Child Abuse 3 Essay, Research Paper
There are many children that are being abused constantly and this number is increasing every year. The number in 1986 was 2 million and now that number has more than doubled. When we here the word child abuse we often see this as being only physical, but in reality child abuse also consist of emotional abuse, neglect and sexual abuse.
The abusive parent has many problems, they are impulsive, defensive, and have a poor sense of identity. Parental responsibilities are also often severely affected by an addiction. As a result, children face physical as well as psychological abuse. Many times children are left alone while parents feed their addiction. Often children are forced to act as parents for younger siblings, subjecting them all to emotional and psychological stress. Fits of rage, experienced by those addicted to illicit drugs or alcohol, lead to child abuse. Children living with substance-abusing parents are more likely to experience the following short-term effects increased health problems, learning disorders, anger, aggression, depression, lack of control and low social skills. Also, children of alcoholics are twice as likely to become alcoholics themselves and often become abusers as well .
There are many signs that point to certain kinds of abuse that often come in combination rather than alone. These signs are shown in different ways in both child and parent.
The Child:
-Shows sudden changes in behavior or school performance;
-Has not received help for physical or medical problems brought to the parents’ attention;
-Has learning problems that cannot be attributed to specific physical or psychological causes;
-Is always watchful, as though preparing for something bad to happen;
-Lacks adult supervision;
-Is overly compliant, an overachiever, or too responsible; or
-Comes to school early, stays late, and does not want to go home.
The Parent:
-Shows little concern for the child, rarely responding to the school’s requests for information, for conferences, or for home visits;
-Denies the existence of — or blames the child for — the child’s problems in school or at home;
-Asks the classroom teacher to use harsh physical discipline if the child misbehaves;
-Sees the child entirely bad, worthless, or burdensome;
-Demands perfection or a level of physical or academic performance the child cannot achieve; or
-Looks primarily to the child for care, attention, and satisfaction of emotional needs.
The Parent and Child:
-Rarely touch or look at each other;
-Consider their relationship entirely negative; or
-State that they do not like each other.
Signs of physical abuse
-Has unexplained burns, bites, bruises, broken bones, or black eyes;
-Has fading bruises or other marks noticeable after an absence from school;
-Seems frightened of the parents and protests or cries when it is time to go home from school;
-Shrinks at the approach of adults; or
-Reports injury by a parent or another adult caregiver.
Signs of neglect:
-Is frequently absent from school;
-Begs or steals food or money from classmates;
-Lacks needed medical or dental care, immunizations, or glasses;
-Is consistently dirty and has severe body odor;
-Lacks sufficient clothing for the weather;
-Abuses alcohol or other drugs; or
-States there is no one at home to provide care.
Signs of sexual abuse:
-Has difficulty walking or sitting;
-Suddenly refuses to change for gym or to participate in physical activities;
-Demonstrates bizarre, sophisticated, or unusual sexual knowledge or behavior;
-Becomes pregnant or contracts a venereal disease, particularly if under age fourteen;
-Runs away; or
-Reports sexual abuse by a parent or another adult caregiver.
Signs of emotional abuse:
-Shows extremes in behavior, such as overly compliant or demanding behavior, extreme passivity or aggression;
-Is either inappropriately adult (parenting other children, for example) or inappropriately infantile (frequently rocking or head-banging, for example);
-Is delayed in physical or emotional development;
-Has attempted suicide; or Reports a lack of attachment to the parent.
(Source: http://www.childabuse.org/signs.html)
These are just some of the many signs in which one can recognize some of type of abuse occurring. Some people often confuse affection and ruff play with abuse. For example, a father caressing his daughter’s back or a parent playing wrestling with their son/daughter. People should be careful before accusing someone of this crime. Since the number is steadily increasing people should look for deeper signs and be 100% sure that they are right.
Many children that survive child abuse often have to deal with the emotional trauma for many years. They also feel self-blame when going through the process of healing and wonder why this happened to them believing that they have done something wrong. Many survivors remain detached in their relationships, fearing the emotional openness necessary for intimacy or certain that “everything I love just goes away anyway.” In recovery, you will learn to trust others and to share your feelings. You may need to relearn communication skills, such as how to express your anger in a productive way. These skills are necessary for developing healthy relationships .
In conclusion, all the signs that point directly to towards any physical or emotional abuse should be attended immediately, because the consequences can be disastrous. As the number continues to increase one should keep their eyes pealed and look at for the youngsters that will be in charge in the future. This is why I want to be a part of this field, even if I can’t change the world I can be part of the solution.