Abstract
This paper reports a review of the current research regarding the statistics, risk factors, treatment, and prevention of abuse and neglect of children with disabilities. Several studies have found a strong correlation between disability and maltreatment, indicating that disabled children are significantly more likely to experience abuse or neglect than their non-disabled peers. There is evidence that the interaction of several socio-cultural, familial, institutional, and child-related factors is associated with higher probability of maltreatment of children with disabilities. There is little research available indicating empirically validated therapies for children with disabilities who are affected by maltreatment. It also appears
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The current meta-analysis shows that child abuse not only affects children in the United States, but is a widespread, worldwide phenomenon, affecting the lives of millions of children across the globe (Stoltenborgh, et al.; 2013). Although child abuse occurs across ethnic and cultural lines, within all religions, and at all levels of education and socioeconomic status, there is a large and growing body of research that has found that children with disabilities are at a higher risk for abuse than children without disabilities. This paper will present the current findings regarding the abuse and neglect of children with disabilities, risk factors associated with maltreatment of children with disabilities, potential outcomes, treatment opportunities, and ethical considerations. It will also discuss preventative measures that are advised to reduce the incidence of child maltreatment, both in general and specific to children with …show more content…
Although each state has its own definitions of child abuse and neglect, the federal government has provided a standard for which individual state definitions can be determined. This standard, provided by the Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), defines the term ‘child abuse and neglect’ as “at a minimum, any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker, which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation, or an act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm.” Within this over-arching definition, most states identify four major types of maltreatment, including physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, and psychological maltreatment or emotional abuse. With regards to disability, the federal standard provided by the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) defines a ‘child with disability’ as “ a child with mental retardation, hearing impairments (including deafness), speech or language impairments, visual impairments (including blindness), serious emotional disturbance, . . . orthopedic impairments, autism, traumatic brain injury, other health impairments, or specific learning disabilities, and who, by reason thereof, needs special education and related services .” These federal standards will be used going forward in conceptualizing the
When children are hurt physically, emotionally, or sexually it is known to be child abuse. Children are known to be neglected when they are not getting the proper attention needed for children. When children are neglected or abused in any way it is the responsibility of others to report such acts to the authorities as to what they have witnessed first-hand or signs of abuse or neglect seen after the fact, these people who reports such acts are known as third parties. The proper authorities to report child abuse or neglect is called Child Protected Services also known as Child Welfare. After the abuse or neglect is reported the proper authorities will then investigate to see if the abuse or neglect is legit or fraudulent (Sedlak, 2001).
The United States defines child maltreatment as “any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker, which results in death, serious injury or emotional harm, sexual abuse, or exploitation, or an act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm” (McCoy & Keen, 2009, p. 63). This legal definition is better understood by the idea that a caregiver repeatedly fails to provide the most basic care necessary for a child. Although abandonment is often the first thing that comes to mind when one hears the word “neglect...
As of 2010, The Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) defines child abuse as: “Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation; or an act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm.” Abuse can also be referred to as any damage that has been done to a child that cannot be realistically explained with proper representation. An example of this behavior would be a single injury or multiple grievances that are non-accidental in an environment. A majority of Federal and State cases regarding child abuse harm is primarily related to close family members, caregivers, and parents (cite). In many states, if a child is considered a witness of domestic violence, it is...
In 1974, the United States Congress passed an act that would provide the necessary laws and regulations that would protect those who have become victims of child abuse and neglect. According to this policy was meant to: “provide financial assistance for a demonstration program for the prevention, identification, and treatment of child abuse and neglect” (CAPTA of 1974 P.L. 93-247). This law became known as Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act. The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act was first amended in 1974 and became known as CAPTA. However, over the years CAPTA has been amended several times. When CAPTA was amended on June 25, 2003 it became part of the Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003. The most recent amendment of the law was on December 1, 2010 (Public Law 108-36) (About CAPTA: A Legislative History). By definition, which was established in 1974, CAPTA is defined as “the physical or mental injury, sexual abuse, negligent treatment, or maltreatment of a child under the age of eighteen by a person who is responsible for the child’s welfare under circumstances which indicate tha...
According to the article, “Parents’ Mistreatment towards Physically Disabled Children”, a study showed “the level of mistreatment with a disabled child was high for a reason like the marital status of the parents and the child’s order within family” ( Jumma and Cerkez 527). But not all parents are like that mistreatment their child that has a disability. Some parents that live in a foreign country abandoned their children. Jumma and Cerkez go on to say “in many eastern communities [people] believe that having a disabled child in a family is a punishment for their fault and will bring evil and a misfortune to the family and community” (528). This type of abandon happen in the novel and also in real life. That has a physically disability because they don’t have the money to care for them. Also, some parents give their child up for adoption to get a better care for
Physical neglect can include not providing adequate food, clothing, appropriate medical care, supervision, or proper weather protection (heating or coats) to the child. Educational neglect can include failure to provide appropriate schooling or special educational needs, allowing excessive truancy, to the child. Psychological neglect is the lack of emotional support and love, never attending to the child, spousal abuse, or drug and alcohol abuse, including allowing the child to participate in drug and alcohol use. Physical abuse is to cause or inflict physical injury upon the child. This may include, burning, hitting, punching, shaking, kicking, beating, or otherwise harming a child.
