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. Early American culture did not consider child abuse a crime. Children over the age of 7 were made to work as hard as adults of the time period. They were often beaten if they did not. This changed in the late 19th century when 9 year old Mary Ellen, who endured physical beatings from her foster mother, was reported to the authorities by concerned neighbors who heard Mary’s repeated cries at the hand or switch of her foster mother. In 1874, a mission volunteer named Etta Wheeler was informed of Mary’s cruel life of beatings, imprisonment and cold-hearted servitude. When Etta Wheeler was finally permitted to observe Mary in her living quarters, appalled she began to do everything in her power to get Mary out of her horrid situation. Wheeler convinced the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to intervene and by legal means have Mary removed from the home. Their argument was that “Mary Ellen was a member of the animal kingdom, and thus could be included under the laws which protected animals from human cruelty” (Bell, 2011, p. 3). Out of this advocacy for Young Mary was formed the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. The overall effect of young Mary’s abuse was permanent changes in United States law making abuse, violence, and negle... ... middle of paper ... ...y know about some forms of family violence, such as child abuse, we should be able to more quickly gain a better understanding regarding every type of family violence that we encounter in our society. What we learn about overcoming child abuse, may be helpful in therapy for partner abuse, or elder abuse. The continuing cycle of child abuse can be ended when we are willing to look at the devastation it leaves in the lives of not only the child victims, but everyone who is a part of the family or society where family violence dwells. When individuals are willing to stand up for these young victims and get involved, only then will positive change come. Look at the positive change that grew out of the abuse and rescue of one 9 year old girl named Mary Ellen when one person with compassion in her heart was willing and resolute to get involved and make a difference.
It has been suggested that children who are victims of sexual abuse also become abusers themselves. Children of abuse have a higher probability of becoming a future abuser. Child abuse is characterized as any act that jeopardizes or impairs a child’s physical or emotional health and growth. These acts include any harm done to a child who cannot be rationally explained and is often characterized by an injury or series of injuries seeming to be non-accidental in nature. The behaviors of child abuse can happen in both boys and girls leaving them with severe lifetime symptoms. Treatment is often necessary for them to overcome the actions done to them, but it is not always successful in curing the mutilation. However, the existence of one sign of child maltreatment does not mean child abuse is occurring within a home. Even with proper education, therapy, and validation one has the probability to become an abuser himself/herself.
All around the world children are being abused, in the united states about 5.5 million
...s. There are many things said today about how children witness the violence in homes and as they get older they go into gangs, do street drugs, and treat others disrespectful. Today there are many support groups and living environments for victims and the children to go. It’s never too late to teach the children that domestic abuse is not ok.
Child Abuse is a topic that may hit some hard and unwillingly, but it’s something that needs notice in this world. Generations have attempted numerous times to try to stop and help this issue. Laws have been passed, organizations to help the wounded soul, and countless other options to help the struggle. This issue comes and scars so many children throughout the country of the US, so let their voices be heard in empathy and passion. Let the violence towards children slowly come to a halt and let it stay that way in endless rest. Child abuse is painfully wrong, traumatizing, and affecting millions of children everyday, child abuse can be helped and prevented if people wished to in the US.
According to Tennyson Center for Children, “A report of child abuse is made every ten seconds in the U.S.” (“Child Abuse in America”). One cannot fathom the idea of why anyone would intentionally hurt the innocent children of today’s society. Child abuse happens with children of all ages, gender, and religions. Likewise, the world can be identified as a harsh place, where child abuse occurs around the world, and is even evident in the United States. There are many factors that contribute to this repulsive behavior. Physical, sexual, and psychological cruelty are effects of child abuse.
Child abuse is an issue in every state, every country, worldwide. There is no place that is immune to child abuse. This being stated they need better policies in place regarding the education on child abuse. Many people have many different opinions on how to lessen the amount of child abuse that goes on in this country, however many of them focus on stricter punishment for the abuser’s (Hmurovich, 2009). However, they know that stricter punishment will not lessen the amount of child abuse; it would truly have little to no impact on...
