People may not be aware, but any one of their peers, friends, or neighbors may be victims of child abuse. Every day, someone experiences physical, emotional, neglect, and/or sexual abuse. Abuse can lead to death or injury for the rest of a victim's life, from either the perpetrator or themselves. In order to prevent child abuse society must: recognize the types of abuse, understand common causes of abuse, know the characteristics of abusers, and realize the effects abuse has, not just on the child, but on families and communities across the world. Child abuse prevention must first begin with understanding the different types of abuse. The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) defines abuse as the motive, act, or lack of action of a parent or guardian that leads to a physical or emotional injury (Rein 11-12). Each state defines abuse differently; Pennsylvania defines physical abuse as the recent act or lack of action by a perpetrator causing or risking a serious non-accidental physical injury to a person that is under the age of 18 (Clark 351). Corporal punishment, a controversial topic in physical abuse, is defined as deliberately inflicting physical injury because the child misbehaves. Types of corporal punishment include spanking, slapping, pinching, choking, paddling, or hitting the child with objects (Gerdes 182-190). Part of the debate over physical abuse is whether schools should be able to use physical punishment on their students. Some believe that corporal punishment is the only way to teach children about misbehaving and that a minor pain is justified if it corrects a larger problem (Gerdes 198-201). Others think corporal punishment may lead a child to believe violence is acceptable or to think... ... middle of paper ... ...telligence Data. NATIONAL CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH, 2000 BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION. Federal Document Clearing House, 31 Mar. 2000. eLibrary. Web. 4 Oct. 2013. Rehm, Ashley. Personal Interview. 29 Oct. 2013. Rein, Mei Ling. Child Abuse: Betraying a Trust. Detroit: Thomson/Gale, 2005. Print. Romeo, Felicia F. “Child abuse & report cards”. Education. 3(2000): 438. eLibrary. Web. 4 Oct. 2013. Schulte, Brigid. :New report finds that effects of child abuse and neglect, if untreated can last a lifetime (Posted 2013-09-12 22:46:17); New report finds Child abuse and neglect costs $80 million a year; calls for”. Washington Post. 12 Sep. 2013. eLibrary. Web, 04 Oct. 2013. Smith, Melinda and Jeanne Segal. “Child Abuse and Neglect: Recognizing, Preventing, and Reporting Child Abuse”. HelpGuide.org. A
There is a point raised by the author on the article “Spanking children isn’t abusing them” that children in residential schools had horrible and often fatal beatings (2015). Furthermore, while reading “Corporal punishment by parents and associated child behaviors and experiences: A meta-analytic and theoretical review” Gershoff asserts, “Behaviors that do not result in significant physical injury (e.g., spank, slap) are considered corporal punishment, whereas behav- iors that risk injury (e.g., punching, kicking, burning) are consid- ered physical abuse. ” (2002) As it was stated on the previous point, reasonable force has its limits, and limits the parent and care givers to discipline the child without degrading them or causing physical or psychological harm.
Child abuse in general is quite complex and at the same time one of the most challenging social issue facing people all around the USA. Child abuse cases have been recorded in all the states of the USA. The cases occur in all areas be it cities, small towns, suburbs, and even in rural areas. The vice also happens in all types of families regardless of the ethnic origin of the family or the even family income (UNICEF, 2015). It is thus important that effort is put into reducing cases of child abuse.
When describing a physical altercation between two adults, the term is assault and battery. Assault on an individual has more than immediate effects; the effects can last a lifetime in severe cases. In all fifty states, it is a crime to hit, strike or use corporal punishment in any deliberate manner towards any person over the age of eighteen. However, this law does not apply to physical force being used on minors. Spanking, whipping, and paddling are among a few common references to this form of punishment. Physically disciplining children has had many names over the years. No matter which term is used, corporal punishment has a negative impact on every party involved. It is a widely used, socially accepted method of discipline. “Approximately 94% of three and four-year old children have been spanked in the past year (Slade & Winssow 1321). Although spanking is a widespread practice, it is becoming more controversial. The negative effects of spanking greatly outweigh the benefits. Spanking is a socially tolerated view promoting abusive patterns, and has a negative psychological impact in teaching children that pain, fear, and confusion promote conformability.
The spirits of children are shattered, tender hearts broken with words, and precious bodies riddled and limp from abuse. Eyes that should glisten with wonder and excitement are enveloped with dismay and destruction. Fathers physically beat their little girls. Mothers leave newborns in locked cars, and some parents degrade their children with verbal daggers. Child abuse is much more serious than people want to believe. Child abuse comes in different forms: neglect, physical, and verbal abuse. But what are even more serious are its effects: inability to properly function in society, fear of trust, and a broken self-esteem. We should all be there to help these children, by holding their hands, or even giving them a sincere smile.
