Counseling for Child Abuse

Counseling: Reason behind Child Abuse

Abstract

Every child living in any area of the world has the birthright of living a safe, protected, and happy life. Still, numerous children fall victim to child abuse in various forms. The children who have suffered across generations are uncountable since some of the cases go unreported. This research proposal aims to ruminate over the same issue by detecting the reasons for child abuse all over the globe. Research design and methodology are explained in detail so that the steps taken for the current research could be better comprehended. A systematic literature review is suggested due to time constraints of gathering the actual data. Thematic analysis is endorsed afterward for extracting themes from the obtained data so that those themes help in understanding the reasons for child maltreatment. Towards the end, the flaws in the current research and gaps are identified, along with the direction for future investigation.

Counseling: Reason behind Child Abuse

Children have been maltreated for the previous several centuries, and the problem persists despite modernization. The potential for harm being inflicted upon children who themselves have no clue of the world around them and are still in the process of exploring is studied by several researchers around the world pertinent to several geographical locations. The results have been the same all over the globe that no country was found free of this criminal violence that destroys the innocence and brightness of a cheerful period, childhood. This research paper aims to present a proposal for an empirical investigation with the formulation of formal research questions and hypotheses, measurable variables, and answering the research questions with the findings.

Background of the Problem

There are various forms of child abuse observed in each world: physical abuse, psychological abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, verbal abuse, and neglect (Encyclopedia.com). Parents think of them as their property and find it their entitlement to treat them as they want. Consequently, children are continuously mistreated for thousands of years, and no one made considerable efforts to stop it.

Although many of the cases go unreported, there are explorations that child abuse has been evident since old times, especially in Greek and Roman societies where children were sold. Even females were involved in supporting child abuse (Encyclopedia.com). There is even an instance reported by a Roman writer in his recordings stating women as witnessing and clapping on the heinous offense. One in every five children in Greece is still a victim (Chrysopoulos, 2018).

In the United States, 1840 children have been reported to die from child abuse and neglect in 2019 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021). Rates of child abuse are higher for the low-income families of the same country as they are under great stress due to their low socioeconomic status. They are unable to provide for their children and show their frustration and anger upon their children. Moreover, the total economic burden of child abuse and neglect has been on the rise, costing $428 billion in 2015. Health problems such as stroke and diabetes are extremely serious.

The consequences of child abuse are mostly seen in the form of cuts, bruises, severe physical injuries involving broken bones (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021). Further problems were seen among the children in hearing and emotional constraints like barriers in social-emotional skills, communication, and involvement. Anxiety, chronic stress, and fear of mingling with unknown people have also been viewed as of particular problems in abused children. Their academic performance has been explored to be drastically and adversely affected by post-traumatic stress as their learning, responsiveness, and memory have been severely impaired (Jacob & Ryan, 2018).

The framework of Current Study

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of the current study is to explore the reasons for child abuse. Child abuse would teach all types of abuse children have been going through in all parts of the world. Geographical restraints would not be applied to this study so that a comprehensive overview of the problem is deduced.

The study’s goal is to identify the reason so that efforts by the concerned parties could be made to mitigate the problem. As indicated above, the scope would not be limited to geographical boundaries; however, there would be inclusive and exclusive criteria for the variables under study. The accurate identification and scrutiny of the variables would depend on careful examination of the topic under discussion to present clarified suggestions.

Rationale of Study

The significance of the study could be estimated by the facts that have been presented in the previous section of this proposal, which highlighted the consequences on the child’s physical and mental health, their academic performance, and the overall economic burden on the country. Counseling for the perpetrators of this crime would be recommended in the future so that eradicating this illegal activity could be reduced. That is only possible if reasons for its occurrence are known.

Literature Review

The earlier pieces of research that have been conducted to identify the reasons for child abuse have been presented so that prevention strategies could be devised. Since child abuse has been a social dilemma and needs corrective measures and response systems for a better and safer society for children, the effectiveness of these programs is crucial. For this very reason, the research has to be accurate for addressing the research question analytically.

The literature review conducted a few years back showed the reasons for child abuse such as personality pathology, malfunction of the parental role, conditions in the society, and system functions (Chamberlin, 2014). These were extracted from the study’s method of obtaining public perceptions and viewpoints about the prevention strategies that should be targeted to eradicate this societal crime. The preventions encompassed themes like role training, societal changes, alterations in the system for better protection of the children via tough laws, and treatment through psychological means revolving around counseling methods.

Child maltreatment has been referred to as a significant hazard to the entire society since it is a health challenge for many children undergoing this criminal activity. The health conditions are affected by cognitive disorders, musculoskeletal disorders, physical disabilities, heart diseases, back pain, cerebrovascular illness, and chronic health conditions (Taylor et al., 2016). The consequences of this activity are long-term among the children as childhood trauma continues to create adverse effects upon their adolescence and adult years. Physical and emotional maltreatment causes social connections, and often, such children are seen as isolated.

Even their academic accomplishments are severely affected by childhood abuse, as the research unmistakably suggests that as the intensity of maltreatment increases, the academic performance is adversely impacted (Slade & Wissow, 2008). The impairment in social and cognitive skills is observed when the children are not treated in their early sensitive days, leading to lower academic performance. The disruptive behavior and concentration difficulties create increased sensitivity to the outer factors of their environment, heightening the risks of academic failure.

According to the most recent data of 2015, the economic burden of this very issue within the United States is $16,615,186 for one life lost due to child abuse (Peterson, Florence & Klevens, 2018). Though there was a slight decrease in the number of child abuse cases witnessed within the U.S. from the years 2008 to 2015, however, it is still predicted that this could be due to lesser reported cases. If the trend continues, the estimated number of U.S. economic burdens could be seen in trillions in the coming years.

