Victims Of Child Abuse example essay topic

As you read this, one little girl is crying out in pain, one little boy is begging not to be touched there anymore. Child abuse is one of the most commonly overlooked crimes. It is also the most commonly committed. As mentioned again and again in all of the articles I read, everyday more and more children are neglected, beaten, raped, touched, or mentally tortured.

Right now, "children are praying for someone to help them when they can't help themselves". # And we close our ears and avert our eyes. I am a strong opponent of child abuse. I believe that it is wrong and I have read and done research on the problem. What I want to persuade you to do is to keep your eyes and ears open, I want you to listen for the cries of these children who so desperately need our help. It is now estimated that 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 5 boys are molested in some way before their 18th birthday.

# This does not even begin to cover how many are beaten or belittled in the name of love. This is a national tragedy that has to stop! Child abuse is not only a family issue, but a CRIME! All six of my articles talk about the alarming numbers of child abuse, the causes, and the signs and symptoms, and some solutions we can use. What is child abuse? By definition, child abuse is "the deliberate and willful injury of a child by a caretaker hitting, beating with an object, slamming against a wall, even killing".

# It involves active, hostile, aggressive treatment. I think the key word in the definition of child abuse is deliberate. Child abuse is any mistreatment or neglect of a child that results in non-accidental harm or injury and which cannot be reasonably explained. Physical battering is not the only kind of child abuse; it's just the most obvious kind. Many children are victims of neglect, and sexual or emotional abuse, and in many cases the child is subjected to all of these kinds of abuse from their parents or other loved and trusted relatives. As mentioned, child abuse can include: physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse and neglect.

According to "Implications for the School Years,"Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence" and "Children Exposed to Family Violence", neglect is the most common form of child maltreatment. Investigations determine that 63 percent of victims in 2001 suffered neglect; 19 percent, physical abuse; 10 percent, sexual abuse; and 8 percent, emotional maltreatment. # Neglect abuse is defined as a "type of maltreatment that refers to the failure to provide needed age-appropriate care", # such as shelter, food, clothing, education, supervision, medical care and other basic necessities needed for development of physical, intellectual and emotional ability. Unlike physical and sexual abuse, neglect is typically an ongoing pattern of inadequate care and is usually observed by individuals in close contact with the child. Physicians, nurses, day care personnel, relatives and neighbours are frequently the ones to suspect and report neglected infants, toddlers and preschool children. Abused children are found in all types of homes.

In the poorest neighbourhoods, in middle class and wealthy neighbourhoods all over the country. No one can define one group of people to be child abusers. However, the "greatest numbers of cases of mistreatment are seen in families with annual incomes of about $15,000". # The rate of mistreatment is five times higher than in high income families. Reports have also shown that the rate of physical abuse and neglect is higher in families with four or more children. It is difficult to imagine that any person would intentionally inflict harm on a child.

Many times, physical abuse is a result of excessive discipline or physical punishment that is inappropriate for the child's age. The parent may simply be unaware of the magnitude of force with which he or she strikes a child. # Most parents want to be good parents but sometimes lose control and are unable to cope. Factors which contribute to child abuse include the immaturity of parents, lack of parenting skills, unrealistic expectations about children's behavior and capabilities, a parent's own negative childhood experience, social isolation, frequent family crises and drug or alcohol problems. # Child abuse is a symptom that parents are having difficulty coping with. The most common and least understood cause of child abuse is due to the abuser being a victim of child abuse themselves.

# You would think that these people, especially, would know how painful it is to be tortured and beaten with no means of protecting themselves. It is so important for this cycle of generational child abuse to come to an end, and I believe that people should just get involved when they suspect that a child is being abused, instead of saying it's none of their business, people need to make it their business for the sake of generations to come. A question that has been closely investigated is; are victims of child abuse more likely to engage in criminality and lead to adulthood family violence? The answer is yes.

