Several Cases of Violence Against Children

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Recommended: Child welfare policies from the past

There are a couple of things I see today which can lead to child abuse. First of all, we have an epidemic of babies having babies. According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (2012) babies born to teenagers are at risk for neglect and abuse because their young mothers are uncertain about their roles, and may be frustrated by the constant demands of caretaking. They also contend that babies born in the U.S. to teenage mothers are at risk for long-term problems in many major areas of life, including school failure, poverty, and physical or mental illness. In accordance with social learning theory, I believe that many young teenage girls have these babies because it has become a trend. I remember at one time being pregnant and an unwed mother was looked upon as shameful girls. I knew that becoming pregnant I was no longer able to attend school. In the 1950s and 1960s, the stigma of illegitimacy was such that many young women in their late teens and early 20s were more or less forced to give up their babies. They were expected to go away to mother and baby homes, and six weeks later, sign over their child to someone else. They were then expected to make a fresh start and forget the babies they gave away. The messages were repeated over and over. Young pregnant women were told that adoption would give their baby both a mother and a father and a home full of nice things – things that they wouldn’t be able to do. With little or no support from family or state, it was virtually impossible for a young woman with a baby to support herself financially, or find suitable accommodation (Children Webmag, 2006). Today, what I observe, is not only is it okay for these babies to have babies, we as a society is enabling th... ... middle of paper ... ...ealth Services, 2012. Web. 09 Mar. 2014. < https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/otherpubs/majorfedlegis.cfm#noteone >. Mydans, Seth. "School Offers Day Care For Teen-Age Mothers." The New York Times. The New York Times, 26 Dec. 1989. Web. 10 Mar. 2014. < http://www.nytimes.com/1989/12/27/us/school-offers-day-care-for-teen-age-mothers.html >. Newberger, E. (1983). Child abuse: The current theory base and future research needs. Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 22(3), 226-228. Retrieved from http://www.elinewberger.com/articles/archive/childabuse-research/currenttheory.html "When Children Have Children." When Children Have Children. American Academy Of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, May 2012. Web. 09 Mar. 2014. < http://www.aacap.org/aacap/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/Facts_for_Families_Pages/When_Children_Have_Children_31.aspx >.

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