Child abuse in the United States is a growing epidemic. Every year the number of reported cases, and missing children go up. This is caused mostly by lack of education about the different types of child abuse, and the signs that go along with it. Communities need to provide more resources to better educate the public about the types of abuse, and the signs that go along with it. Child abuse and neglect can be lessened by more resources, more education and to reach out to others.
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.
Physical abuse is the intentional infliction of physical injury to a child. Legal definition of child abuse can very from state to state, but it is widely accepted that any intentional injury to a child that results in a need to seek out medical attention are considered to be physical abuse. Forms of physical abuse can range from small cuts and bruises to more severe cases of broken ones and internal injuries. Nonetheless, there have been complications in defining the line between punishment and physical abuse. Many states explicitly note that “spanking when administered in an reasonable manner” does not constitute abuse. Thus, physical punishment remains subject to interpretation in the context of it's
In 2010, approximately one thousand five hundred thirty seven children were victims of child abuse/neglect, resulting in death. Of the number of children who died as a result of abuse or neglect, seventy nine percent were younger than four years old, while forty eight percent were younger than one year of age. Boys and girls are both victims, nearly at the same rate. Approximately 3.6 millio...
Child abuse is a very serious problem, and many people have failed to help correct this issue. Child abuse comes in five different forms: Neglect, physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and medical abuse. Sadly, millions of children are exposed to all five forms of abuse during their childhood. Neglecting a child is when a person does not provide a child with his everyday needs. Physical abuse is leaving bruises, broken bones, and other marks on a child. Emotional abuse is when a parent verbally assaults their child resulting in the child forgetting his self-worth. Sexual abuse or molestation of a child is when a person touches a child inappropriately and forces them to perform sexual acts with them. Medical abuse is when a child is
A common social problem that must be addressed is parents using physical discipline or spankings as a way to punish or correct their children. To spank your child means to hit them any place on their bodies to correct the bad behavior. Spanking is a serious issue because parents are not aware of the affects of physical discipline on a child. The laws in most states are that parents are allowed to beat their children but they may not break skin or leave a mark. Many people do not understand the danger of spanking children, it can be damaging not only physically but also mentally. This problem relates to my area of interest because I would like to work within the Child Welfare aspect of social work. I believe that this issue is
Physical punishment is widely accepted to be a permissible act due to the current legislation recognizing that there may be circumstances for the use of ‘reasonable chastisement’. The physical injuries sustained as a result of corporal punishment are often differentiated by parents from what might be identified as physical abuse when it comes to considering its usage, since there is this distinction in ‘reasonableness’. It is argued that severe injuries only occur when disciplined, strategic corporal punishment becomes child abuse, and thus should not be scrutinized in the same manner. It is true that the distinction between corporal punishment and abuse is more than simply a natural progression of severity, as experts have explained, the two are qualitatively different acts and the parents that resort to abuse tend to share a distinctive set of attributes not present in most parents who use corporal punishment (Baumrind, Larzelere, & Cowan, 2002). It is true that of the large proportion of parents who use corporal punishment with their children, the majority never become physically abusive.
"Long-Term Consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect." Child Welfare Information Gateway. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Jan. 2014.
When the topic of abuse comes up, many different forms of abuse pop into individuals heads. Whether its Physical abuse, sexual abuse, verbal abuse or even drug abuse, the list just keeps going. Now take all those different forms abuse and imagine them happening in a family. A father physically abusing his children, a mother verbally berating her daughter about her body image, a child growing up in fear. According to the research by David Wolfe in the Journal of Consulting and clinical Psychology, that the number of children that have suffered a physical injury due to physical abuse is between 1.4 and 1.9 million annually. With such a high number of physical abuse happening to children, one can imagine how high the number of all the
Corporal punishment is the physical disciplinary method used by parents, teachers, and school administrators in an effort to correct a child’s undesirable behaviors. The use of physical force is one that is often times controversial and usually evokes very strong reactions. These feelings surface, and opposing views clash, when scandals surrounding corporal punishment hit the media and heated arguments in the comments section of articles emerge. While corporal punishment occasionally makes its way into the limelight, it is a decision all parents are faced with eventually and often times daily. For example, when a toddler is sprawled out on the grocery store floor kicking, hitting, and flinging
There is a controversy between corporal punishment and child abuse. Many people are left with the question, where does it draw the line? When does corporal punishment become child abuse? Each parent has different parenting ways and different ways in instilling discipline in their household. Some parents believe that the use of corporal punishment is necessary to instill discipline and moral to their child or children while others believe that it is considered child abuse. Corporal punishment becomes child abuse when it becomes disruptive and excessive to the point where it causes physical and emotional injuries to a child. The definition of corporal punishment and abuse needs to be clearly defined to avoid the misconception and confusion.