Statement of Research Question and Hypothesis

Research Question

The research question for the current study is:

What are the reasons for child abuse, including physical abuse, psychological abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, verbal abuse, and neglect, worldwide?

Hypothesis

The hypothesis could not be formed for the current research since variables are not set as the reasons are to be explored for child abuse. Systematic literature does not reflect upon the setting of variables for testing; only themes are to be derived to detect the reasons in various previous studies conducted by several researchers. It is just for exploratory purposes to elucidate a phenomenon in-depth and not evaluate any relationship between variables for which hypothesis is to be established.

Study Methods Section

A systematic literature review is selected for the current study since actual data gathering cannot be done. A review of the past studies related to the same topic would be conducted systematically since this would give flexibility to the current investigation. The focus on the research question would remain stressful since the previously done scholarly work on the same topic would be explored critically (Mallett et al., 2012). A clear and comprehensive overview of the topic would be presented with the help of its systematic manner

Participants, Population, Sampling Method, and Sample Size

Due to time constraints, gathering actual data is not suggested that includes these elements of a research. Hence, the literature review, the participants, populations, sampling methods, and sample size are not applicable under the chosen study method. However, there are certain sampling criteria for selecting research articles discussed in the next section of the paper.

Research Design

A descriptive or exploratory research design is selected for this study since the study’s main aim is to explore the reasons behind child abuse and not the relationship between variables. It is qualitative research since it does not contain statistics that only show trends; the data contains emotions and attitudes needed in this study as reasons for child abuse are to be scrutinized. The perspectives are to be explored from all directions to gain flexibility (Hallingberg et al., 2018). Although the data could be complex since only emotions and attitudes are generated from the obtained data, if the researcher is trained and keeps in mind the set inclusivity and exclusivity criteria for removing as much bias as possible, then answers could be deemed authentic with descriptive or exploratory research.

The intention for selecting exploratory research is to gain a deeper understanding of the topic, exploring the causes of child abuse. Also, the social issues are to be explored using this type of research as the investigator would search for knowledge about the topic. The feasibility of the research is also sometimes known by the researcher through exploratory research once the curiosity is fulfilled with a deeper understanding of the issue.

Data Collection Methods

A systematic literature review is the data collection method for collecting information and exploring the topic in detail. The scrutiny of the factors that cause child abuse is best undertaken when actual research is absent. Formal data is gathered thoroughly so that the summarization can be done extensively yet concisely. The appraisal of all authentic scholarly articles could be done easily when gathered at one place to answer a specific research question.

The systematic summary of the articles would support evidence collection so that gaining critical skills is convenient. The existing literature review synthesizes an evidence-based guideline on the selected issue with clarity, extensive coverage, and transparency in the concerned area (Pericic & Tanveer, 2019). When there are time constraints involved, as in this paper, a rigor for improving the current research and expanding the attained data for future research could be expediently done with a systematic literature review.

Instruments

The research instrument used to measure and analyze data systematically gathered from the literature review would be the extraction of themes so that those themes could be taken as reasons for child abuse. Although the research instrument for collecting data would be the internet, the analysis and evaluation stages would be conducted through thematic analysis.

The reason for choosing this research instrument for data analysis and not the others is its suitability for the current research. It is qualitative and involves attitudes, behaviors, or emotions of the people who abuse children. The benefits of thematic analysis include its applicability as an accessible approach towards secondary data gathering (Nowell et al., 2017). It is flexible that fits the best against systematic literature review. Interpretation of meaning in the form of themes and the reasons required for the topic of this research would be detected in a better way once the patterns and phenomenon are identified correctly.

Materials

The materials that would be used for understanding the topic and collecting data about the reasons for child abuse would be online peer-reviewed scholarly journal articles. Journal articles are a reliable means of research conducted through a systematic collection and examination of data relating to the topic under discussion. They are ‘peer-reviewed through a verified process and checked by academics for genuineness. The historical and evidence-based guidelines and practices are mainly found in these journal articles written by the subject experts; hence, they are taken as the principal source of data obtaining for this research.

Data Analysis Plan

Since thematic analysis is chosen for the current study, certain steps would be utilized to undergo an organized manner. The steps are explained as follows:

Data sources and search strategy

For the systematic literature review, Google would find the peer-reviewed articles that best match the research question. Extended research would also be used for the same reason that might lead the investigator to other possible sources of peer-reviewed articles related to the topic.

Keywords used for conducting online research

The keywords that would most likely be used to conduct an online are “reasons behind child abuse,” “child abuse in different countries,” “prevalence of various types of child abuse and their causes,” “causes of child abuse types,” “child maltreatment” and “reasons of child abuse all over the world.”

Eligibility criteria (inclusion and exclusion)

The articles included in the current research’s systematic literature review would not be older than 2015 since articles older than this period would be considered obsolete. The researcher wants to obtain recent data for staying well-informed on the topic, and the contemporary reasons for child abuse could be inspected.

Moreover, extended research would also be used as an inclusion criterion for the peer-review scholarly articles by searching those articles in the reference section of the selected articles.

Discussion

The results and possible outcomes would seek to answer the research question. The connection of the literature review would be kept as close as possible to the evidence presented by the previous experts on the same topics. The interplay of the risk factors and the causes of child abuse could be better understood by backing the previous literature and their thematic outcomes. The contextual factors could then be elucidated to prevent the circumstances causing child abuse, after which a safe future could be provided to the children from an early age.

The interventions and prevention steps would be suggested once the reasons have been discovered. The neglect, physical and emotional abuse would be expected to stop after the core elements from the systematic literature review are exposed. The improvement in parental capacity and culturally adapted mediations should be deeply dissected with the help of this examination.