Children From Sexual Abuse example essay topic

For all intensive purposes, my paper considers the use of the masculine pronoun with offenders, and the feminine pronoun with victims, though I recognize that it happens either way. Imagine Think back to third grade. Think of the classroom you sat in at school, and think of the clothes you were wearing, the teacher at the front of the room. Think of every detail you can remember. Now try and fathom that same teacher, who you have grown to trust and admire touching you or other children in inappropriate ways.

It's disturbing, but it is entirely possible. It is a fact, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation that one in four females, and one in five males between the ages of 7 and 12 will become victims of sexual abuse. More disturbing is that the abuse will more likely than not, be perpetrated by someone close to that child (Reinert, 17). Defined Child sexual abuse is defined as sexual exploitation or sexual activities with a child under circumstances which indicate that the child's health or welfare is harmed or threatened. Intra familial sexual abuse includes incest and refers to any type of exploitative sexual contact occurring between relatives.

Extra familial sexual abuse refers to exploitative sexual contact with perpetrators who may be known to the child (neighbors, babysitters, live-in partners) or unknown to the child (Wallace, 64). The problem generally with identifying abuse is the standard by which abuse is considered. Davis Finkel hor, author and researcher describes three standards to determine if a particular action a person takes is abusive. The first standard is Consent. A consent standard says that a act or a series of acts is abusive if a child or adolescent does not give his or her consent, which is permission while understanding the potential consequences of making a choice.

Second is the age of the victim standard. Obviously the older and more mature the child, the more capable they are of giving consent. The third standard is that of community, for example, what are the state and local laws where the abuse occurred? Clearly not legal definitions, It is actually impossible legally, for any child has the right to consent to an adult for sexual activities. Legally, there are several varying degrees of sexual assault; first degree, which is sexual contact or intercourse with anyone younger than thirteen. Second degree is intercourse or contact with anyone younger than sixteen but at least thirteen.

Also considered under these legal degrees are Failure to act, by withholding information, Incest with a child, and sexual exploitation of a child. All of these, unfortunately hold a statute of limitations, from three to six years (Reinert, 68). History Child sexual abuse is not a new emerging problem. Historically, it dates all the way back to Ancient times. It was completely acceptable to abandon children, and attitudes about the status of children differed greatly. The virginity of girls was extremely important in biblical times, although a girl under three legally retained her virginity no matter ho often she was sexually penetrated by a male.

Intercourse with a female baby was not illegal. If a daughter was raped, her father could demand monetary compensation from the offender and could hire her out for sex again. A girl's consent to sex was of no value, since she was considered the property of her father. Males and females growing up in Greece and Rome were often used sexually. Boy brothels existed there from sixth to the fourth centuries. Before the sixteenth century, sexual activity with a very young person was not legally considered rape.

Sex play between adults and children was common even in the middle ages. Sexual abuse, whipping, and battering of the young by their caretakers were considered acceptable behavior (Hyde, 14). It was not until the sixteenth century that childhood began to be considered a distinct phase of human development. 'OThe invention of the printing press, the increase in adult literacy, and the educational and social work of the Jesuit priests all helped to develop the idea of the innocence of children and the need to protect them'O (Hyde, 15). The Victim Who is it that is being abused?

By all standards of my research, it is mainly females that are being abused, though there are also many reports of males as the victims, it is more common to see it with females. As I stated earlier, according to the FBI, one in four girls, and one in five boys between the ages of 7 and 12 will be sexually abused, though the numbers vary from resource to resource. From class lecture, it is said that girls between the ages of four and nine are at greatest risk. It is estimated that there are 60 million survivors of childhood sexual abuse in America today. It is estimated that hat children with disabilities are 4 to 10 times more vulnerable to sexual abuse than their non-disabled peers. Also interesting to note is that approximately 95% of teenage prostitutes have been sexually abused (pandorasbox. com).

