Prevention of Child Abuse - Term Paper Example

Child Abuse All children are important. Promoting the well-being of children have been the ultimate goal of parents, teachers, local communities, the state and organizations the world over. However, there are some adults who use children for their own selfish interests. Children are susceptible to being abused by adults due to their age, immaturity, incompetence to decide for themselves, and their naivety without thinking of the repercussions of actions imposed upon them. In this regard, this essay aims to proffer relevant issues pertaining to child abuse. It would initially define child abuse and determine the forms of abuse inflicted on children. In addition, the warning signs of child abuse and neglect would be assessed. A transcript of a child previously abused was examined and briefly presented. Finally, ways of preventing child abuse would be identified to address this dangerous dilemma. Definition of Child Abuse Child abuse is defined by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC 2009) as “the term used when an adult harms a child or a young person under the age of 18” (par. 1). Medline Plus (2010) includes the phrase “failing to do something that results in harm to a child or puts a child at risk of harm” (par. 1) in the definition. Child abuse endangers the welfare of children as adults who are expected to give them their much needed protection either deliberately inflicts harm or neglects taking them under their holistic care. Forms of Child Abuse Conflicts arise when the interests and rights of people, particularly of children, do not coincide. More importantly, the study of issues on child abuse aims to ensure that their welfare is properly safeguarded against adults who apply power as a way to impose their actions and selfish interest on them. There are several forms of child abuse, to wit: physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse and neglect. Physical abuse entails injuring the child or inflicting physical harm through punishment. Adults may or may not deliberately harm the child but the force of their actions hurt them physically. Most common of the physical abuse uses the belt to punish a child’s wrong doing. Emotional abuse, on the other hand, is not immediately discerned by leaves psychological damage affecting both the child’s mental development and health status. Emotional abuses could take any of the following forms: (1) “constant belittling, shaming, and humiliating a child; (2) calling names and making negative comparisons to others; (3) telling a child he or she is “no good," "worthless," "bad," or "a mistake"; (4) frequent yelling, threatening, or bullying; (5) ignoring or rejecting a child as punishment, giving him or her the silent treatment; (6) limited physical contact with the child—no hugs, kisses, or other signs of affection; or (7) exposing the child to violence or the abuse of others, whether it be the abuse of a parent, a sibling, or even a pet” (Saisan, Smith & Segal, 2009, par. 14). Sexual abuse exposes the child to sexual situations and could or could not involve body contact. Abuse of this type is not commonly reported due to the stigma, shame and guilt associated with it. More often, sexual abuse is done by adults who are familiar to the children: a family member, neighbor, friend, or any acquaintance. Finally, neglect is the failure to provide for the basic needs of children: food, shelter, clothing, or supervision. Adults who are expected to support them might suddenly become incapacitated due to illness, economic problems, depression, or anxiety. In this regard, neglected children remain to have physical and emotional needs that remain unmet. Warning Signs for Child Abuse and Neglect Children who have been subjected to any of the forms of abuse display some warning signs which signal for immediate help and assistance. From among the most prominent signals are: (1) exhibiting excessive fear, withdrawal, and anxiety in their actions; (2) demonstrates antithetical behavior (extremes); (3) unattached behavior to parent or caregiver; (4) unexplained physical injuries such as cuts, bruises; (4) wearing of inappropriate or ill-fitted clothing; (5) displays unhygienic behavior; (6) avoids certain kinds of people; or (7) runs away from home. Interview of Child who was Abused There was Holli Marshall who was interviewed as one of the "Survivors of Sexual Abuse on Online Conference Transcript (Healthy Place, 2009). She indicated that she was first sexually abused when she was 5 years old by an 18 year old male babysitter. Since then, she had been subjected to all of the four types of abuse: physical, emotional and verbal abuse by her mother, who was diagnosed to be sick of dissociative identity disorder’; verbal abuse by an alcoholic father; sexually abused even by her brother and boys in the neighborhood; and neglect by not being fed properly and on time, not being supervised or attended to by her parents and siblings. In the