Legislation and Policies Against Child Abuse - Essay Example

Legislation and policies against child abuse Child abuse is one of the most common hurdles in the modern children’s lives. It can bedefined as the harsh or unfavorable treatment rendered to children. Child abuse include; social, physical and psychological torture, neglecting children’s needs, leaving them unattended or supervised, killing their self-esteem among others. All these results to emotional harm to children. There are several challenges limiting efforts to curb these undesirable treatments to children and they include; lack of strict and appropriate policies and legislations regarding child abuse, difficulty in detecting child abuse since a time there are no scars or marks left on children’s bodies among others (Hoyano & Keenan, 2010). This work is about stipulated policies and legislations with regard to child abuse. It also focuses on the relevant professionals responsible for reducing child abuse in the society as well as the hurdles or challenges involved. There are different types of child abuse in the modern society. However, all child abuse is associated with emotional problems in their lives. It is a child’s right to appreciate and enjoy protection from parents or guardians. Emotional child abuse is associated with poor mental and social child development. This results from frequent shaming and child humiliations, belittling, negative comparisons, common yelling to children, ignoring a child as a kind of punishment or rather silent treatment, lack of affection to children and threatening or bullying a child. Neglecting children is another kind of child abuse. Parents in the modern world are entirely engaged in their careers to an extent that they do not have adequate time for their children as required by the law. Some parents do not cater for their children’s needs like clothing, food, shelter, food, education, security and others. This is the most kind of abuse in the current generation since the majority of parents are physically or emotionally impaired to offer such needs to their children (Starr, 2003). Furthermore, it is difficult to detect since parents have different financial abilities to cater for their childs needs. Older children rarely show the external signs or indications of neglect. Some are forced to play the parenting role to feed and shelter them. Physical child abuse includes body harms and injuries to the child. Extreme or severe caning and beating to children may result to bruises and wounds on a child’s body. Punishments should be in accordance with a child’s age and health condition. Child sexual abuse occurs when a child is physically sexually assaulted or his or her private body parts are publicly aired or mishandled. The irony of this abuse is that it is commonly committed by those trusted and well known by the child. It is among the most common child abuse to be detected and dealt with, since the majority of victims shy from reporting such incidences. Researchers lament that dealing or detecting child abuse is not easy among several families due certain myths associated with the act. The majority of community members believes strangers are more likely to abuse a certain child but not a family member. However, this myth has been disapproved since more abuses are caused by parents and other family members. Arresting a parent for mistreating his/ her child is a great challenge for such parents could the main/ sole family bread winner. This means that the rest of the family members may suffer upon such arrests (Geisler, 2000). Another myth is that child abuse only occurs in poor neighborhood. This has made several abuses in rich families go unnoticed. The majority of society members believes that child abuse victims are the ‘bad’ people ranging from drug addicts among others. But this is not true since some parents abuse their children because they too were abused and they may lack the appropriate parenting skills. Detecting such incidences may not be easy, hence majority of children still remains abused behind closed doors. There are several effects resulting from child abuse depending on the magnitude and frequency. Some abuses leave some scars or marks on the victims, more so physical child abuse. However, some leaves no evidence, for instance, emotional or psychological assault or tortures leave no any indication of the child’s body. Hence it requires qualified psychological therapists to identify and handle such abuses rendered to children. Research indicates that abused children are likely to have difficulty trusting and have healthy relationships with relatives, family members, their peers and teachers among other people in the society. The parent - child relationship is so fundamental for a child growth and development. It forms the base of every relationship the child would develop in the future. Abused children hardly discuss or talk their problems to their parents or guardians. Abused children hardly get along with their caretakers from the fear that all adults are cruel and unfriendly. Child abuse kills children’s self-esteem. A child would always believe what he/she is told (Sultz, 2010). A child would believe he is stupid when told so. Such beliefs would hinder them from socializing or discussing with their peers in learning institutions. A sexually abused child is always guilty and feels unworthy in the society. Some are unable to report such incidences because of shame or threats from parents or family members. There are several stipulated laws and policies meant to protect children from child abuse in the society. The law describes child abuse as the physical sexual or emotional torture rendered to a child by either his parents, guardians among others associated with such child care. Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) for instance require that parents or guardians among other society members be made to understand the legal parenting requirements, so that any action or behavior out of the given definition falls under child abuse. The Law defines child abuse and neglect as failure or misconduct of parents or caretakers leading to a child’s death, physical and emotional harm, and sexual exploitation among other risks to a child. The government has established several child protection agencies that ensure that the above legal framework are adhered to. Sex offender Registration and Notification Act requires that all sex offenders be registered and records kept for future tracking and monitoring. These laws also require that any professional should use his/ her capacity to report any suspect case associated with child abuse or neglect. Such professionals are therapists, nurses, doctors, teachers, law enacting officers, counselors among others. A therapist should use his/ her social skills to convince a child declare any kind of child abuse subjected to him. Research indicates that the majority of abused children rarely admit such incidences due to fear or threats from people who committed the offense. A qualified therapist should lower him/herself to that of the child to encourage parallel communication. This will enable the victim (a child) develop confidence and trust to convey any information related to child abuse. The therapist should pass such information to relevant professionals like homeland security before offering some counseling services to such children. Counseling would make any child abuse victim forgive him/ herself and encourage self acceptance while the victim is undergoing medical treatment should there be physical injury. Medical professionals are