No child should have to be the victim of a crime that lives within them for an eternity. The Perpetrator Ninety percent of perpetrators, according to lecture are male. On average they are 33 years old, and they are often broken into two categories; pedophiles, and incest offenders (Hyde, 23). Only about 10% of the offenders are actually strangers, and the rest are family members or acquaintances. Children are warned to stay away from strangers, but little is usually said about abuse within a family. Few are comfortable talking about such a difficult subject.

It is hard enough to think about the possibility of strangers molesting children, but incest is unthinkable for most adults. Abusers spend a great deal of time grooming their victims, helping to reduce the risk that they will get caught. They are often considered family men who are well liked and active in the community. They may even choose career fields that bring them into contact with a large number of children.

The selection of the victim is no accident. Abusers seek someone who is vulnerable, gender is of little importance to many abusers, with the exception of homosexual abusers. Abusers try to spend a great deal of time with the potential victims because they need to determine where and when they and the child are least likely to be interrupted (Reinert, 22). Also according to Reinert, Abusers begin touching the potential victim in appropriate ways like horseplay, and then gradually begin to confuse and shift the boundaries of physical space until the child is unaware of what's really going on. Sexual abusers are planners and thinkers; they are constantly running the situation through heir minds, increasing the chance that they get away with the sexual abuse.

There is no one reason that truly explains why abusers abuse. It is an issue that as long been looked at, and seldom understood. Motivation According to Reinert, a number of things can motivate sexual abusers, including having been abused as children, low self-esteem, poor boundary development, extreme feelings of loneliness, and a need to feel control and power over others (as with any type of abuse). When a child has been abused himself at a young age, it is hard to break the cycle of violence. Often they do not draw a clear line between what most common people would consider appropriate and inappropriate. When sexually abused children grow into adult, he or she may actually look for dating and life partners who are sexually, physically or mentally abusive.

People who have been sexually abused, especially by a family member, learn that the abusive behavior is an acceptable way to be treated by those who supposedly care for them (Reinert, 26). Prevention As concerned adults, we want to protect children from sexual abuse, but we can't always be there to do that. We can, however, teach children about sexual abuse in order to increase their awareness and coping skills. Although even the best educated child cannot always avoid sexual abuse, children who are well prepared will be more likely to tell you if any abuse has occurred (childAbuse. html). Prevention activities should include concepts of body ownership, the right to control and access of your own body. Touch continuum, which includes discussion of 'Okay vs. not okay'O touches, confusing touches, ect.

Secrets, intuition, and telling are others that are important (Conte, 35). Children should be taught to feel good about themselves, know that the are loved and valued, and understand what parts of their bodies are ^Oprivate'. The more they know, the more safe they are from manipulation. Signs Because most children cannot or do not tell about being sexually abused, it is up to the concerned adults to recognize signs of abuse. Physical signs of abuse are more rare than emotional or psychological. Therefore, we have to look for signs.

Unfortunately there is not one behavior alone that determines most definitely that a child has been sexually abused. Some signs include; fear or dislike of certain people or places, sleep disturbances, school problems, sudden discipline problems, return to younger, more babyish behavior. Other symptoms occurring in children who have been abused more frequently are copying adult sexual behavior, persistent sexual play with other children, themselves, toys, or pets. Also there should be cause for concern when a child displays sexual knowledge through language or behavior that is beyond what is normal for their age, and unexplained pain, swelling, bleeding, or irritation of their mouth, genital and anal area (childabuse. html). Though no parent wants to think that their child has been the victim of such a horrible crime, it is essential to their health that you don't portray ignorance about the possibility of it occurring. Disclosure The problem with most child sexual abuse is that it often goes unreported.

'Children often fail to report because of the fear that disclosure will bring consequences even worse than being victimized again. The victim may fear consequences from the family, feel guilty for consequences to the perpetrator, and may fear subsequent retaliatory actions from the perpetrator'O (Pandorasbox. com). Mental Health professionals often talk to their abuse-survivors about the ^Three rules of silence'. Designed to make the survivors understand why it has been so difficult to address their emotional and psychological issues surrounding the abusive experiences. The rules are very simple: You will not tell, You will not feel, You will not be aware. Abusers will manipulate their victims to no end in order to insure that they will not get caught.

