“Understanding that it wasn’t your fault
Child abuse is defined as the “physical or emotional or sexual mistreatment of children” (http://www.definitions.net/definition/child%20abuse) whereas sexual abuse is defined as” a statutory offense that provides that it is a crime to knowingly cause another person to engage in an unwanted sexual act by force or threat” (http://www.definitions.net/definition/sexual%20abuse). Sexual abuse occurs across all ethnic/racial, socioeconomic, and religious groups.It is nearly as old as human history itself. It is neither new nor rare. It is a long-standing problem that is epidemic. Its impact can be devastating.
There are a number of commonly assumed misconceptions regarding child sexual abuse such as; sexual abuse is limited to sexual intercourse between an adult and a child; the perpetrator of the sexual abuse is always a stranger; and rape occurs with adult women, not children. Of course, these assumptions are wrong. Sexual abuse doesn't always involve body contact. Exposing a child to sexual situations or material is sexually abusive, whether or not touching is involved.
I had to read the article a few times, to make sure I got the gist of what I was reading. I cannot say that I fully understand it. What is even more frightening to me is that sexual abuse usually occurs at the hands of someone the child knows and should be able to trust—most often close relatives. I cannot comprehend how an adult/ guardian can look into the beautiful eyes of an unsuspecting innocent child and commit sexual atrocities towards that child, a child who depends solely on you as their protector. As I type this, I am looking at my younger siblings who are yelling at the top of their lungs a...
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...aling. I would want that person to suffer just as much as I have suffered, but I am not God. I cannot dictate how the lives of other should be, I can only dictate mine.
I will be going into nursing when I am done with this program. There is a deep yearning in me to make differences in the lives of people that are disadvantage. The article makes mention that the first way to reassure the abused is to let them know that it is not their fault. In my opinion, of the many atrocities committed against the innocent youth of the world, sexual mistreatment of children is perhaps the most inexcusable.
Works Cited
(http://www.definitions.net/definition/child%20abuse)
(http://www.definitions.net/definition/sexual%20abuse)
(Bass, E. & Davis, L. (1988). Understanding that it wasn’t your fault. The Courage to Heal: A guide for women survivors of sexual abuse (pp. 106
...ng one side of the story when it comes to the effects of child abuse on children. There is so much more that we don’t understand about the ramifications that we should be aware of. Neither of these studies shows both sides of the issues, but in combination both show a better overall picture to both sides. In conclusion, I think that both articles were well written and got their points across. I do however think there is an overall issue that we don’t understand sexual abuse to children and how to prevent it.
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.
Child Abuse is an extremely significant conflict around the world; it is the physical maltreatment or sexual molestation of a child. There are 4 main types of victimization against children. Those containing physical, emotional, sexual abuse and neglect. Physical abuse is when a parent or guardian wounds their child in the form of injuring them or in any other manner causing them agony. Emotional abuse also recognized as mental abuse is when they mentally upset a child’s feelings that may generate trauma. Sexual abuse can probably be characterized as someone forcing a child in an act of unwanted sexual relationships. Neglect is the form of not providing a child with their basic physical and emotional necessities. Most people are forming organizations to prevent from future child abuse occurring but most people are also not getting involved in such dangerous crimes. Usually more than 90% of abusers tend to be people children know, love, or trust, according to Bright Futures 4 Kids.
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. America struggles to find equality, and by bystanding the stripping of its youth, continual prolonging is inevitable. Raising this nation’s children in means of nurturing and care is the first step to uplifting America as a whole. In 2012 alone, 1593 of America’s children died at the hands of child abuse, 70.3% of which were younger than the age of three (Safe Horizon). In order to prevent further child abuse, the American government should address stricter child protection laws, psychological stability, and an increase the recognition of those that have released their stories.
Sexual abuse has a very broad definition. According to the American Psychological Association, “a central characteristic…is the dominant position of an adult that allows him or her to force or coerce a child into sexual activity.” 3 The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act defines sexual abuse as:
Many children who have experienced sexual abuse do not realize the impact it has on their lives. Children are afraid to break the silence about their sexual abuse and report it because of the reaction from parents, family members, or the fear of breaking up the family. Children keep quiet about their sexual abuse because of their involvement and fear of being rejected by others. Children may also keep silent due to the fear of their perpetrator or their perpetrator has trained the child to believe it was their fault. Many children who have never received the proper help will suffer with long lasting effects from sexual abuse. It is very important to counsel children who have been sexually abused at a young age. Sexual abuse can be very harmful in a child’s younger and adolescent years when developing in the ...