responsible for medical treatment of abused children. Doctors should render appropriate medical prescriptions or injections to any physically injured children. These doctors require special training on a childs emotional and social care. Such skills would enable doctors retrieve several information from abused children. Children tend to form good relationships with those who appreciate and understand them. An abused child is always scared since he/she regards any adult an abuser. Nurses are meant to care for abused children while they are diagnosed. They spent a lot of time on such children. Such nurses should also undergo children’s emotional and social training to enable them to understand children better (Newton, 2010). Pediatricians are medical professionals who major in children’s treatment. They are expected to understand behavioral patterns of abused an abused child to avoid time wastage on further investigations. Prompt treatment of sexually abused children is likely to prevent further damage as far as the victim’s health is concerned. Some pediatricians’ partner with social therapists for quality treatment to any abused child. Sex offender registration Act requires courts to identify records and maintain records of adults who abuse children sexually. Such records should be passed to law enforcement professionals like the homeland security who should monitor the activities of such offenders in the society. The law requires that such offenders should not move closer to children designated places like schools, parks, playgrounds and even religious places. Their movements are monitored through GPS, so that they do not get opportunities to abuse children sexually (Schetky & Green, 2005). Some states require that a landlord should thoroughly check new tenants’ records to ensure they are not designated child sex offenders. Such offenders are greatly discouraged from moving to new estates or states. Homeland security is expected to conduct regular visits to such victims to protect children from further sexual violations. Teachers or caretakers are other professionals responsible for child protection against child abuse. They are expected to understand childrens language for easy communication. A Child would only report child abuse cases to trusted and easy to get along adults. Such teachers should understand the social and behavioral patterns of normal children (Finkelhor, 2009). They should be able to interrogate their students and ascertain any kind of violation or abuse rendered to a child. Furthermore, teachers can teach their students on the importance of reporting child abuse cases to relevant authorities if not the teachers themselves. Some weaknesses are indicated by some legal and legislations stipulated to protect children from child abuse. Several states or nations in the United Kingdom are majorly concerned with politics and money generation laws compared to child protection laws. The latest report on Child protection legislation indicates lack of adequate resources and personnel to bring child abuse offenders to book is one of the greatest challenges in curbing childs sexual violation among other child abuse. Several professionals are also transferred from children’s departments to other departments. Corruption is another element limiting appropriate child protection in the society. The majority of child abuse offenders are senior officials in the government or states. They may use their powers to stop investigations of child abuse cases. Several states and nations in the United Kingdom have different laws and policies with regard to Child protection (Hoyano, 2010). A victim may be released on bond then move to nations or states with fair legal implications with regard to child protection. Such offenders are likely to commit further crime if not well monitored. There are some myths or theories that limit legislation for dealing with child abuse offenders. Some cases are not appropriately investigated since the offenders are from respected and reputable families. In some instances, social therapists dealing with the abused child are ordered to stop further investigations and the case concluded. Politicians need to keep their records clean; hence they use their positions and powers to stop their trial or investigations with regard to child abuse. Such are shameful acts that may see them lose votes and public favor. Majority of United Kingdom residents are not conversant with legal and policy implications with regard to child abuse cases. Some of them are unable to afford attorneys incase their children are violated. Racial and economic discrimination is another factor limiting the effectiveness of legislation in protecting children against child abuse. Research indicates that cases of violated children from certain races are never taken serious. This compels the victims to continue such violations, since they are not brought to book and charged. For future improvements in protecting children from any kind of violation, the legislative arm of the government should conduct a thorough campaign, sensitizing its citizens or residents on how to report and deal with child abuse cases. The campaign should target the whole nation and wipe off ignorance in dealing with such issues. The government should partner with several child protection agencies to fund such campaigns through media, posters and road shows among other modes. Furthermore, the government should hire attorneys to work with several childrens departments and represent all cases associated with child abuse irrespective of the victims’ race or economical background. The legislation should ensure workplace diversity to ensure employees are from all ethnic groups in the country. Such arrangements will ensure all cases are well observed and the guilty convicted or charged (Myers, 2004). Sufficient resources and personnel should be allocated to childrens departments to ensure all appropriate child protection from any kind of violation from adult society members. Child protection law should be a body of its own. Furthermore, such laws should be amended to ensure a fair trial despite the position and powers of the offenders. Children are innocent society members whose rights should be the top priority of any nation or state. Children social therapists should be employed in the childrens department to help with investigation of child abuse cases. This is because several child abuse cases go unnoticed or reported due lack of peculiar skills to detect them. To conclude, the legislation is one of the most active departments or arm of government to protect children from abuse. Children are the future leaders hence they should be given appropriate treatment and care so that they become responsible and respectable community members. References Schetky , D., Green, A. (2005). Child Sexual Abuse: A handbook for Health Care and legal proffessionals. USA: Psychology press. Myers, J. (2004). Legal issues in Child Abuse and Neglect practise. New York: SAGE. Finkelhor, D. (2009). Child sexual abuse. New York: Willy & Sons press. Geisler, E. (2000). Technology in Health care. USA : Springer. Hoyano, L. (2010). Child Abuse. United Kingdom: Oxford University press. Kalichman, S. C. (2007). Mandated Reporting of suspected Child abuse. USA: pearson press. Hoyano,L.,Keenan, C. (2010). Child abuse : Law and policy across bounderies. United Kingdom: Oxford University press. Newton, S. (2010). Child Abuse. Pearson press: USA. Starr, R. (2003). Effects of child abuse and neglect. USA: Guilford press. Sultz, H. (2010). Health care USA. USA: Jones & Bartlett Learning. Read More