In 1997, the Adoption and Safe Families Act was passed to specifically address the health and welfare of foster children. It established strict time lines for children to be returned to their parents, or terminate parental rights so children could be adopted. In cases of sexual and chronic physical abuse, the ASFA authorized states to dispense with efforts to reunify the family and move directly to termination of parental rights (Myers, 2006, p. 102). In summary, the many advances in the child welfare protections suggest an evolving recognition of the special protections that children need and require. “From the colonial period well into the 19th century, childhood was not considered a special phase of human development. For the most part, children were considered to be more or less alike, essentially miniature adults who were inherently aggressive and sinful, and hence prone to all sorts of vices, including idleness. Therefore they required close supervision and stern treatment so that they would grow up to lead industrious, upright, godly lives” (Trattner, 1999, p. 110). Indeed, it was not until the theories of John Locke, Henry Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson emerged, that these views changed, based on the notion of people being inherently pure and good (at least at birth). The ideas of Charles Darwin introduced the notions of nature and nurture, and the work of Sigmund Freud further detailed the different psychology of children (Trattner, 2006, pp. 110-112). The steady if somewhat slow progress of the child welfare movement has greatly benefitted our society, but despite the progress from the antiquated views captioned above, there is wide agreement that the protection of children will always be a work in progress, which ... ... middle of paper ... ...tistics suggest a problem of epidemic proportions - a child abuse report is made every 10 seconds, five children die each day from abuse with 80% of them being under the age of four, and 76% of child fatalities are caused by abuse from a parent or guardian (USDHHS, 2009). Also, as one might expect, poverty, illness, substance abuse, and other stressors within the house generally increase the likelihood of abuse (Goldman et al., 2003). Further, the lack of social involvement may lead to the absence of a support system that deprives the parent of valuable coping mechanisms to handle stress. Other factors include the types of family that may increase the vulnerability to abuse – including the single parent home, or families that are experiencing spousal abuse, both of which reflect higher rates of child abuse than families without these problems (Goldman et al., 2003).
When dealing with families who are entering the child welfare system, social workers need to examine the entire family, their history that contributes to the current problem, and the societal context of their homes (Popple & Vecchiolla, 2007). There are many proposals for why child maltreatment and Belsky outlines three explanations and a fourth theory for why parents maltreat their children.
The phrase “domestic violence” typically refers to violence between adult intimate partners. It has been estimated that every year there are about 3.3 to 10 million children exposed to domestic violence in the confines of their own home (Moylan, Herrenkohl, Sousa et al. 2009). According to research conducted by John W. Fantuzzo and Wanda K. Mohr(1999): “[e]xposure to domestic violence can include watching or hearing the violent events, direct involvement (for example, trying to intervene or calling the police), or experiencing the aftermath (for example, seeing bruises or observing maternal depression)” (Fantuzzo & Mohr, 22). The effects of exposure can vary from direct effects such as behavioral and developmental issues to interpersonal relationships, all of which lead to detrimental prospects on the child’s development. This paper will explore those effects and how it affects children.
A foster parent, as defined by the Health reference series second edition, is an individual who is licensed to provide a home for an orphaned, abused, neglected, delinquent or disabled child (Matthews, 2004). A permanent placement is one that is intended, but not guaranteed, to last forever (Barth & Berry 1988). Foster care is not for delinquents but somewhere for children go when their parents can no longer care for them. A form of foster care has always been around in early Christian churches where “worthy widows” would board children in need and were paid by church collections. Foster care started in 1562 during the time of the English poor laws, which stated the poor children were allowed to be placed in legal services until they reached of aged (nfpaonline.org). In the 1970’s, foster care increased in popularity but foster parents were seen as unfit to adopt children permanently (Barth and Berry, 1988). In 1980 the Adoption Assistance of Child Welfare Act (public law 96-272) made it clear that the most desirable permanent placement for children is with their own family. The law...
