There are many forms of childhood maltreatment. All of which can and do cause both physical and mental issues to the victims. Childhood physical abuse can cause grave physical injuries and even death. Children who are physically abused are more likely to experience cognitive, emotional, and behavioral problems as they grow up, such as depression, anxiety, misbehavior, substance abuse problems, and can grow up to be abusers themselves. Many people have a hard time understanding why anyone would hurt a child. Most abusers love their children, but they have less patience then other parents. But the truth is that many children learn violent behavior from their parents and then grow up to be abusers themselves. There is evidence that physical child …show more content…
There are many forms of physical abuse, such as, slapping, hitting, strangling, beating, kicking and sexual abuse. In many cases objects being thrown at a child that can injure them. Many times, physical abuse goes undiscovered because children tend to hurt themselves all the time anyway. According to the book, Violence the Enduring Problem states, “Many child victims are fearful or incapable of reporting their victimization to an authority figure. And Despite the mandatory reporting laws in place in all states, evidence of abuse and neglect can often remain hidden except for extreme cases, such as when broken bones and concussions require medical care” (170). Also, physical abuse is often explained away by adults as accidents. But according to Childhelp.org states, “A report of child abuse is made every ten seconds. That in 2014, state agencies found an estimated 702,000 victims of physical child abuse” (Child Help). It is an epidemic that has plagued the United States for decades. Child abuse is an ever-growing social problem. Children that are physically abused have a high propensity to develop psychological disorders, such as, depression, anxiety, and PTSD. There is evidence about the mental health implications of physical abuse and environmental stressors that contribute to the ongoing …show more content…
Yet there hasn’t been much in the form of the correlation between the two. In the article, Direct and Indirect Effects of Child Abuse and Environmental Stress: A Lifecourse Perspective on Adversity and Depressive Symptoms, it performed a longitudinal study of 365 people who had been physically abused as children and followed them into adulthood to see the direct or interrelated risks to diminish mental health over time. Their goal was, “To assess whether chronic physical child abuse remains an independent predictor of adult outcomes once we accounted for the cumulative effects of household and neighborhood stressors across the lifecourse” (1). They found that there is indeed a statistical significance in that, “There is evidence that child abuse and environmental stressors such as neighborhood conflict or family mental illness and substance abuse are conceptually separable and independently predictive of mental health and behavioral outcomes” (2). There was also evidence that children who experience chronic physical abuse form extreme stress, anxiety, and depression as adults. Environmental factors also affect abuse in general. Families that live in poverty, have a higher propensity to have abuse in the home. There is also evidence that children that come from single-parent homes are abused more. Occupation, income, and even education are all indicators of higher abuse rates. It was found that when
... In conclusion, it is clearly shown that domestic violence has a negative effect on the children who witness it. An expanding body of research suggests that childhood trauma and adverse experiences can lead to a variety of negative health outcomes (Anda & Chapman & Dube & Felitti & Giles & Williamson, 2001, p.1). In fact, childhood stressors such as witnessing domestic violence and other household dysfunctions are highly interrelated and have a graded relationship to numerous health and social problems (Anda & Chapman & Dube & Felitti & Giles & Williamson, 2001, p.2). It is obvious and clearly shown that the children who witness domestic abuse have serious long-term mental effects.
Currently, there are many children whom suffer from emotional, physical, and sexual abuse in their family. Emotional abuse is the lack of interest or affection parents have towards their children. As a result of emotional abuse, children are left feeling worthless and unloved. Physical abuse refers to attacking children resulting visible bodily injuries from either being burned, pushed, punched, slapped, or whipped. Sometimes physical abuse can be extremely severe that children have broken bones, fractures, or hemorrhaging. Sexual abuse occurs when a person forces, tricks, or threatens children to have sexual contact. These acts of child abuse could prevent children from living a normal adulthood. In order to deal with such a traumatic childhood, adults abused as children should rid themselves of such burdensome, painful memories.
Exposure to domestic violence can impact the behavioral, social-emotional, and cognitive development of children. Children who are exposed to domestic violence tend to exhibit more aggressive behaviors with their peers, show signs of depression, and have a difficult time forming relationships (Brown & Bzostek, 2003). Cognitively, studies have shown that children exposed to domestic violence may have difficulties learning and concentrating in school, have difficulties with conflict resolution skills, and may believe in male privilege, (Brown & Bzostek, 2003). Concentration is difficult for children exposed to domestic violence because of how unsafe they may feel in their surroundings. They may be preoccupied with the violence that is occurring at home, or may be fearful of what may come next.