It occurs from bribes to threats. ^OYou will not feel' is a more subtle way to prevent the survivor from understanding how he or she feels about the inappropriate contact between him / herself and the abuser (Reinert, 34). ^OYou will not be aware' is possibly the most emotionally damaging. Sexual abusers use threats and emotional games to trick victims into not understanding what is happening to them. It is this rule of silence that causes the victim most problems when it resurfaces in their adult years. In addition to the three stages of silence, there are three stages of victimization according to class notes.

Stage one is the initiation of abuse; which is the selection of the victim, and as I noted earlier this stage can be quite tedious and well thought out. Stage two is desensitization. In this stage the perpetrator slowly eases his was into progressively severe sexual abuse. At this time they may begin with kisses on the shoulder, into something more horrific like inappropriate touching. The third stage is maintenance of abuse.

It is here that the abuser uses threats, violence, and bribes to maintain abuse, or keep the abused child from reporting it. Laws There are several laws that have been implemented to protect the child victim. Probably the most well known is called Megans Law. Megans Law was named after a little girl in New Jersey. She went across the street to look at a puppy and never came home. She was raped and murdered by a man who had been convicted twice for sex offenses (Wooden, 33).

Megans family had never been made aware of her killers past. Spurred by this incident, the law, originally passed in New Jersey, has been passed by numerous other states. It requires that police authorities inform residents of the neighborhood where a registered child sex offender will be living upon release from prison. The idea behind the law is to protect the neighborhood children by warning parents and other community members prior to child molester's release, thereby allowing them to prepare their children with good protective skills (Reinert, 67). The Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Act of 1974 required that every state designate an agency to receive reports of alleged abuse of children (which includes sexual abuse) by parents or caretakers. Most states designated their departments of social services, but there has been a great variation and controversy as to whether and when reports must also be made to the police (NIJ, 8).

The Child Protection Act of 1997 says to provide for telephone access to the FBI database that tracks the movement and whereabouts of sexual offenders, by Amendments to the Violent Crime Control and Law enforcement Act of 1994. Other Important laws that are newly emerging to help protect victims are the ERISA Child Abuse Accountability Act (HR 1142), which allows the creation or assignment of rights to employee pension benefits, under a qualified child abuse order, if this is necessary to satisfy the judgment against an employees benefit plan participant or beneficiary for sexually, physically, or emotionally abusing a child. Another is The Safe Havens for Children Act of 1997. It's purposes are to protect children from the trauma of witnessing or experiencing violence, sexual abuse, neglect, abduction, rape, or death during parent-child visitation and visitation exchanges, to protect victims from experiencing further violence during child visitation, and to provide safe havens for parents and children during visitation, to promote continuity and stability (web). Family violence does not always cease when family victims are legally separated by divorce or otherwise not sharing a household. These are all good laws as a start, but much more can be done legally, to ensure the well being of todays children.

In a survey of 52 law enforcement agencies nationwide, 39% of child sexual abuse cases result in arrest. 42% are closed 'Oexceptionally'O, meaning that the report has merit, but cannot be pursued due to insufficient evidence, noncooperation of the victim, or other reasons. Prosecution rates are extremely variable (NIJ, 8). There must be more our government can do.

Up Close I know the effects and feelings involved with child sexual abuse. I have a friend named Ashley who is herself a victim. She was abused by a brother who is three years her senior. The sexual abuse occurred from roughly age five to age eight, when she began to realize that it did not seem right. Her abuser never threatened her, but rather used coercion as a tactic to motivate her to do what he wanted. She explained 'OI think that I knew that something was different about the situation, but I was equally as guilty as he was because I was involved too.

