Social Interaction and Relationships - Research Paper Example

A Closer Analysis on Child Abuse The welfare of children has been the primary concern of social scientists through time. The penultimate objectives of parents, teachers, social workers through local communities and state agencies globally acknowledge the need to promote and safeguard the well-being of each and every child. Sad to say, there are some relationships between parents and children that result in maltreatment and abuse due to various factors. Children have been found to be highly susceptible to abusive relationship and behavior by adults due to their tender age, naivety, immaturity, and incompetence to fully decide for themselves without realizing the effects and repercussions of actions imposed upon them.

In this regard, the essay aims to proffer issues pertinent to social interaction focusing on child abuse, as one type of relationship between a child and his or her parents, as studied through the eyes of a social psychologist. . ience, direct or indirect, coincide with the conclusions made through social science research; and finally, (4) if one could study the same behavior, how could it be done differently and how would one’s method ensure a higher level of accuracy. The Study of Child Abuse The Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education (CBSSE) published a report entitled Understanding Child Abuse and Neglect in 1993 delving into the critical issues pervading child abuse including its identification and definitions, the scope of the problem, etiology of maltreatment, prevention, consequences, and treatment, among others.

As indicated, it was only in 1976 that the first relevant statistics on child maltreatment was revealed and covered by the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (CBSSE, 1993, 78). The incidence and prevalence of child abuse and maltreatment were revealed to be sourced from “congressionally mandated maltreatment reports, population-based surveys of specific types of maltreatment, surveys of maltreatment in special population subgroups (e.g., disabled children), and cross-national data” (CBSSE, 1993, 79).

Current statistics from the National Child Abuse agency show a continually increasing trend of abuse and maltreatment from 1995 until 2007 (Child Help, 2011). The figures reveal an alarming number of approximately “5.8 million children were involved in an estimated 3.2 million child abuse reports and allegations… (of which) 90% of child sexual abuse victims know the perpetrator in some way; 68% are abused by family members” (Child Help, 2011, 1). The mandatory reporting of child abuse and neglect has been expounded by Smith (2009) to indicate that “all states require certain professionals and institutions to report suspected child abuse,