Argumentative Essay On Child Abuse

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Recommended: The effects of verbal and physical abuse on children

On April 18th, 2012, Corey Foster was killed when teachers piled on top of him in order to restrain him. Their reasoning? He refused to stop shooting hoops when a teacher requested it. Corey is not the only child or teen to die at the hands of school teachers and staff, although these are rare cases, they are important to bear in mind. The abuse of children is horrible and may cause permanent emotional damage. When a child feels bullied by peers, they emotionally withdraw to escape the torment they face at school. However, some children are unable to defend themselves from their bullies. Some children are forced to contend with their tormentors every day. These children are the ones who are abused not by their peers, but by their teachers–the people who should be most trusted to teach, protect, and love them. The abuse of children by teachers happens with much more regularity than most assume, and the damaging effects it can have on students are staggering. Unfortunately, in most cases, it is dismissed as punishment, and is legal in a lot of states. It is paramount that society be more alert to their suffering and be equipped with the knowledge to spot the signs.
To understand the plight of abused children, it is important to understand the psychological definition of abuse. Abuse is the behaviour wherein a person repeatedly makes another feel discomfort or suffer hurtful actions (American Psychological Association). Whether obvious and violent or subtle, abuse can take on several different forms. Physical abuse is defined as an instance wherein a perpetrator lays his or her hands on a victim, touching or striking them directly. Emotional abuse encompasses neglect, yelling, degradation, and humiliation. Fear is often a psychologic...

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...s if they are in the wrong, children will often not seek help, coming to believe that they indeed deserve what they are getting.
To conclude, abuse is a horrible thing for children to go through, but with corporal punishment active in schools across twenty states, a staggering amount of students have no choice but to suffer at the hands of their teachers. These students face a litany of punishments from paddling, to padded rooms, to electroshock therapy. This is often administered by unprofessionals who are more likely to harm the children than to help them, despite the fact that these are people students should be able to trust and look up to. It’s imperative to look out for the signs of abuse, and to help a child in any way possible. If any more deaths can be prevented – like that of Corey Foster, it’s important to recognize when a child is most in need of help.

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