Effects Of Child Abuse Child Abuse example essay topic

Effects Of Child Abuse Child abuse has many effects on children. It doesn't have the same effects on every person. Effects of abuse can vary by age. I. Millions of children abused. A. Kinds of abuse 1. Mental 2. Emotional 3. Sexual 4.

Neglect II. Every case is different A. Different ways of dealing with abuse. B. Common effects 1. Nightmares 2. Difficulty sleeping 3.

Low self-esteem C. Feelings D. Children play by themselves. Children are most likely abused until they are teens A. Effected their whole life B. Can't afford therapy IV. People not aware of long-term effects A. Effects growth of child B. Child abuse month C. Educating people. Infants and toddlers A. Developmental problems B. Response C. Withdrawal VI. Pre-school A. Afraid to speak B. Children cry often C. Child's world chaotic D. Stress VII. More pre-school A. Aggressive B. Mimicking C. Throwing, kicking, destruction. D. Release frustration in play E. Inconsistent feelings V. School-age child A. Trouble in school IX.

Adolescence A. Experiment with sex and drugs. X. End results Conclusion: It is important to report child abuse. There are many free hotlines that you can call and remain anonymous. Effects Of Child Abuse There are millions of children being abused every year (web hopper. com). Child abuse doesn't necessarily have to be physically, it can be mentally, emotionally, or sexual abuse, it can even be neglect. Abuse doesn't only effect the child being abused but it also effects the people witnessing the abuse. There are many different things that can affect the way the child is effected by the abuse.

Child abuse can affect the child in many different ways. There can be many affects of abuse on the child (web). The worst way the child can be affected is suicide. Every child abuse case is different in its own way. Of course child abuse can lead to problems and suffering, but it's not that simple. Every child will have a different way of dealing with the problem that they think is alright because they have been raised knowing only that.

Common effects of child abuse; Nightmares or difficulty sleeping, low self-esteem, antisocial behavior, including rebelliousness or running away, increased hostility or aggression. Feelings of fear, shame, anger, guilt, anxiety, or confusion are often found in a child that is being abused. The child will tend to stay away from other children and play by themselves. A child that is abused will most likely be abused until they are a teenager and will usually find themselves in an abusive relationship later in life, if they " re not being abused they will usually be the abuser.

The child will most likely be effected by the abuse their whole lives, and will need therapy in some point in their lives. But most cannot afford it so they live with the thoughts of being abused all their lives. Many people are not aware of the long-term effects abuse can have on a child. Whether a child experiences abused, or witnesses it, the effects often affect the physical, intellectual, and emotional growth of the child. April is Child Abuse Prevention Month (Child Abuse: An American Epidemic).

It is a time organizations try to make the public aware that there are children being abused everyday. It is not the only time they make it aware to the public, they do it all year long. During this month organizations try to educate people on how to bring healing to those who are being abused. Infants and toddlers (0 - 2 1/2 Years) have developmental problems. They don't have much response to chaotic, loud, and harmful environments. Emotional withdrawal and low frustration tolerance.

There are also physical problems. Pre-school children (3-6 Years) also have development problems, especially in language development. The child may be afraid to speak, and afraid of becoming the target of anger for speaking without approval. This is due in part to not being spoken to by adults or experiencing meaningful discussion with adults. The child cries easily and often. The child's world is so chaotic the child cannot handle ordinary stress.

The child usually has not witnessed appropriate ways of dealing with stress. The child will act out aggressively toward peers and adults. The child models the aggressive behavior observed in the home, and when playing with others. The child will have an inability to play constructively.

There is a lot of throwing or kicking, and possible destruction of toys. Many children have not been shown how to play and interact with other children. Children are working out their frustration and worry in play (web). The child will show inconsistent or inappropriate display of emotions. Abuse can result in the child not learning appropriate emotional responses, as well as not being in touch with their true feelings. School-age children (7-11 Years) have poor school performance.

The child finds studying and learning difficult when the child cannot stop worrying about what happened at home the night before or who is going to get hurt that night, or maybe even killed later on. The child will also have behavior problems with peers and adults. Because of the lack of observable appropriate interpersonal relationships, the child has not learned appropriate ways to interact with others. The child may be crying out for help as the only way he can still keep the 'family secret.

' The child may also show aggressive acting out which will become more severe and purposeful. The child models the violent behavior that is witnessed in the home. The child may also have fearful nightmares and / or night terrors. The child relives fears in their sleep, and may be afraid of sleep because of incidents of physical and / or sexual abuse that occur at night. The child may have a history of being wakened by mothers's creams and fathers' yelling. The child has feelings of withdrawal, depression, and hopelessness.

Life offers little, other than physical and / or emotional pain, and joy in the child's life is lost. The child constantly has physical complaints. The child knows no other way to realize or describe emotional distress. The stress level is too high for the child to cope with.

The child then begins to mimic adult roles Generally, girls adopt the role of victims; boys become aggressive and abusive. The child experiences chronic low self-esteem. The child blames self for the situation at home. The child's good feelings about himself have not been nurtured. During adolescence (12-17 Years) depression is the main problem. There is a loss of hope and joy.

The adolescent is full of sadness. The child has signs of physical injuries, maiming, crippling, scarring (web). Too often abuse leaves long-term or permanent scars on the adolescent. The adolescent becomes aggressive, delinquent, and / or runs away. The adolescent realizes no one will take care of the adolescent's needs, except themselves.

The adolescent will use the only coping skills the adolescent has learned: violence and self-destruction. The adolescent has poor school adjustment. The adolescent is academically and socially unable to perform. The adolescent usually will experience early sexual activity and / or marriage. It is common for adolescents who experience abuse, or witness abuse, to engage in early sex or marriage as a means of escape or acting out.

Another thing the adolescent might do is alcohol and / or drug experimentation or use. This is another way the adolescent escapes from their problems or self-medication for the pain. The adolescent models the behavior of adults closest to them. An end result that nobody would like to see happen is death by suicide or murder. Almost always thoughts of suicide drift in the mind of the person being abused. The adolescent takes his own life to end the pain, or intervenes to protect another family member from being abused.

This results in harm or death of the adolescent or adolescent kills the abuser. Many children attempt suicide each year because they can't bare being abused any longer. It is important to appreciate that these issues are very complex, and to be familiar with how abuse and neglect can affect various aspects of a person's life. Child abuse does not affect every person the same.

The extremity of the abuse and different situations determine the effect. Some people could live on to become great people and do great things. They don't look at the abuse as something negative but rather as something that made them strong and made them believe that they were better and could do better than the situation that they were in. Dealing with abuse after it is over is the toughest thing to handle, most people that could afford therapy go to it, but since most people can't afford it they try to deal with it the best they can. Although in most cases the child is removed from the home that the abuse is happening in, sometimes child abuse can slip by unnoticed and that can have severe consequences on the child as well as others.

Everyone is urged to report child abuse if they suspect it is happening, there are anonymous numbers that you can call to report abuse. In the worst case scenario child abuse can later in life lead to suicide. Work Cited Joseph S. Volpe. "Effects of Domestic Violence on Children and Adolescents: An Overview". 16 Nov.