I never told my mother or father about any of this, first of all it is way too embarrassing, and any ways, [that brother] is not that close to the family, it would just make things worse... ' O I am the only one who knows about the abuse, and regardless of how many times I explain that it was not her fault, she still fails to forfeit any of the responsibility. She says that the abuse was never again discussed between her and the abuser, but often wonders if he ever thinks about it. She has sustained several 'Ohealthy'O relationships with men, but cannot be sexually satisfied by another person. She wonders if this may be a reason why. According to a study by pandorasbox. com, 'O Sexuality is regarded not simply as a part of the self limited to the genitals, discrete behaviors, or biological aspects of reproduction, but is more properly understood as one component of the total personality that affects one's concept of person identity and self-esteem.

If the child victim does not resolve the trauma, sexuality may become an area of adult conflict. ' O I read an article that explained that most often children who sexually abuse are almost always victims of abuse themselves, but Ashley is not aware of any abuse to her brother. It is a situation that will probably always plague her mind, but she doesn't see any use in explaining the whole humiliating experience with a therapist, also for fear others will find out. All too often the actual problem is the secret.

The Results of Abuse Though the result can vary by the victims age and personality, the duration and frequency of abuse, and the relationship between the offender and the victim, many of the results are typically common across the board. Post Traumatic Stress disorder is one result. It involves symptoms such as hyper alertness, sleep problems, irritability, problems with memory or concentration, and intensification of symptoms when exposed to stimuli related to the traumatic event (NIJ, 21). Another construct is called child sexual abuse accomidation syndrome, which attempts to explain certain behaviors that might otherwise seem contradictory or inconsistent. The syndrome includes five categories.

First is Secrecy, second is helplessness, which plays on the idea that dependent children are helpless to resist or complain. The third is entrapment, which refers to the actions of extreme accomidation as a response to the feeling of no way out. Fourth is Delayed, and unconvincing disclosure. This results when the abuse has been going on for extended amounts of time, and children will frequently test the waters, by giving bits and pieces of the abuse before actually revealing the who story. The last category is called retraction, which says that whatever a child says about sexual abuse, she is likely to reverse it due to fear (NIJ, 23). Blame One of the hardest parts of post-abuse is the loss of innocence.

'When children become victims or witnesses of violence or sexual abuse, however, they are thrust into an adult system that traditionally does not differentiate between children and adults. Child victims of crime are specially handicapped. First the criminal justice system distrusts them and puts special barriers in the path of prosecuting their claims to justice. Second, the criminal justice system seems indifferent to the legitimate special needs that arise from their participation'O (NIJ, 15). The children are no longer being blamed by society though. It is now, more than ever attempting to understand the complex factors that cause it and the importance of educating people of all ages about it.

The silence surrounding the issue is being broken, and people are beginning to see that the prevention of sexual abuse is everyone's responsibility (Hyde, 10). In The Future We have come far, there is no denying that. There are laws that are up for proposal. One is a guide for the Child Protective Services Agency Administrators and Policymakers concerning the importance of timely services to the families of abused and neglected children. Another is The child sexual abuse investigations which is a joint investigative approach combining the expertise of mental health, with law enforcement professionals.

Given the connection between childhood sexual abuse and problems in adolescence and adulthood, it is imperative that we learn how to interrupt these patterns for victims (NIJ, 153). This may be possible by raising the level of maternal support, and stronger research regarding treatment. We also need to know the value of the various treatments that we use with offenders. Most importantly, be need to agree upon guidelines that will protect the abused children. It could be something as little as drawing an imaginary live around the witness stand in court so that the attorney is less likely to confuse or intimidate the child, to creating harsher punishments for convicted offenders. It is enough that the child has had to suffer through the physical sexual abuse, let's not put them through a second abuse by society.

As I stated before, there is some much that can be done to better the situation of child sexual abuse. It is not a problem that is likely to just vanish, so we must first educate ourselves on the dangers, prevention and reality of sexual abuse, and then pass it on to ensure that our future generations can also be safe, secure, happy individuals. Children are our worlds most precious resource, and we cannot let it get destroyed. ""; 100""; 3602""; 1019107255""; 39165""; 14"nisa c""; Violence On Television Cause Aggressive Behaviour""; An 18-year-old boy locks himself in his room, mesmerized for hours by the corpse-filled video game Doom, while shock-rocker Marilyn Manson screams obscenities from the stereo. Shelved nearby are a video collection, including the graphically violent film Natural Born Killers, and a diary, replicating the unrestrained expressions of hate and death, published on the boy's personal website. Should this boy's media preferences be cause for alarm?

