Each year data is collected by many government agencies, both national and local, in an attempt to better understand and ultimately prevent cases of child abuse. A report published by the Children’s Bureau titled Child Maltreatment, in 2014 reflected that, children that had yet to experience their first birthday had the highest rate of victimization at 24.4 per 1,000 children of the same age in the national population (p 12). Abuse is never acceptable, but it is extremely alarming that an age group that relies so heavily on an adult for basic needs would be so greatly represented. Perhaps though the information becomes slight more understandable when we see that the Children’s Bureau also reported that 75% of victims were subjected to neglect …show more content…
Child abuse comes in many other forms, such as physical abuse, sexual abuse, and often abuse that occurs but is not common will be labeled as “other”. In the 2014 published report “approximately 3.2 million children were subject to at least one report [of abuse]” and of those 3.2 million children, an estimated 1,580 were abused in such a way that resulted in their death. While the majority of these numbers are representative of a national problem, a little digging into the Children Bureau’s report revealed that in New York State alone in 2014, 188,058 children were investigated as having been victims of child abuse (p 44). To understand both national and local numbers and how they relate to the State of New York or anywhere else, we must first understand the different types of …show more content…
In the collected reports from all states, 702,208 cases of child abuse were investigated, of those 702,208 cases, 526,744 were indicated as cases of neglect. That is a lot of abused children, but once again we must understand what neglect is to understand what is encompassed in the 526,744 cases. Neglect, I would image can be largely tied back into the inability of a parental figure or guardian to adequately provide for the child or children in their care. This can range in failure to provide proper housing, a source of food, clean living conditions. The children’s Bureau defines neglect as “A type of maltreatment that refers to the failure by the caregiver to provide needed, age-appropriate care although financially able to do so or offered financial or other means to do so (p 120). So in 2014, 526,744 children were not given the basic necessities of life by those who were supposed to love them more than life itself. Granted not all of those cases were sustained, it remains a number that is jaw dropping. A scan of the list of states shows that no matter the state, neglect seems to be the main cause of all child abuse cases investigated. In New York neglect represented 95.4% of the cases, and in fact there were only 6 states that reported less than 50% of their child abuse cases came from neglect (Child Maltreatment p. 57). Although most states reported
Child abuse does not discriminate against a child because of age, sex, religion, or socioeconomic background. Every child is vulnerable to abuse. Parents today face the possibility that someone they know or a stranger may hurt or take advantage of their children. Research indicates that as many as one out of every four children will be the victims of some kind of abuse (National Child Abuse Statistics). Furthermore, one of the biggest ironies of child abuse is that the family, a child’s primary source of care, love, and security, can also be their most taunting experience. This was the case of 17 month old baby, Peter Connelly. Throughout his short life span, he suffered from neglect and physical abuse that ultimately caused his death. Child abuse is a serious problem that is being taken too lightly.
Since the case of Mary Ellen Wilson in 1874, child abuse has seen it’s share of light in published news. It is disheartening to read countless stories of future generations being harmed to the extent of psychological damage or even death. Child abuse as a whole has been addressed multiple times in various news blogs, however, nothing has been done to work towards abolishing it at a larger level. The future of America is in jeopardy based on the level of abuse that children endure. Childhelp states that approximately 5 children die every day at the hands of child abuse. America struggles to find equality, and by bystanding the stripping of its youth, continual prolonging is inevitable. Raising this nation’s children in means of nurturing and care is the first step to uplifting America as a whole. In 2012 alone, 1593 of America’s children died at the hands of child abuse, 70.3% of which were younger than the age of three (Safe Horizon). In order to prevent further child abuse, the American government should address stricter child protection laws, psychological stability, and an increase the recognition of those that have released their stories.
Child maltreatment is prevalent. A considerable proportion of young adults reported having been maltreated, neglected, or abused as children. One in five reported having been left alone at a time when a parent should have been supervising them on three or more occasions. About fourteen percent reported having been physically assaulted (slapped, kicked, or hit) three or more times. One in 20 reported having been left without basic needs (food, clothing, or cleaning) three or more times. About 1 in 25 (4.5%) report having been sexually abused by a parent or guardian on three or more instances by the time they entered the sixth grade (Hussey, Chang, & Kotch, 2006).
In Dent County alone, during the year of 2012, four children were physically abused, six were the objects of neglect, one was emotionally abused, and eleven more children were the victims of sexual abuse according to records kept by the Missouri Department of Social Services (“Child’s Division” 38). In that same year, 92,593 children were reported as being abused in the entire state of Missouri (“Child’s Division” 1). Fortunately, only 6,322 children were found to have been abused out of all of the children reported. However, an additional 7,092 were classified as ‘Unsubstantiated-Preventive Services Indicated.’ This means that not enough evidence existed to move further with prosecution, but still enough to indicate that abuse was imminent. Another 44,070 of the reports warranted an assessment of the child’s family in order to ensure the safety of the child (“Child’s Division” 5).
Child abuse in America is an ongoing problem and something needs to be done. There are approximately one million children abused annually in the United States. (Table 339) Cases of child abuse and neglect are reported every ten seconds, and researchers believe that there’s three times that amount that goes unnoticed. (Child Abuse: Know the Signs and Stop the Violence Against Children.) Something needs to be done for these children who are too weak and too powerless to help themselves.
