Growth and Development of Child Abuse - Assignment Example

Growth and Development of Child Abuse Children across the United States are noted to continually be suffering from the raging epidemic of child abuse and neglect. In the United States, an estimated over 3 million reports of child abuse that are made every year (Ashford, LeCroy & Lortie, 2010). These reports generally involve over 6 million children with some reports including the abuse of multiple children by a single perpetrator. The acute prevalence of child abuse in the United States has caused it to have one of the worst records among industrialized nations as the country loses an estimated between four and seven children each day as a result of child abuse. 1 in 10 American children are thought to suffer from child abuse. About 1 in 16 children are noted to suffer from sexual abuse and nearly 1 in 10 children are witness to incidences of family violence. A report by the US DOH, points out that the youngest children are found to be most vulnerable to abuse. The report showed that in the period ranging from 2009-2011, children between the ages of 0-5 years experienced the highest rates of maltreatment (DoH, 2013). These findings are supported by those presented by the children’s rights organization Safe Horizon that showed that over 25% of the total number of abused children was essentially under the age of three while an astounding 45% of abused children were under the age of 5 years (Safehorizon, 2014). In 2012, the total number of children who died due to child abuse was recorded at 1,563. Of this number, 70.3% were found to be younger than 3 years and 44% were reported to be younger than one year of age. The report on the 2012 data also showed that children of both genders were similarly likely to be victims of child abuse as indicated by the fact that in 2012, 48.5% of the total number of abused children were boys while 51.2% of the abused children. However at 57.6%, the rate of child fatality was recorded to be much higher for boys. Babies in this age demographic were reported as often being the victims of shaken baby syndrome that causes them to suffer from different forms of trauma such as bone and rib fractures, various degrees of damages to their neck and spinal cord as well as bleeding from the brain or eyes. 1 in 4 shaken baby syndrome victims eventually dies and nearly all victims tend to eventually experience serious health consequences (Safehorizon, 2014). Age Appropriate Protocols for the Management, Diagnosis and Follow-up Care for Victims of Child Abuse aged 0-5 Years In the diagnosis of suspected cases of child abuse, professionals such as teachers and healthcare providers who work as teachers are instrumental in the diagnosis of these incidences. Healthcare facilities should have in place multidisciplinary teams that will help them in improving the identification and management of abused children. Healthcare professional organizations should be encouraged to initiate and engage in awareness and training programs that are designed to increase people’s knowledge on how to recognize any potential cases of child abuse. A number of symptoms can aid in the identification of cases of child abuse. These symptoms can broadly be classified into psychological and physical symptoms. According to van der Kolk, Hopper & Crozier (2001), the maltreatment of children has been suggested to not only severely impair the normal development on their brains, but also, it has been linked to lasting effects on behavior, cognition, affect and social interaction. While these psychological indicators of child abuse might be difficult for untrained professionals to identify, these problems might be evidenced by a child having difficulties in relating well with adults of experiencing difficulties in forming close relationships, inconsistent school attendance on the part of the affected child or even a child appearing to be consistently listless or tired. Some of the physical indicators of child abuse include the presence of various unexplained injuries in locations normally unaffected by childhood activities; these include the mouth, eyes, genital areas, and back. Another indicator is if the child tends to suffer from repeated injuries such as burns, welts or bruises. This is especially concerning if the shape of these injuries is similar to that of an object such as an electric cord, belt, wooden board or cigarette. Friction burns on the neck, legs, thighs or arms of the child indicative of the fact that a cord or rope might have been used to tie up the victim. Another indicator of child abuse is a constant denial by the child’s parents that anything is wrong, the presentation of unlikely explanations for a child’s injuries, regular delays in obtaining medical care as well as the presence of injuries that tend to occur with increasing severity and frequency (Jenny, 2011). In the management and treatment of child abuse victims, it is important that the child receives a thorough medical exam. If the child feels embarrassed about any of the injuries that they might have due to the abuse that had been perpetrated against them, the child therapist can use role play and anticipatory planning to help these children in practicing possible answers to questions that people might ask pertaining to their scars or injuries. These responses should be formulated in such a manner that they do not elicit rejection, pity or fear on the child. The treatment and management can also include therapy sessions designed to aid the child in the development of an identity that is primarily based on accomplishments and behavior as opposed to their perceived body image (Urquiza & Winn, 1993). Children in different family situations require varying degrees of follow-up services. Most of these children require careful ongoing child protection service case management to guarantee their continued safety. Some children might at times required referral to specialized resources or ongoing treatment programs. Families of abused children should be made aware that they can always contact their assigned crisis worker, and that the given crisis worker will be occasionally be contacting them at specific times in future. Occasional calls to check-in on the family are noted to reinforce progress (Jenny, 2011). How Culture might Impact the Care of Child Abuse Victims Different cultures exhibit differences in the manner in which children that suffer from child abuse are treated. Of note however is that these cultures entertain different notions of what exactly constitutes as child abuse. While in some cultures it is quite normal to severely punish an errant child using a rod or other forms of punishment such as locking the child outside the house, some other cultures might frown on these practices and perceive them to be forms of child abuse. However, if a culture recognizes that in line with its customs and practices a child has clearly been abused, the members of that culture will tend to impact the case of such a child by offering any necessary support that the child might require. Members of the culture will avail themselves to also pay a key role in monitoring the child’s family and ensuring that the child is not abused again. References Ashford, J. B., LeCroy, C. W., & Lortie, K. L. (2010). Human behavior in the social environment: A multidimensional perspective. Australia: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning. DoH. (2013). Washington State: Injury and Violence Prevention Guide. Retrieved on September, 2014 from http://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/2900/InjuryReportFinal.pdf Jenny, C. (2011). Child abuse and neglect: Diagnosis, treatment, and evidence. St. Louis, Mo: Saunders/Elsevier. Safehorizon. (2014). Child Abuse Facts. Retrieved on September, 2014 from http://www.safehorizon.org/page/child-abuse-facts-56.html Urquiza, A. J., & Winn, C. (1993). Treatment for abused and neglected children: Infancy to age 18. US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth, and Families, National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect. van der Kolk, B. A., Hopper, J., & Crozier, J. (2001). Child abuse in america: Prevalence and consequences. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment, and Trauma. Read More