Big Lipped Parents - Essay Example

Big-Lipped Parents Child abuse refers to one’s inability to give his or her child sufficient care through inflicting injuries, sexual abuse, and emotional harm. According to Fontes, culture and child abuse often conflict with each other (1). Moreover, it is at times difficult for one to determine whether a child has been abused after undergoing cultural initiation. However, whenever cultural initiation causes any form of physical injury or emotional harm, it should be considered a form of child abuse.

As a result, one could argue that when parents place plates on their child’s lips, the practice should be construed as child abuse. Placing plates on a girl’s lips causes physical injury. It leads to the sagging of the lips, hence damaging her physical appearance. This practice, therefore, should be perceived as a form of child abuse because it causes physical injury. Moreover, sagging of the lips causes emotional harm. When admitted to school, the girl may undergo a lot of emotional stress because her peers may segregate her.

According to Kathleen, a practice that causes emotional harm to a child is usually considered a form of child abuse (62). Finally, logically speaking, planting plates on a girl’s lips does not make her attractive. Despite it being culturally accepted, it causes more harm than good to the child. Fontes asserts that the harm that culture causes, physical and emotional, makes it a form of child abuse (16). As their neighbor, I would talk to their daughter to talk to her parents. I would tell her to inform them of the emotional suffering that they would inflict on her.

She should also emphasize the possibility that emotional suffering might affect her grades. As a result, she should tell them that she would prefer to stay at home rather than be demeaned at school. This might help change their stance if they care for their daughter (Fontes 24).