield Steelman, 2015). Harris discussed bruises and disclosed that detected abuse is relevant to a nurse working with families because they can assess for signs such as suspicious bruising, areas in which this occur include the back, genitals, abdomen, cheeks, and neck (2015). The abuse they experience can result in them obtaining the most mental health problem, compared to other children who do not encounter abuse (Ben-David, 2016). Caneira, & Myrick discussed in their journal that child abuse is important to detect as soon as possible because it can go on to affect them later in life, this is the case with pregnant women who experience post traumatic stress disorder from childhood abuse and end up resulting in adverse perinatal outcomes due to bad self care behaviours (2015). Using screening techniques will reduce the amount of children who experience abuse and go unrecognized. Using these techniques, addition resources, and establishing a therapeutic relationship with the patients, will help in minimizing the amount of child abuse (Caneira, & Myrick, 2015). Child abuse is relevant to health care professionals working with families and should be routinely assessed to minimize the
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.
Munro (2003) states child abuse is treating a child in a way that is harmful or morally wrong however, goes on to explain it is hard to find a universal agreement of the definition of child abuse. NSPCC (2010) further explains child abuse as maltreatment of a child. This can be done directly by inflicting harm or indirectly by failing to prevent harm from happening. Abuse can be perpetrated by an adult or another child. Working Together to Safeguard Children (2013) states that it’s the responsibility of everyone who works with children to make sure that a child is safeguarded and their welfare promoted. The Purpose of this essay is firstly to discuss risk factors posed to Simone and Sasha through the scenario provided and highlight ways a professional should assess whether a child is suffering from an abusive or neglectful situation. Secondly the appropriate action that needs to be taken, and the support that needs to be given, and what services will be involved with the family in order to prevent a family brake down while safeguarding and protecting the children’s welfare, will also be discussed. Lastly this essay will draw on current legislation, guidance and procedures that promote multi– agency working in order to effectively safeguard and promote children’s welfare.
One of the most obvious and damaging results of child abuse is death; however, research illustrating the effects on a growing child who has been abused has demonstrated many other lifelong negative factors (Felitti, Anda, Nordenberg, Williamson, Spitz, Edwards, Koss, Marks, 1998). In consonance children who suffer from abuse can show signs of depression, social withdraw, and even violent behavior. As a child grows older, they may suffer from poor physical health, such as high blood pressure, obesity, stress, and psychological disorders and disabilities (Herronkohl, T., Hong, Klika, and Herronkohl, R., 2013). Child abuse and neglect have also been associated with depression, anger disorders, and post-traumatic
In this competitive world, companies have to deal with various types of risk all the time with there projects. Generally, it affects the budget and schedule of the project. So it is important to keep in mind the risk management strategies while creating an initial project plan.