Child Abuse is something that children all around the world have to deal with every day. Child abuse can cause physical and mental affects on a child. It occurs very frequently and can happen for many different reasons. There is a law now stating that reporting child abuse is mandatory and you should report it immediately. There are thousands of child abuse victims every year. The abuse usually can leave permanent damage on the rest of the child's life. Child abuse is a very serious crime, and affects children everyday with positive and negative affects.
Child abuse is an issue within society that effects the lives of not only the victims but also the lives of many people in the social order. Child abuse is any mistreatment or neglect of a child that results in non-accidental injury or harm and which cannot be logically explained. There are several forms of abuse and neglect and many state governments have developed their own legal description of what constitutes child maltreatment for the purposes of removing a child and prosecuting a criminal charge. Child abuse consists of different forms of harm including physical, emotional, sexual, and neglect.
Sexual abuse cannot be clearly defined with ease. In fact, sexual abuse is an umbrella term for any sort of situation, whether or not it involves physical contact, in which a sexually immature child is exposed to anything sexual in nature. Because no child is psychologically mature enough for sexual stimulation, the complex feelings associated with it are mentally and emotionally disfiguring. Children who have been sexually abused experience an array of negative emotions such as shame, guilt and anger, and may display oddly withdrawn or distrustful behaviors. They cannot help but feel that they somehow brought the abuse unto themselves (Saisan, et al). One major contributing factor to these severe psychological consequences is the concept of trust. Sexual abuse is, in most cases, committed by a parent or other trusted adult figure. While children are naïve on such adult topics, they can still get an overwhelming feeling that the attention is wrong, yet they are unsure of how to cope with it. If the child has an emotional atta...
Sexual abuse is defined as “any childhood experience that interferes with or had the potential to interfering with a child’s healthy development”(16). According to the video, 1 in 3 girls are sexually abused by the age of 18 as opposed to 1 in 5 boys. More than 1 million of sexually abuse case are reported each year in Florida. 90% of child victims know the offender with half of them being family members. I find it interesting that one of the survivors Roberto was sexually abused, however when the abuse stopped he wanted it to continue benign that it was something he associated with being loved. The video implies that sexual abuse is about power and control and it starts with grooming, which the person manipulates the victim so that they can
Child abuse refers to lack of care or any type of emotional, physical or sexual mistreatment that results in emotional damage or physical injury to a child or a youth. In most countries, children are considered to be anyone below 18 years of age. Child abuse can occur directly by harming a child or indirectly by failing to prevent the child from any form of harm or injury. Child abuse can occur either in the family set up, in the community set up or in an institution such as a school. Also, children can be abused by adults or by other children or by people who know them or people who are complete strangers to them.
More importantly, “60 percent of children who are sexually abused do not disclose and most are acquaintances but as many as 47 percent are family or extended family” (The Scope of, 2016). The prevalence of child sexual abuse is difficult to determine because it is often not reported; experts agree that the incidence is far greater than what is reported to authorities (Child Sexual Abuse, 2012). Startling statistics represent the depth of the issue. Globally, prevalence rates show that a range of 7-36% of women and 3-29% of men experience sexual abuse in childhood (The Scope of, 2016). “The U.S Department of Health and Human Services’ Children’s Bureau report child maltreatment 2010 found that 9.2% of victimized children were sexually assaulted” (Child Sexual Abuse,
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.
Child abuse is one of the highest growing social problems in the United States. A social problem is, “a condition that a significant number of people believe to be a problem. A condition in which there is a sizable difference between the ideals of a society and its actual achievements” (Coleman et al. 2006:2). However, society has changed the way it views the issue, and is working towards finding a solution to this awful problem. Child abuse encompasses four main areas: physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect. Child abuse is considered a sociological phenomenon because it is a learned behavior. Learning the social patterns as to why people abuse will give a better understanding to its reasons, and also the development of society in the way that it views children. 3.6 million children were victims of abuse in the year 2006. Sixty four percent were victims of neglect, sixteen percent suffered from physical abuse, and eight percent were sexually abused. Also in 2006, 1,530 children died as a result of abuse; an average of four children everyday (Child Welfare Information Gateway 2008).
Child abuse is one of our nation’s most serious health problems. It occurs in all levels of education, religions, ethnic groups, and cultures. The basic definition of child abuse is a non-accidental act of commission that endangers or impairs a child’s physical or emotional health and development. Child abuse usually results in an injury or a series of injuries. Child abuse is broken up into four main categories: physical abuse, sexual abuse/misconduct, emotional abuse, and neglect (Capeless 1).