process, she sustained psychological problems in terms of being diagnosed to have post traumatic stress disorder, anorexia, nightmares, flashbacks, hot and cold sweats, abdominal distress, stomach pain, migraines, nervousness and anxiety. Prevention of Child Abuse The Child Welfare Information Gateway(CWIG, 2008) have identified that “concerned citizens and organizations are realizing that the best way to prevent child abuse is to help parents develop the skills and identify the resources they need to understand and meet their childrens emotional, physical, and developmental needs and protect their children from harm” (par. 1). There are preventions programs, protective factors and ways to help children who are abused. From among the identified prevention programs are: (1) utilize public service announcements; (2) a curricula that teaches children skills to protect themselves and keep them safe; (3) an education course for parents to enhance their parenting skills and decrease behavior for neglect; (4) support groups for parents; (5) visitation by community health care practitioners in the home; (6) crisis care and respite programs which give temporary care to children when faced in stressful situations; and (7) resource centers for the family. The protective factors, on the other hand, “help parents who might otherwise be at risk of abusing or neglecting their children to find resources, supports, or coping strategies that allow them to parent effectively, even under stress” (CWIG, 2008, par. 15). According to Rutter (1987) social workers and health care “practitioners need to consider promoting children’s ability to resist adversity as well as reducing risk factors”. The practitioners should be aware of the level of exposure to managed levels of difficulty to attain resilience rather than damage. Parents or caregivers have primary responsibilities in ensuring that the children under their care are safe in their natural and social environment. However, when child abuse is perpetuated by these adults who are expected to accord them protection, then, the responsibility of safeguarding and protecting the welfare of abused children lies in the hands of the members of the entire community. By being aware of the warning signs for abused children, responsive community members should report the incident immediately to authorized local or state agencies to immediately prevent and address this debilitating issue. Conclusion Despite the global concern for promoting well-being to all children, there still exist children who are abandoned, abused, neglected, and an unwanted. Children are the most important source of happiness and hope for parents. But as averred by Foley (2008), “promoting the wellbeing of all children requires sustained commitment from many different kinds of people, their governments and their institutions, among whom there will be widely contrasting views about roles and responsibilities towards children and families”. A child’s concept of self depends, to an extent, on what one thinks that others think about oneself. Even at very young ages, children recognize the importance of the concept of “fitting-in”. The positive feedbacks they receive assist them in building a positive identity further enabling them to respond and react appropriately to their environment. As children mature, they can accept or reject the appraisals of others and change their behavior in a way that leads to a more positive self-concept and identity. Adults, therefore, have the responsibility to maintain a positive self-concept and identity – free from any form of abuse. There are various organizations worldwide which monitor and address pressing issues that endanger the very existence and survival of children. By recognizing which weaknesses or threats need to be specifically addressed, a child would be accorded with the exact developmental strategy to ensure the promotion of a positive identity, a secured social circle, as well as a happy and bright future for the child. Works Cited: Foley, P. Introduction. Promoting children’s well-being: policy and practice. The Open University. United Kingdom. 2008. Print. Healthy Place. Survivors of Sexual Abuse. 01 Feb. 2009. Web. 03 April 2010. < http://www.healthyplace.com/abuse/transcripts/survivors-of-sexual-abuse/menu-id-52/> Medline Plus. Child Abuse. 26 March 2010. Web. 03 April 2010. < http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/childabuse.html> National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC). What is Child Abuse? 2009. Web. 03 April 2010. Rutter, M. ‘Psychosocialresilienceandprotectivemechanisms’ in Rolf, J., Masten, A., Cichetti, D., Nuechterlein, K. and Weintraub, S. (eds) Risk and Protective Factors in the Development of Psychopathology. New York, Cambridge University Press. 1987. Print. Saisan, Joanna, Smith, Melinda & Segal, Jeane. Child Abuse and Neglect. Dec. 2009. Web. 03 April 2010. < http://helpguide.org/mental/child_abuse_physical_emotional_sexual_neglect.htm> Read More