The question is not new, but the April 20, 1999 massacre of 12 students and a teacher by fellow Columbine High students Eric Harris and Dylan Kle bold has added urgency to the search for answers. The Littleton, Colorado teenagers reportedly immersed themselves in the same media described above, even producing and starring in their own murderous video before gunning down their classmates, and apparently taking their own lives. We live in a world of violence -- Kosovo, Bosnia, the West Bank, and abortion clinics. The value of human life has reduced to, simply, a few vital organs in a hollow body. Life is no longer viewed as the sacred and amazing gift that it is. Human life is now only a temporary, useful commodity.

And, when it is no longer useful? Well, it can be thrown away, like used Kleenex. This irreverence for life has been a result of numerous hours of senseless violence society feeds into their brains every day. Yet, media representatives defend the entertainment industry, denying any direct link between violent media and violent behavior. In many peoples' living rooms, there sits an outlet for violence that often goes unnoticed. It is the television.

The children who view it are often pulled into its realistic world of violent scenes with sometimes devastating results. Much effort has gone into showing why this glowing box, and the action that takes place within it, mesmerizes children. Research shows that it is definitely a major source of violent behavior in children. The statistics prove time and time again that aggression and television viewing do go hand in hand. Research shows the truth about television violence and children.

Some are trying to fight this problem, while others are ignoring it, hoping it will go away with yesterday's trash. Still, others do not even seem to care. However, the facts are undeniable. The experiments carried out, all point to one conclusion: television violence causes children to be violent, and the effects can be life-long.

Here is the scene: Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and a well-armed Elmer Fudd are having a standoff in the forest. Daffy, the ratfink has just exposed Bugs' latest disguise. Bugs then, takes off the costume and says, "That's right, Doc, I'm a wabbit. Would you like to shoot me now or wait until we get home?"Shoot him now! Shoot him now!" Daffy screams, "You keep out of this", Bugs says, "he doesn't have to shoot you now."He does so have to shoot me now!" says Daffy. Full of wrath, he storms up to Elmer Fudd and shrieks, "And I demand that you shoot me now!" This is an example of the violence on television that "experts" speak.

One study done by Feshbach and R.D. Singer (1971), suggested that watching television actually decreases the amount of aggression in the viewer. The experiment supposedly proved that the violence on television allows the viewer to relate with the characters involved in the violent act. In doing so, the viewer is able to release all aggressive thoughts and feelings through that relation, causing them to be less aggressive than they would have been without watching the violent television. This is like saying, for example, that a medical student, in his final years at Harvard Medical School, would simply give up studies and say, "Oh, well, what's the point in going to school to be a doctor, when I can simply watch 'General Hospital' and get the same satisfaction". This of course is absurd, as are the above theologies. These experiments do not live up to good, empirical research.

If one were to ask a child what their favorite television show is, very often the child would respond with a television show that contains a lot of violence. For example, "The Mighty Morphine Power Rangers" and "The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" seem to have become role models worthy of imitation by children. One simply has to walk through a playground during recess, to see these children portraying their favorite violent characters. This aggressive behavior is further demonstrated in classrooms and in the home. Playing "make believe" is really a demonstration of aggressive behavior, because of watching violence on television. Many studies done, suggest that violence on television does influence the behavior of children.

When viewed individually, these studies might seem insignificant, but together they form a powerful giant that indicates aggressive behavior is a result of violence on television. Children are sponges during their beginning years, and soak up their surroundings. A study done by Albert Band ura (1963), demonstrates how easily viewing aggression can influence a child. He and his colleagues observed preschoolers in a contrived situation, which included aggressive behavior. His study consisted of four groups. A control group set up for this experiment, contained children who had not witnessed any events involving a Bobo doll, a toy clown.

