Child Maltreatment Essay

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Any form of neglect or maltreatment, and failure to meet the basic needs of a child is considered child abuse. Failure of providing enough food, shelter, basic supervision, necessary medical or mental health treatment, adequate education or emotional comfort, is child maltreatment. Other forms of abuse include, physical and sexual abuse, where physical abuse refers to the injury of a child on purpose. Examples of physical abuse include, striking, kicking, beating, biting, or any indication that can be considered physical abuse. Sexual abuse is where a child is engaged in sexual acts or imitation of such acts, whether its through persuasion or by force. Child abuse or maltreatment of children can occur in all families, despite their social class or status, race or religion. Families from all walks of life can experience child abuse or maltreatment. There is no single cause for child abuse, whereas, many factors can contribute to child maltreatment. Many forces combined together,
As stated before, child neglect and abuse can occur in any family in any social class. However, a lot of factors can increase the likelihood of child abuse and maltreatment. Poverty and unemployment can increase child abuse, especially with the combination of stress, substance abuse, or depression. Parents or caregivers with less material and emotional support, who don 't have a positive parenting role model, feel less pressure to conventional standards of parenting; and because they don 't have the positive parenting, the child welfare becomes endangered. Also, children who live in dangerous neighborhoods are at a higher risk than those who are living the American Dream, to severe neglect and physical or sexual abuse. It is found that violence witnessed to children at a young age, find violence to be an acceptable response or behavior to those who witness it

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