Prevalence of childhood exposure of domestic violence can be understood considering many different things such as the numbers of children exposed and their experiences, how exposure impacts children development, factors that increase risks or provide protection against the negative effects of exposure, and the types of interventions that can be implemented to mitigate deleterious effects (Osofsky, 2003). The two most widely cited two researchers Carlson and Straus developed estimates of childhood exposure to domestic violence. Based on studies of the number of households experiencing domestic violence each year, Carlson found that at least 3.3 million children yearly are at risk of exposure to parental violence (Herrenkohl, Sousa, Tajima, Herremkohl & Moylan, 2008; Edleson et al., 2007). Straus estimated an even higher level of exposure using retrospective accounts by adults in their teenage years. Stratus estimated that 10 million American teenagers were expose...
Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behavior in a relationship that is used by one partner to achieve and maintain power and also to gain control over another partner. It can be emotional physical or even sexual. Domestic violence can happen anywhere and to anyone but certain factors increase the risk, these include the mother’s age, poverty, unemployment, and alcohol and drug abuse . A study done in Canada found that women who lived with heavy drinkers were five times more likely to be assaulted by their partners than those who lived with non-drinkers. “Rodgers, K. ‘Wife assault: the findings of a national survey” Children who live in a home where domestic violence takes place will face many challenges that could last through out their whole lives. Studies have shown that a third of all children who see their mothers being hurt develop emotional problems and boys who see their fathers beating their mothers are ten times more likely to be abusers in their future relationships. “Clarkprosecutor.org domestic violence in families” Children also living in these home are more likely to experience aggression and antiso...
Today child neglect is the largest part of child abuse in the United States, and almost two-thirds of all reported cases in child protective services is neglect (Dubowitz). Before the 1970’s child abuse mostly referred to physical abuse; however, now it encompasses physical, emotional, and sexual abuse as well as neglect (Compton’s). Physical abuse is when a child is hurt by getting hit, punched, kicked, or any other form of beating by an adult (Compton’s). This abuse will only harm the child physically and though it is horrific and can lead to long term effects it will normally only lead to violence. Emotional abuse is when an adult is hateful to the child by calling him names, and another form of emotional abuse is when an adult is punishing a child in a way that will cause him mental trauma (Compton’s). Emotional abuse is terrible for the child’s self-esteem however they can go and learn that they are important to the world by their contributions. Sexual abuse is when a child is touched inappropriately or molested (Compton’s). This is detrimental to a child but in most cases the child will block this out for when they grow older it is like it never happened which will cause no harm to their mental state. Neglect is when an adult will not seek medical help for their child and will not provide them with food, shelter, clothing, or emotional support (Sullivan). This is where the real trauma takes place on a child. The child will not suffer from being hit but they suffer from starving until someone is kind enough to feed them or they die from malnutrition. The child will not suffer from a parent calling them names but they might never know if their parent knows their name or cares to even speak to th...
Through all of the hurdles, the government still tries to provide some assistance and keep this issue in the forefront so others can pitch in to help. The protection and care of kids should initially come from the parents, however as other demons are battled it prevents children from experiencing the love, care, and concern of a family. Until funding, assistance for parents, assistance for kids who have aged out, and foster care programs can be corrected, the government will be aiding in detrimental child outcomes. Family may represent the love and security in a child’s life, but it can also be a prison in which physically, emotionally, and sexually kids may feel punished (Causes and Effects). The government protection can only go as far as the law allows.
Home is a place of comfort and security, where your parents love you and where they support you. What happens when all of that is changed? When your house is now a place of pain and fear; Richard Pelzer knows exactly how this feels. His childhood consists of constant abuse and neglect. In all cases of child abuse, the effects don’t end as soon as the parent decides to stop. Surviving child abuse is a lifelong battle. The child deals with the pain everyday of their lives even when they become adults. When a child is abused their life as an adult is now open to addiction, mental disorders, and suicide years later. The long time effects are far worse than the immediate bruises and broken bones.