All the articles have evidence. "Physically abused children tend to be aggressive toward peers and adults, have difficulty with peers and adults, have difficulty with peer relations, and are less able to empathize with others". # It has been argued that the harsh and uncontrollable punishment and rejection found in abusive homes may result in learned helplessness, ineffectiveness, anxiety, depression, worthlessness, internalizing problems, and low self-esteem in the child. They have also been found to perform poorly in standardized cognitive assessments, such as language and IQ. For the children suffering at the hands of an abuser, violence simply becomes a way of life. They in turn grow up thinking and believing that hurting people is a normal part of everyday life and; therefore, it is an acceptable behavior and the cycle of abuse continues as they become parents and abuse their children and their children abuse theirs and so on and so on, as the vicious cycle of abuse continues for many generations.

Child abuse has been proven to be one of the leading causes of childhood deaths in this nation. According to recent studies every 4 seconds a child is abused and every 7 minutes a child's life is lost. # A shocking fact that not enough people know. According to the National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse, estimate that in 1996, 1,185 children died from child abuse.

# For those who survived, the emotional trauma remains long after the external bruises have healed. The US department and Human service state that there are over 3 million reported cases of child abuse each year in this country. Three million that's a lot of kids! And that's just the reported cases! Can you imagine how many other children out there who are getting beat and abused on a daily basis who are not reported because they are either too scared, too young, or they don't even know that this kind of behavior from their parents is wrong. I think we need to be able to recognize the signs and symptoms of child abuse in order to help these children.

"Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence" states that a child in an alcoholic family may have a variety of problems: Such as guilt, the child may see themself as the main cause of the mother's or father's drinking. Anxiety, the child may worry constantly about the situation at home. They may be afraid the alcoholic parent will become sick or injured, and may also fear fights and violence between the parents. Embarrassment, parents may give the message that there is a terrible secret at home.

The ashamed child does not invite friends home and is afraid to ask anyone for help. For victims of sexual abuse the symptoms are even more severe. A child who is the victim of prolonged sexual abuse usually develops Low self-esteem, a feeling of worthlessness and an abnormal perspective on sexuality. # Here are some preventive measures parents and other caregivers can take: Tell children that "if someone tries to touch your body and do things that make you feel funny, say NO to that person and tell me right away". # Teach children that respect does not mean blind obedience to adults and to authority for example, Don't tell children to always do everything the teacher or baby-sitter tells you to do. Encourage professional prevention programs in the local school system.

Each one of these articles has a strong message and shocking genuine facts. Child abuse is something to be taken seriously. Although each article has it's faults, as a whole, they compliment each other. Sexually abused children and their families need professional evaluation and treatment. Child and adolescent psychiatrists can help abused children regain a sense of self-esteem, cope with feelings of guilt about the abuse, and begin the process of overcoming the trauma. Such treatments can help reduce the risk that the child will develop serious problems as an adult and possibly prevent them from becoming abusive parents.

In closing I would like to encourage you all to become more aware of the children around you. Look for the signs that I have just described. With the numbers of children being abused today, it must be going on right under our noses, so please open your eyes and look for a child silently crying out for help. My prayer is that someday; this kind of paper won't be written anymore.

My wish is that not a single child will be murdered tonight. Not a single child will be raped as you read this paper. My prayer is that we will hear the little cries and finally answer. Boudreaux, C. Monique; Wayne D. Lord, and John P. Jarvis. "Behavioral Perspectives on Child Homicide: The Role of Access". Violence & Abuse 2 (Jan 2001): 56-79.

Carlson, E. Bonnie. "Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence: Research". Violence & Abuse 1 (Oct 2000): 321-343. "Do Child Abuse and Inter parental Violence Lead to Adulthood Family Violence?

". Journal of Marriage & Family 64 (Nov 2002): 864-871. Manna rino, Anthony. "Asymptomatic Sexually Abused Children". Violence & Abuse, 1 (Apr 2000): 191-194. Mohr, K. Wanda; Megan Noone Lutz, and John W. Fantuzzo.

"Children Exposed to Family Violence: A Review of Empirical". Violence & Abuse 1 (Jul 2000): 264-284. Vel tman, Marijcke and Kevin D. Browne. "Three Decades of Child Maltreatment Research: Implications for the School Years". Violence & Abuse 2 (Jul 2001): 215-230.