There is difficulty in determining what is child abuse and what is not considered child abuse. There multiple forms of child abuse which include physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. These are all considered abuse to children. However, if the definitions are too broad, it encompasses a large portion of the community, but if it is too specific it also excludes abuse behaviors. Child abuse is hard to define because culture also plays a role in what is considered abuse or not. In the article The Long Term Impact of… Abuse by P. E. Mullen address the issues of determining what is considered abuse. The article states, “The definition of what constitutes child abuse is fraught with difficulties. Children in our society are all too often subjected …show more content…
The article by P.E Mullen begins by claiming, “The experience of abuse during childhood not only generates distress and disturbance at the time but may produce long-term deleterious effects on the victims’ health and functioning” (P.E Mullen, 7). Mullen from his research has established that there are clearly negative effects from abuse. In the article written by Todd Herrenkohl, he lists different consequences of child abuse which include, “Emotional consequences [which] include isolation, shame, fear, guilt, and low self-esteem. Psychological consequences include post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression”. (Todd Herrenkohl). Abuse also effects the abuse victims throughout their life. Mullen says children who experience abuse, “described more sexual problems, and their marriages were significantly more likely to end divorce and separation” (P.E. Mullen). The abuse harms their ability to form relationships and maintain them. These are just several ways abuse effects children. Abuse causes effects that go past the direct impact of …show more content…
Through his research Mullen found that, “This study supports an association between giving a history of such abuse and an increased vulnerability to a range of mental health, person and social problems in adult life” (P.E Mullen, 20). Mullen believes that the effects of abuse do not go away. They still influence the survivors long after the abuse has ended. He adds to this claim by saying, “There is a general agreement that child abuse is associated to a range of problems in adult life” (P.E Mullen, 8). Todd Herrenkohl in his research found that abuse may not have as lasting effects as Mullen said. Herrenkohl said, “There are also children, referred to as resilient, who appear to experience the same risks without significant or long term impairment” (Herrenkohl). Herrenkohl believes that he has evidence that proves that children can move past child abuse. It doesn’t have to be a life sentence. Herrenkohl says “Evidence here would suggest that positive parenting lessens the risk for adverse outcomes for children exposed to community violence”
The term child abuse was once as rarely heard as that of pink elephants. However rare the term has once been, it is now a term used consistently throughout the news and various other publications today. Along with the progressing decline in society's morals, has come the rapid increase of crime. One such crime is child abuse. Although child abuse is common, the act is defiling. As a result of the abuse, children who fall victim to this often need psychological treatment and counseling. Often, the child is never the same as he or she once was before. The dictionary defines child abuse as: "the physical, or emotional, or sexual mistreatment of children" (Dictionary.com). Everyday thousands of children are the victims of this abuse. The abusers range from parents, friends, total strangers, to even day-care workers.
Children who have been abused are left with more than just physical scars. They have many psychological, emotional, and behavioral problems as well. Their social lives are affected dramatically, and they suffer lifelong effects. (Lambert) Children tend to be emotionally disturbed years after the abuse, many have IQ scores lower than average, and some have even been classified as mentally retarded. Children who have been abused also show signs of personality and neurological changes. (Oates 119) Sexual abuse has been linked to nightmares, bed wetting, sadness, clinging behavior, and anxiety. Children also showed more aggressive and anti-social behaviors. (Oates 127) Adults who were sexually abused are more prone to depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and drug or alcohol problems. (Oates 132-133) Studies show overwhelming evidence of the effects abuse can have on a child, and the way the effects continue into their adult lives. (Oates 135)
Child abuse is a serious issue in today's society. Many people have been victims of child abuse. There are three forms of child abuse: physical, emotional, and sexual. Many researchers believe that sexual abuse is the most detremental of the three. A middle-aged adult who is feeling depressed will probably not relate it back to his childhood, but maybe he should. The short-term effects of childhood sexual abuse have been proven valid, but now the question is, do the long-term effects of childhood sexual abuse affect middle-aged adults? Many contradicting views arise from the subject of childhood sexual abuse. Researchers and psychologists argue on this issue. Childhood sexual abuse has the potential to damage a child physically, emotionally, and behaviorally for the rest of his or her childhood, and the effects have been connected to lasting into middle-aged adulthood.
