Problem Solving How Do We Combat Child

Problem Solving: How Do We Combat Child Abuse. Essay, Research Paper

Imagine being a young child. Picture that someone is mistreating you, and you are

completely unable to retaliate in any way. Imagine what would be running through

your mind, all of the fear and hatred that you can do nothing with except hold it all

inside. The United States government defines child abuse specifically as .[a]ny

recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker which results in death,

serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation to any individual

who has not attained the age of 18 years, or an act or failure to act which presents

an imminent risk of serious harm to any individual who has not attained the age of

18 years. (Petit 28). This is a serious problem that destroys the lives of innocent

children every day.

Statistics show that 903,395 children were confirmed as being abused in the

United States during 1997 alone, and there were 1,439,284 reported instances of

abuse in the United States (Statistics of…). Those numbers add out to be in the

neighborhood of 1.54% of the nations children being abused daily (Statistics of…).

Child abuse also .accounts for nearly 57.5% of fatalities to children under the age of

five. (Child Maltreatment). Experts also say that .87.1% of abused children are

abused by both the mother and father. (Statistics of…). Roughly 2.7% of child

abuse occurs in foster care (Statistics of…).

The most abundant form of child abuse is neglect. Neglect accounts for

53.5% of child abuse nationwide (Child Maltreatment). Neglect is defined as:

.[a] child less than 18 years of age whose physical, mental or emotional

condition has been impaired or is in danger of becoming impaired as a result

of the failure of the child’s legal guardian to exercise a minimum degree of

care in supplying the child with adequate food, clothing, shelter, or education

or medical care. Neglect also occurs when the legal guardian fails to provide

the child with proper supervision or guardianship by allowing the child to be

harmed, or to be at risk of harm which includes when the guardian misuses

drugs or alcohol him/herself.. (Neglected Child)

Children who fall victim to neglect feel that their parents have no time for them.

The psychological aspects of this type of abuse is that the child or children affected

typically try to get attention at school or somewhere away from home, are

abnormally aggressive, and become somewhat maniacal when left alone for long

periods of time (Understanding Child…).

The second type of child abuse is physical abuse, which is responsible for

22.7% of total abuse cases that were confirmed. Physical Abuse is characterized by

the infliction of physical injury as a result of punching, beating, kicking, biting,

burning, shaking or otherwise harming a child. The parent or caretaker may not have

intended to hurt the child, rather the injury may have resulted from over-discipline or

physical punishment (Child Maltreatment). The most common way to indicate a

physically abused child is notable marks on the body, such as bruises, cuts, and

knots. The main behavioral indication of physical abuse is the child is far too

aggressive when they are not around his or her parents. They also tend to pick on

others, but get extremely angry when someone else picks on them (Understanding

Child…).

Sexual abuse is the third type of child abuse, which accounts for 11.5% of all

confirmed abuse cases. Sexual abuse includes .fondling a child.s genitals,

intercourse, incest, rape, sodomy, exhibitionism, and commercial exploitation

through prostitution or the production of pornographic materials. Many experts

believe that sexual abuse is the most under-reported form of child maltreatment

because of the secrecy that so often characterizes these cases. (Child

Maltreatment). Sexually abused children are extremely frightened at the sight of the

abuser, and are extremely timid when confronted with a chance to develop a close

relationship. Victims are given low self-esteem, and will often think they are

worthless. Common indicators of sexually abused children include individualism,

increased shyness, and greater dependence on a non-abusive person present in their

life (Understanding Child…).

The final type of child abuse is emotional abuse. This abuse is responsible

for about 6.2% of all abuse cases. Emotional abuse includes acts or omissions by

the parents or other caregivers that have caused, or could cause, serious behavioral,

cognitive, emotional, or mental disorders. For example, .the parents/caregivers may

use extreme or bizarre forms of punishment, such as confinement of a child in a dark

closet.. (Child Maltreatment) Less severe acts, such as habitual scapegoating or

belittling, are often difficult to prove (Understanding Child…) Emotional abuse

often causes th

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