The early childhood years are a period of rapid change in the brain, this leaves children exceptionally vulnerable to psychological abuse. Psychological abuse includes rejecting, ignoring, criticizing, belittling, humiliating, threatening with violence, or otherwise terrorizing the child, all of which have the effect of eroding the child's self-esteem and sense of security. Psychological abuse can come as a result of actions that do not specifically target the child. Studies show that children who have experienced domestic violence are more anxious and insecure then those who do not. Children who observe violence react with many of the same psychological symptoms as children who have experienced it directly. Psychological abuse is often accompanied by other forms of abuse. It is difficult to prove, however, and rarely is
Domestic violence has increased over the years and has become a major issue for the children that live through it. In a study organized by David Wolfe, researchers concluded that from 1990 to 1993, there was an increase of 256,112 child abuse cases (Wolfe11). In a more recent evaluation relating to domestic violence by Louise Gerdes, the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) made an assessment on Child Protective Services (CPS) and reported that domestic abuse and neglect claimed the lives of 1,760 children in 2007 in comparison to 1,460 in 2005 (Gerdes 129-130). The neglect that these children are put in can only be categorized as child abuse. With all of these abuse cases, one could wonder how this abuse might be carried out against the well-being of the child.
It’s no secret that child abuse causes long-lasting effects, but can any of the effects turn out to be positive? According to research, the chance of there being positive impacts of childhood abuse is extremely small. The list of possible negative impacts of childhood abuse is a long one, and they can last a lifetime if not properly treated. Though it is very possible to recover from the negative impacts of childhood abuse, the chance of them turning positive is slim to none. Childhood abuse not only affects future relationships and self-esteem, but it can also cause basic day-to-day activities to become extremely difficult. The trauma that results from childhood abuse, whether it is physical, mental, or sexual, can only result in a negative
Child abuse can present itself in various forms throughout the country, however the one major defining part of child abuse it that cannot be stopped or cured with medication, exercise, or nutrition. Unlike typical medical conditions, child abuse is passed through learned behaviors and can have effects on family members, friends, employees. According to the Child Help Foundation, child abuse is defined “when a parent or caregiver, whether through action or failing to act, causes injury, death, emotional harm or risk of serious harm to a child...including neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, exploitation and emotional abuse” (“The Issue of Child Abuse”, 2016). Child abuse has detrimental effects on a person’s later life as an adult, including depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and obesity. This is a public health problem because these factors can be passed down through genetics; for example, children who have obese parents are more likely to be obese themselves. Noted by Woolf, injuries such as child abuse can lead to poor self-control, limited social skills, lack of perseverance, resilience, and antisocial behavior (Woolf 2013). Abused children grow up no longer in the
Physical abuse is physical force or violence that results in bodily injury, pain or impairment. It includes assault, battery and inappropriate restraint. In the U.S., state and local protective services investigated 3.6 million reports of child abuse or neglect in 2006. Of these, more than 900,000 children were identified as victims of child maltreatment. (Craig & Dunn, Ex.: 2010, p. 195) Parents are most likely to be perpetrators of child maltreatment: In 2006, 83% of victims were abused by a parent, either acting alone or with another person. Mothers are somewhat more likely than father to maltreat their children, in part because they spend more time with them. (Craig & Dunn, Ex.: 2010, p. 198)
Child abuse is defined as the physical, sexual or emotional maltreatment or neglect of a child or children. Nowadays, you hear about numerous child abuses every year and every year the statists grow larger. Tens of thousands of children each year are traumatized by physical, sexual, and emotional abusers or by caregivers who neglect them, making child abuse as common as it is shocking. Most people cannot imagine what would make adults use violence against a child, and the worse the behavior is, the more unimaginable it seems. People do not realize the different forms of abuse children may receive. This list includes physical, mental, emotional, neglect, and sexual abuse. The psychological result of each abused child is often the same: deep emotional scars and a feeling of worthlessness.