Children often learn by observing others and normally while growing up, they all have someone that they look up to. They are normally seen to be innocent at a young age when they do not know any better. But there are many of cases in which children do not have the luxury of being with people that love them and treat them right. In most cases, children get abused and neglected by their parents and/or guardians, urging for Child protective services to step in and save the child. Child maltreatment includes child abuse and child neglect and is a major problem in the United States. The National Bureau of Economic Research states that “Over a million children are victims of maltreatment annually” (Currie & Tekin 2006). Child maltreatment could lead a child down a path of delinquency and more should be done to stop this from happening, and providing better opportunities for children that
Children of neglect or abuse is on the rise, according to NCANDS, about nine of out every thousand child...
Child abuse affects millions of children every year. Child abuse is defined as “the hurting or causing harm to a child” (Stewart, 2003, p. 6). Most people do not understand why a parent would want to hurt their children. “The general belief is that parents who maltreat their children are pathological and certainly not like us” (Polonko, 2005). It is not just parents that abuse the children it is also teachers, babysitters, and daycare workers (Stewart, 2003). Lingern (2008) reported the following:
Child abuse encompasses far more than merely beating or hitting a child. Other, more silent—and even more widespread—forms of abuse exist. Emotional abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, and child endangerment are all other forms of abuse that are much more difficult to detect because they seldom lead to visible imprints on a child the way physical abuse can. And the problem is far more pervasive than one might imaging: the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports that about five children die as a result of abuse every day. The impact child abuse can have on victims is both extensive and profound. Effects can vary from health issues to developmental and emotional impairments. With heightened awareness of the nature, the implications, and
“Every year more than 3 million reports of child abuse are made in the United States involving more than 6 million children (a report can include multiple children)”(“National”). When hearing horrific statistics such as this, especially when children are involved, the first thing that might come to someone’s mind is shock and profound sympathy. Whereas in sociological views it might come down to how the abuse the child has endured can affect the child’s socialization skills to survive in their society. Socialization is a process that individuals go through to find self- identity along with attaining social and mental skills to help get through society. Child abuse in federal terms in defined as a parent or caretaker whose actions fail and lead the child to death, serious emotional and physical harm, sexual exploitation or abuse, and witnessing domestic violence. There are multiple types of child maltreatment but the four major types consist of: physical abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, and emotional abuse (“children’s). Physical abuse is intentional harm such as punching, choking, burning, stabbing, and other harmful things that can cause the child severe injury or death. Neglect however is the failure of the parent or guardian to provide the child with basic needs. These needs consist of lack of food and shelter, medical and mental treatments, failure to educate the child, and ignoring the child’s psychological care and permitting drugs or alcohol use. Sexual abuses on the other hand, are activities that persist of fondling the child’s genitals, incest, sodomy, rape, prostitution, and involving the child in any pornographic production (“Recognize”). Lastly, emotional abuse is the hardest to prove but is always present with other ty...
Child abuse is a rising problem that is tormenting children today. More than 903, 000 children are confirmed as victims of abuse or neglect each year in the U.S. (NCCCANI, 2003). Child abuse is known as any avoidable and non-accidental act that causes physical injury to a child and is inflicted by someone who is responsible for that child’s well-being. Child abuse and neglect is one of the fastest occurring social problem in our society
In 2006, child advocacy organizations received around 3,300,000 claims of child neglect and abuse concerning 6,000,000 children (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2008). However, Finkelhor and Jones (2006) recorded a noteworthy [drop] “in the rates of physical abuse and...
. Every year just across America has an average of 3.6 million reports of child abuse. In many cases the child is not just beaten once then it never happens again and because of this over 6 million children are involved in abuse (Safe Horizon). Of that, every year about 1,537 children die because of abuse. Of those children that pass way, 79.4 % were younger than four years, and 47.7% were younger than one years old. Just look around you, there is a very large possibility that at le...
Child abuse is one of the highest growing social problems in the United States. A social problem is, “a condition that a significant number of people believe to be a problem. A condition in which there is a sizable difference between the ideals of a society and its actual achievements” (Coleman et al. 2006:2). However, society has changed the way it views the issue, and is working towards finding a solution to this awful problem. Child abuse encompasses four main areas: physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect. Child abuse is considered a sociological phenomenon because it is a learned behavior. Learning the social patterns as to why people abuse will give a better understanding to its reasons, and also the development of society in the way that it views children. 3.6 million children were victims of abuse in the year 2006. Sixty four percent were victims of neglect, sixteen percent suffered from physical abuse, and eight percent were sexually abused. Also in 2006, 1,530 children died as a result of abuse; an average of four children everyday (Child Welfare Information Gateway 2008).
Child abuse defines any form of physical, sexual or emotional maltreatment to a child. It also includes lack of care that may harm a child, or ill-use of power to the point of mistreatment that breaches trust. According to Department of Children and Families, child abuse can manifest in a child’s home, organization or schools that the child interrelates (Invernizzi & Williams, 2011). In our world today, child abuse is a problem that needs to be addressed to protect the rights of our children. Despite the various societal challenges relating to infancy and teenage generation, child abuse stands out as a significant evidence of moral degradation in the society. It is the cause of early physical and mental depressions that broadly describes the