Understanding the Forms and Impact of Child Abuse

Child abuse describes 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. There are different forms of child abuse. The forms include physical abuse, neglect, psychological abuse and sexual abuse (U.S, 1993). Physical abuse is the intentional cause of physical injury that ranges from slight bruises to severe fractures or even resulting in the death of the victims. They may be as a result of biting, punching, throwing, and choking with the intention of causing harm to a child. Neglect is the failure of the parent, caregiver, or guardian to provide the child with the basic needs. It may either be physical (food and shelter), medical (medical treatment), educational, or emotional needs. On the other hand, psychological or emotional abuse refers to the behaviors inflicted on the child that causes mental distress. As

It needs to set strategies that when put into practice will combat child abuse. The main area of concern should be enforcement of child welfare laws. The Congress must enact legislations that hold the government accountable for failure. Through the justice department, stringent measures on individuals responsible for child abuse should be enacted. As a result, the courts will not turn their backs on the children rights. The private organizations or parties with the capacity to combat the practice should have the mandate to do so. More so, the charges involved in filing lawsuits for cases related to child abuse should be reduced. Through this, the private parties will be in a better position to report the cases. At the community level, the federal government should provide funds and grants for child protection services. Due to this, a significant number of children will get access to child