The other three groups had witnessed Bobo being verbally and / or physically abused by different figures. These figures included a live model, a filmed model, and a female dressed in a cat costume. All the children had been irritated, by taking away their toys. This made the children more prone to use aggressive behavior. The children were than put in a playroom with the Bobo doll. Out of the four groups that were involved, three exemplified aggressive behavior toward the Bobo doll.

The exception was the control group that had not witnessed any violence. This experiment supports the theory that after observing violent behavior, children are more likely to imitate the aggressive acts of the characters involved. In addition, a study conducted, demonstrated how children become desensitized to violence. Divided into two groups were forty-four boys and girls, in third and fourth grade. One group saw a violent western movie, and the other group did not see any movie. Afterwards, the children were asked to "baby-sit" two younger children by watching them on television.

The two children on the television became progressively violent toward each other, and this is where the experiment gets interesting. Researchers found the children who had seen the western movie waited longer to get an adult to help the two violent children, than did the children who had not seen a movie. This suggests that the children who had been predisposed to violent behavior, accepted the behavior they witnessed between the two children they were baby-sitting, as more "normal". Think of a large tub filled with steaming, hot water. If you tried to jump in all at once, it would be unbearable and you would get out quickly. We have learned to start out slow, dip only our toe in, until we have slowly submerged our entire body.

We become desensitized to the hot water, by slowly exposing our sensitive body to the water a little bit, slowly, over a long period. This type of desensitization shows in society today. Every night on the news, we are plagued with horrible pictures and gruesome stories of violence and terror, but we rarely become shocked by any of it. This could very well be because exposure to so much violence on television in the past, especially during childhood, has caused us to be immune to this disease. Children who witnessed violence may then come away from the experience thinking that violence is acceptable, and they may be more likely to re-enact televised situations in the future. The other side may say that effects on children's behavior are limited and temporary, but there is strong evidence supporting quite the opposite.

Studies done by the top networks on television, demonstrate the negative, long range, effects excessive television watching has had on children, by citing how they behave as adolescents. Just as a baby robin observes its mother to learn how to fly, children copy the actions of their favorite television character. Children emulate these "heroes" as a result of this admiration. By viewing violent television programs as real and acceptable, children are extremely likely to re-enact violence in their own lives. Unfortunately, society seems to condone these aggressive characteristics, which further confuses children. Until regulations ban these violent programs, children will continue receiving negative influence and eventually, "fall from the nest".

Television is not the sole factor in causing aggression; there are many factors. However, television is one of the greatest factors that cause aggressive behavior in children. A violent home, that includes two parents fighting twenty-four hours a day, can influence a child's behavior. If a child is constantly beat with scenes of aggression between adults, that are his / her role models, then he / she may also exhibit aggressive behavior. Children can witness violence in many places besides television. A child can witness an argument between two people in a public place, and then re-enact the scene at home.

Even in a simple supermarket parking lot, violence is evident. Two adults fighting over a parking place could be violent towards one another. All of these instances could affect a child's behavior and cause them to act aggressively. None of the actions that the child witnessed was on a television screen.

The Social Learning theory is the main argument for the side arguing that violence on television leads to aggression in children. The social learning theory claims that children copy violent scenes from television, believing that this type of behavior is acceptable. All people are individuals; therefore, it is difficult to characterize behavior. Obviously not every child who watches "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" will act aggressively after the show. However, research has provided that they are likely to act in an aggressive manner. It is impossible to ignore the enormous mountain of data supporting television leading to violence.

Violence on television can create aggressive behavior. Fixing the problems of children and television violence is not easy. They are many factors to consider and people to convince. This raging fire will, no doubt, never go away and continue to grow as the years go by.

However, there are measures that can be taken to prevent the children from ever being exposed to such things. The entertainment industry should be held accountable for the images they choose to air. Our government needs to pass stricter regulations and harsher censorship on the content, shown on television and movies. After all, what is the world going to be like when the people, who are now children, are running the world?