Child abuse goes way back in history starting from the time when a little 10 year old girl got removed from her parents home in 1874. The case is connected to the founding of the New York Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children, which gave rise to the founding of similar societies (National Association of Counsel for Children). Most children under the age of 3 tended to have a higher rate of victimization and girls had a higher risk than boys. Sexual abuse was frequently associated with family problems such as parental alcholism, parental rejection, and parental marital conflict (Bright Futures 4 Kids). Throughtout history, child abuse seems to be less crucial and likely than it was before because back then there was a lower rate of child care. Man...
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.
Throughout history, domestic violence has been prominent; Wife beating became an issue in 736 B.C, when men were beating their wives as a form of punishment. “Early settlers in America based their laws on an Old-English common-law that explicitly permits wife-beating for correctional purposes. The states tried to break away from that law by saying that the husband is only allowed to whip his wife with a switch no bigger than his thumb.” (icadvinc.com). In 1866 the first organizations made to help battered women was The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals and The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Children. Alabama was the first state to rescind the right to beat your wife in 1871, but Maryland was the first state to make a law that gave a punishment to any husband that beat their wife in 1882. In addition, in 1867 the state of Maine was one of the first states to open up a shelter for battered women. In the 1950’s women were able to rise up because of all the change that was going on with the civil rights movement, and anti-war campai...
Sadler, B. The societal consequences of child abuse. In Grapes, B. J. (2001) Contemporary Issues Companion: Child Abuse. San Diego: Greenhaven Press.
...e letting this happen to the children of the world. There are plenty of foundations trying to help raise awareness of it, but no one is really making a move on it. As a community we need to come together and tackle this problem head on. To try and defeat child abuse there has to be help from local police departments, local schools, and recreational centers. I believe if our community opens a safe environment for adolescents to escapes to, even if it is only for a few hours it might save a life. Having adults to open up to really makes a different in growing children’s life, especially if they are being abused.
Child maltreatment can affect any child, usually aged 0-18, and it occurs across socioeconomic, religious, ethnic or even educational backgrounds. Arguably, child abuse and neglect is a violation of basic human rights of a child resulting from social, familial, psychological and economic factors (Kiran, 2011). Familial factors include lack of support, poverty, single parenthood, and domestic violence among others, (McCoy and Keen, 2009). The common types of child maltreatment include physical abuse, emotional maltreatment, neglect, and sexual abuse among others. Abuse and neglect can lead to a variety of impacts on children and young people such as physical, behavioral as well as psychological consequences which will affect the development and growth of the child either positively or negatively based on the environment and agency. More so, emotional, cognitive and physical developmental impacts from child neglect in the early stages of childhood can be carried on into adulthood. Research findings reveal that the experience of maltreatment can cause major long-term consequences on all aspects of a child’s health, growth as well as intellectual development and mental wellbeing, and these effects can impair their functioning as adults. Commonly, the act of abuse/ or neglect toward a child affects the child’s physical, behavioral development and growth, which can be positive or negative, depending on the child’s environment and agency. Another way to understand how the act has affected the child is to look at the child for who they are, and interviewing and observing their behaviors of their everyday life.
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
Many children in the US have to endure child abuse. Most people do not understand the consequences the abused children have to live with for the rest of their lives. Because child abuse is a long-term problem, it impacts not only the child and family, but also the society as a whole. Children who are abused usually end up with self-esteem problems and lose their self-confidence. Therefore, they end up getting addicted to drugs or alcohol, which can create problems for their whole community. As adults, children who have experienced child abuse suffer long-term consequences physically and mentally, which can cause them to have more chances of abusing their own children; therefore there should be more ways to help children and adults cope with their devastating childhoods so that their children wont have to go through the same thing growing up (Mersch).
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