Physical abuse is abuse that causes injury from beating, punching, kicking, etc. Sexual abuse is the mistreatment of a child by molestation, rape, prostitution. Neglect is the failure to take care of a child's needs like food, shelter, education, and love (Jackson and Primavera). While these three types may be different in the form of abuse, they all have very similar negative effects to the child’s well
Child abuse can be Physical, Sexual, Emotional, and Physiological Abuse. Child abuse is not only just about abuse but neglect as well. The difference between abuse and neglect is, that abuse is the maltreatment of someone and neglect is failure to give the proper care to a person (Jilani, 2010). Neglect has different types as well, such as Educational, Emotional, and Physical Neglect. Every place in the world has some types of statistics on Child Abuse and Neglect. For example, “The United States has one of the worst records among industrialized nations – losing on average between four and seven children every day to child abuse and neglect (Childhelp, n.d.).” The fact that so many young lives are lost before they even get to begin is
...ies. 80% of mortality of children with disabilities in america in states where overall. The mortality is below 20%. Violence against disabled kids occur at annual rates. 5%of individuals lives are spent with disabilities with life expectations of over seventy years. Ninety percent of individuals with intellectual impairments will experience sexual abuse according to a study by New international now(2013).
Today child neglect is the largest part of child abuse in the United States, and almost two-thirds of all reported cases in child protective services is neglect (Dubowitz). Before the 1970’s child abuse mostly referred to physical abuse; however, now it encompasses physical, emotional, and sexual abuse as well as neglect (Compton’s). Physical abuse is when a child is hurt by getting hit, punched, kicked, or any other form of beating by an adult (Compton’s). This abuse will only harm the child physically and though it is horrific and can lead to long term effects it will normally only lead to violence. Emotional abuse is when an adult is hateful to the child by calling him names, and another form of emotional abuse is when an adult is punishing a child in a way that will cause him mental trauma (Compton’s). Emotional abuse is terrible for the child’s self-esteem however they can go and learn that they are important to the world by their contributions. Sexual abuse is when a child is touched inappropriately or molested (Compton’s). This is detrimental to a child but in most cases the child will block this out for when they grow older it is like it never happened which will cause no harm to their mental state. Neglect is when an adult will not seek medical help for their child and will not provide them with food, shelter, clothing, or emotional support (Sullivan). This is where the real trauma takes place on a child. The child will not suffer from being hit but they suffer from starving until someone is kind enough to feed them or they die from malnutrition. The child will not suffer from a parent calling them names but they might never know if their parent knows their name or cares to even speak to th...
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 3.3 million referrals for alleged maltreatment were made in 2013. Out of the 3.3 million referrals, 899,000 children were officially documented as being maltreated(Child Abuse & Neglect 2015). Child abuse is the mistreatment of a child. Child abuse is recognized in several forms; physical, emotional, sexual and neglect. Children who experience any form of abuse will tend to withdraw themselves from their peers and sometimes from other family members who are not aware of what is taking place. Child abuse occurs not just in the homes of these children, but can also occur in schools, churches and after school programs. Anywhere a child is present there is a chance that abuse can occur. This paper will review the forms of child abuse, the effects of child abuse, reasons child abuse occurs and possible therapies to bring healing in the parties involved.
Child maltreatment can affect any child, usually aged 0-18, and it occurs across socioeconomic, religious, ethnic or even educational backgrounds. Arguably, child abuse and neglect is a violation of basic human rights of a child resulting from social, familial, psychological and economic factors (Kiran, 2011). Familial factors include lack of support, poverty, single parenthood, and domestic violence among others, (McCoy and Keen, 2009). The common types of child maltreatment include physical abuse, emotional maltreatment, neglect, and sexual abuse among others. Abuse and neglect can lead to a variety of impacts on children and young people such as physical, behavioral as well as psychological consequences which will affect the development and growth of the child either positively or negatively based on the environment and agency. More so, emotional, cognitive and physical developmental impacts from child neglect in the early stages of childhood can be carried on into adulthood. Research findings reveal that the experience of maltreatment can cause major long-term consequences on all aspects of a child’s health, growth as well as intellectual development and mental wellbeing, and these effects can impair their functioning as adults. Commonly, the act of abuse/ or neglect toward a child affects the child’s physical, behavioral development and growth, which can be positive or negative, depending on the child’s environment and agency. Another way to understand how the act has affected the child is to look at the child for who they are, and interviewing and observing their behaviors of their everyday life.
Unlike physical or sexual abuse, in which specific abusive acts are directed towards a child, neglect is typically defined by the absence of provision for a child’s basic needs (Gough, 2005).
Recent statistics show that in a single year, 702,000 children are a victim to child abuse and neglect and there 3.2 million of child abuse cases investigated every single year (CITE). Child abuse and neglect is a serious topic and there are many forms of it. Malnutrition is an obvious form of child abuse, but is a poor diet a form of child abuse? That is the question. The Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) defines child abuse as, “Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker, which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse, or exploitation, or an act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm.”
Child maltreatment is a widespread issue that affects thousands of children every year. There are four common types of child maltreatment: sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect. All of these types of abuse are very serious and can have many consequences for the children and families. The most common consequence of severe child maltreatment is the removal of that child from their home (Benbenishty, Segev, Surkis, and Elias, 2002). Most social workers trying to determine the likelihood of removal evaluate the type and severity of abuse, as well as the child’s relationship with their parents (Benbenishty et al., 2002).