Child maltreatment is a widespread issue that affects thousands of children every year. There are four common types of child maltreatment; sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse and neglect. All of these types of abuse are very serious and can have many consequences for the children and families. The most common consequence of severe child maltreatment is the removal of that child from their home (Benbenishty, Segev, Surkis, and Elias, 2002). Most social workers trying to determine the likelihood of removal evaluate the type and severity of abuse, as well as the child’s relationship with their parents (Benbenishty et al., 2002). When children are removed from their homes there are many options of alternative housing. The places they are allowed to live are a relative’s home, foster home, or a group home. In a study of children removed from their homes, 68% went to a foster home rather than a relative or another form of alternative housing (Faller, 1991). Reunification with a parent is the most common goal that is set forth by Child Protective Services even though recurrent abuse is likely to happen based upon the prior type of abuse and the age of the child (Connell et al., 2009). Child maltreatment is becoming a prevalent problem that has numerous consequences for both the child and family.
Victims also have histories of resistant attachment, an overly controlling parent in child rearing and maternal overprotected parenting behaviors prompt anxiety, low self esteem and dependency resulting in a fearful demeanor that marks these children as vulnerable (Snyder, 2003).
In the article “The Mental Health of Children Who Witness Domestic Violence”, Meltzer et al. (2009) noted that domestic violence is not only limited to seeing the actual violent acts taking place, but it also includes witnessing the outcomes of the violence. These outcomes can include seeing their parent hurt and depressed, as well as noticing the broken objects left around the house. As well as defining domestic violence, Meltzer et al. (2009) discussed the steps that were taken to conduct a random research on families and children that had been exposed to domestic violence and those who had not. The researchers identified...
Child abuse is a social problem in America that has many contributed factors. Factors that contribute to child abuse and neglect includes poverty, divorce, substance use, lack of education, stress due to unemployment, mental health issues, teenage parent, and a history of child abuse in the family. It took decades for physicians to conclude that parents have been violently assaulting their children. Child abuse, child labor, juvenile delinquency, and similar social questions historically were ethical and moral problems, not strictly medical ones. (Helfer, Kempe, & Krugman, 1997). In 1962, the Journal of American Medical Association published “The Battered-Child Syndrome.” The article transformed society’s views and dates the rediscovery of child abuse as a social problem. Following this article, the U.S. Children’s Bureau adopted the first laws mandating physicians to report any suspicions of abuse and neglect to the police or child welfare. By 1974, some 60,000 cases were reported. In 1980, the number exceeded one million (Myers J. E., 2004).
Violence is displayed everywhere in society through media like entertainment, in their schools and communities, and within their homes. It is difficult to imagine living in a world without some sort of violence due to it being so prevalent in society. Many children have been exposed to violence in their own homes or have become victims leaving detrimental short and long term effects. There are three forms of domestic violence in the homes. They are physical, sexual, emotional abuse. People often think of domestic violence as having bruises or a broken arm, but in reality it is an occurrence that happens repeatedly over a period of time. One study concluded “children in domestic violence shelters found that almost half their mothers had
Lundy, M., & Grossman, S. F. (2005). The mental health and service needs of young children exposed to domestic violence: Supportive data. Families in Society, 86(1), 17-29. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/230168631?accountid=10825
“Child abuse results from a complex combination on personal, social, and cultural factors. These may be grouped into four primary categories: (1) intergenerational transmission of violence, (2) social stress, (3) social isolation and low community involvement, and (4) family structure” (“Child Abuse” Encarta). Interim transmission of violence is displayed when the abused children become abusive parents. “Some studies have shown that 30 percent of abused children become abusive themselves and others show that most of the abused do not become abusive adults” (“Child Abuse” Britannica). Social stress is a common cause of child abuse in a family. The conditions of social stress include unemployment, illness, poor housing conditions, a large family, death of a family member or close friend, or maybe even the presence of a new baby or a disabled person in the home.