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
Effects can vary from health issues to developmental and emotional impairments. According to the Centers for Control and Prevention (CDC), survivors of child maltreatment suffer from health effects their entire lives, facing an estimated $32,648 in medical expenses as children and roughly $10,530 as adults. Reaffirming these assertions is the Child Welfare Information Gateway, a service of the U.S. Children’s Bureau, which reports that people who were abused as children generally experience poorer physical health throughout their lives compared to their non-abused counterparts; they are at higher risk of having arthritis, bronchitis, high blood pressure, and ulcers, among other things. A Duke University study also found that those who were victims of violence as children tend to age more rapidly and are predicted to live shorter lives than those who were not. In addition to the health complications, child abuse victims are also at an elevated risk of developing problematic behaviors. They are more likely to evolve as violent or antisocial, become juvenile delinquents or drug users, or assume risky sexual behaviors. The Child Welfare Information Gateway indicates that victims, compared to non-victims, are 11 times more likely to be jailed for criminal behavior as a juvenile, 2.7 times more likely to be jailed for violent and criminal behavior as an adult, and 3.1 times more likely to be jailed for
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
Child abuse, while having many different forms and levels of severity, can be basically defined as the maltreatment of a child by a parent or other adult. When one thinks of child abuse, usually the first thing that comes to mind is physical harm, but the issue is actually much more complex. The abuse of a child can also be manifested in verbal and emotional forms, as well as in sexual molestation. All forms of child abuse generally result in similar emotional disorders and behavioral issues, but the major consequences of sexual abuse, such as mental or emotional scarring, promiscuity, and the tendency of former victims to become sexual abusers, cause it to be the most severely damaging form of child abuse.
In American society today we fail to address several issues that need to be addressed. Unfortunately, child abuse is one of the major issues that our country is plagued with, yet we neglect to bring this to the attention of the entire nation. It is often over looked because everyone has a different view of what exactly defines child abuse. The International Child Abuse Network (ICAN) uses four basis categories to docunment the child abuse cases. They are: emotional abuse, neglect, physical abuse, and sexual abuse. I will be describing the first three.
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
...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.
Abuse can happen to anyone, at any age, at any time. This is repetitive acts of behavior of wanting to maintain power and have control over someone whether it be through childhood, adolescents, or adulthood. This subject is sensitive as it impacts so many different people around the world. The topic of abuse is not just a family matter, it comes in all forms, such as sexual, emotional, and physical. Abuse is accompanied by the long term emotional tolls, especially on children because their brains are still developing and can take abuse harder than others. One question to ask, is how does one overcome abuse? As children and adolescents develop, how do they function emotionally and physically? These traumatic experiences that happen through
Abuse in child can differ from physical, emotional, mental, sexual and neglect. The effects of child abuse vary between children these effects can be long lasting. Some of these problems can be psychological such as anxiety, depression, academic problems in school, withdrawn and difficulty connecting with others, and can even experience flashbacks and post-traumatic stress. They also have physical effects such as bruises, sprains, fractures, poor hygiene and inappropriate dress. Children living in an environment that is full of fear and violence develop poor coping skill some of these coping skills can be eating disorders, drug use risky sexual decision and self-harm. Some children fall into a cycle of abuse and become abusers themselves. Each child can experience one or more
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.
One of the most obvious and damaging results of child abuse is death; however, research illustrating the effects on a growing child who has been abused has demonstrated many other lifelong negative factors (Felitti, Anda, Nordenberg, Williamson, Spitz, Edwards, Koss, Marks, 1998). In consonance children who suffer from abuse can show signs of depression, social withdraw, and even violent behavior. As a child grows older, they may suffer from poor physical health, such as high blood pressure, obesity, stress, and psychological disorders and disabilities (Herronkohl, T., Hong, Klika, and Herronkohl, R., 2013). Child abuse and neglect have also been associated with depression, anger disorders, and post-traumatic
Child abuse is a very serious problem that continues to happen all over the world. The Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, defines child abuse as a failure to act as a parent or caregiver which results in physical/emotional harm, sexual abuse, and in some cases death. There are many different types of child abuse such as emotional, physical, neglect, and sexual. With each type of abuse there are warning signs you can spot before it is too late. When a child is abused there is a huge possibility that it can cause them to have many long term effects.