Forms and signs of child abuse in society

Abused and Exploited Children

Child abuse is one of the most unfortunate realities of our society. In a world marked by progress, it is sad that there are still many households where young children are being subjected to violence both physical and otherwise. Child abuse is defined as any non-accidental harm or injury to a child caused by an adult. Despite the presence of numerous child protection services and agencies, children are still regularly facing violence at home which may often lead to fatal injuries. Even though child abuse is commonly known and understood as physical abuse, this is not entirely true. Abuse can occur in other forms as well and we shall now discuss some of the more common forms in which child abuse mars our society.

Define the 4 types of abuse and give 4-5 examples of the most common signs/symptoms of that type of abuse.

TYPES OF CHILD ABUSE

PHYSICAL ABUSE

The most easily detected abuse is physical abuse where bruises or other marks on a child's body can be seen. It is the most easily reportable sign of abuse because it can be seen and various cases of physical abuse are regularly reported by people other than the perpetrator. Some of the usual signs and symptoms are as follows:

Bruises caused by the use of cords, electric wires, belts etc.

Broken bones caused by use of physical force

Cuts and laceration

Burns caused by cigarette marks etc.

These are just some of the ways in which physical injury results but there may be many other ways used by perpetrator to cause harm to a child.

SEXUAL ABUSE

Other common form of abuse is sexual abuse but it goes unreported on a large scale because it is a hidden form of abuse. The child may be too young to understand sexual advances or touching and hence even though he or she may feel violated, there is no way to express or explain exactly what went wrong. Even where such cases are noticed by other adults, shame can often prevent people from confronting the situation and reporting it to the authorities.

Ways in which sexual abuse results includes inappropriate touching, rape, fondling etc. Kissing and hugging a child inappropriately also constitute sexual abuse.

EMOTIONAL ABUSE:

Emotional abuse is probably the most prevalent form of abuse and one which may not be reported too often as people may not see it as abuse or categorize it as something inappropriate. Emotional-abuse occurs when a child feels neglected and ignored and being subjected to unhealthy treatment on regular basis.

Emotional abuse occurs in the form of:

Excessive yelling and shouting,

Telling a child he is no good

Humiliating a child in public or private

NEGLECT:

Emotional abuse can also come under neglect but other forms of neglect occur too which is a common form of child abuse. Many children are subject to emotional, nutritional and educational abuse. Emotional abuse is already described above, nutritional abuse occurs when a child's basic needs for food are ignored and educational abuse refers to not taking care of a child's academic needs.

A child who is denied love and affection is seriously abused. Lack of hugs, kisses and other demonstrations of love can hurt a child's psychological and emotional growth. It can also manifest in other growth problems and delays. Similarly giving a child silent treatment etc. As a type of punishment is also neglect.

Identify 3-4 agencies that are involved in the protection of children, and define their roles and impact on children who have been victims of abuse.

CHILD PROTECTION AGENCIES

CHILD PROTECTION SERVICES (FEDERAL AND STATE AGENCIES)

This agency is involved in child protection services in many states and may be known by different names such as department of families and children and department of social services. The agency takes action when a report is filed by a person close to the child. The child may be immediately removed from his or her home and placed in foster care. However the agency would try to reunite the child with the family after providing counseling to families and children involved.

US DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

This department known commonly as HHS is involved in the protection of health and safety of all Americans and can be contacted in case of child abuse or neglect. However HHS may then forward the case to relevant protection agencies usually the CPS for further action on the report.

CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN REPORTING

In some cultures there is still a stigma attached to cases of child abuse. People refrain from reporting cases especially when a family member is involved as perpetrator of abuse. For this reason, reporting may become a problem and hence it is essentially vital to keep a close tab on children when any sign of abuse appears. Studies reveal that parents of a different ethnic descent are likely to treat cases of child abuse much differently than American parents. "African parents tend to be more sympathetic towards physical punishment. For example, African born parents were unlikely to participate or seek intervention for punishing a child with wooden stick (particularly if it is to correct a behavior and it is successful)." (Shanalingigwa, 2009)

Please discuss some of the potential long-term consequences of removing a child from the home and some alternatives to removal of the child.

A great deal of pain and suffering is associated with removing a child from home even though at times it is in the best interest of the child in the long run. For one, children who are removed from home might find it immensely painful to stay in foster care and secondly, even those who stay in such settings do not thrive as expected. Many children face numerous problems in foster care as many emotional and behavioral problems occur in such children as they encounter adjustment issues. (Pecora et al. 2009)