Despite an overall agreement of the short-term effects of physical abuse, little research has been conducted on the long-term effects; in a literature review, researchers Robin Malinosky-Rummell, and David Hanson (1993) reviewed the long-term effects physical abuse across several studies and split their research into seven different domains: aggressive and violent behavior, nonviolent criminal behavior, substance abuse, self-injurious and suicidal behavior, emotional problems, interpersonal problems and academic difficulties. While doing their literature reviews, they compared the rates of abuse history in at least two samples, compared the behaviors of groups with a history of abuse with those of a non-abused sample, and looked at designs that assessed behaviors of a sample at two or more different points in time. In their research for a relationship between physical abuse as a child and aggressiveness and violence as an adult, they found that approximately 30% of physically abused children grow to abuse their own children, childhood physical abuse is weakly linked to dating violence in college students, and it is related to spousal abuse for men, but not for women (Rummell & Hanson, 1993). Their research on a relationship between physical abuse and nonviolent criminal behavior showed no relationship, but they did find a relationship between substance abuse and abuse; physically abused individuals tend to have more alcoholism disorders and abuse drugs and alcohol at a higher rate than their non-abused counterparts (Rummell & Hanson, 1993). Per their literature review, physical abuse has also been linked to emotional problems and self-injurious/suicidal behavior as well; no relationship was found between physical abuse and interpersonal relationship
When a child witnesses domestic abuse it can have many different effects on the child. From my research I found that one of the most common effects on the child were mental health problems. In one study, conducted in New Zealand, young people that reported high levels of exposure to inter-parental violence had elevated rates of mental health problems (Fergusson & Horwood, 1998, p.1). Some of the least severe mental health problems included anxiety, inability to focus, and nightmares (Brescoll & Graham-Bermann, 2000, p.2). But these problems, which appear to be less severe, can also be the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (Brescoll & Graham-Bermann, 2000, p.2). In a study conducted in 2001 the results indicated that higher levels of symptoms indicative of post traumatic stress were associated with children who have witnessed domestic violence (Hill & Nabors & Reynolds & Wallace & Weist, 2001, p.1). ?Children who have witnessed domestic violence are more likely to develop symptoms associated with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; that is, high levels of an...
Child abuse is a social problem in America that has many contributed factors. Factors that contribute to child abuse and neglect includes poverty, divorce, substance use, lack of education, stress due to unemployment, mental health issues, teenage parent, and a history of child abuse in the family. It took decades for physicians to conclude that parents have been violently assaulting their children. Child abuse, child labor, juvenile delinquency, and similar social questions historically were ethical and moral problems, not strictly medical ones. (Helfer, Kempe, & Krugman, 1997). In 1962, the Journal of American Medical Association published “The Battered-Child Syndrome.” The article transformed society’s views and dates the rediscovery of child abuse as a social problem. Following this article, the U.S. Children’s Bureau adopted the first laws mandating physicians to report any suspicions of abuse and neglect to the police or child welfare. By 1974, some 60,000 cases were reported. In 1980, the number exceeded one million (Myers J. E., 2004).
...l parents as soon as the home is safe again. For some cases recurrent maltreatment occurs when the child is reunified with the biological parents or original caregivers. Children who are abused can display behavioral problems which can impact many areas in their life. They tend to act out at school and have low academic performance (Webb, 2007). They may also internalize their behavior by becoming depressed and showing symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Child maltreatment not only affects the child that is being abused, but the family system as well. Some acts of child abuse can be prosecuted with criminal charges which could result in jail time and other serious punishments. Children show the affects of their maltreatment throughout their life through their behaviors. Child abuse is a serious problem that needs to be prohibited by all agencies.
When the topic of abuse comes up, many different forms of abuse pop into individuals heads. Whether its Physical abuse, sexual abuse, verbal abuse or even drug abuse, the list just keeps going. Now take all those different forms abuse and imagine them happening in a family. A father physically abusing his children, a mother verbally berating her daughter about her body image, a child growing up in fear. According to the research by David Wolfe in the Journal of Consulting and clinical Psychology, that the number of children that have suffered a physical injury due to physical abuse is between 1.4 and 1.9 million annually. With such a high number of physical abuse happening to children, one can imagine how high the number of all the
The effects of child abuse are multiple. The pain and trauma the abused child goes through is just a small part of how this cauldron of hidden depravity in our society affects all of us. Wrecked lives can be seen in persons of all ages and in all walks of life. Society as a whole is also effected by child abuse both in negative and positive ways. In this essay I will present some of the factor and results of this violent behavior on individuals as well as our culture.