Child abuse, while having many different forms and levels of severity, can be basically defined as the maltreatment of a child by a parent or other adult. When one thinks of child abuse, usually the first thing that comes to mind is physical harm, but the issue is actually much more complex. The abuse of a child can also be manifested in verbal and emotional forms, as well as in sexual molestation. All forms of child abuse generally result in similar emotional disorders and behavioral issues, but the major consequences of sexual abuse, such as mental or emotional scarring, promiscuity, and the tendency of former victims to become sexual abusers, cause it to be the most severely damaging form of child abuse. Sexual abuse cannot be clearly defined with ease.
The American Camp Association defines it as “any situation where a child is used for sexual gratification. This may include indecent exposure, fondling, rape, or commercial exploitation through prostitution or the production of pornographic material.” (Child Abuse Prevention Resources) The horrible truth is that sexual abuse commonly occurs within families (this could involve parents and/or siblings) or with people the families and victim know and trust. Any sane person would look at these actions and consider them horrible, but they still exist, and must be stopped. Obviously the use of children for sexual gratification is bad, but how bad is it? First of all, it is not just the initial incident that is the crime.
Every child will have a different way of dealing with the problem that they think is alright because they have been raised knowing only that. Common effects of child abuse; Nightmares or difficulty sleeping, low self-esteem, antisocial behavior, including rebelliousness or running away, increased hostility or aggression. Feelings of fear, shame, anger, guilt, anxiety, or confusion are often found in a child that is being abused. The child will tend to stay away from other children and play by themselves. A child that is abused will most likely be abused until they are a teenager and will usually find themselves in an abusive relationship later in life, if they’re not being abused they will usually be the abuser.
Maltreatment of a child can come in many different forms. Personally I think that physical child abuse is the worse because some children get hit for unnecessary reasons. Majority of children being abused would not tell since they are scared of their abuser. Children are more likely scared of their abuser when the abuser randomly decides to spank them just to relieve some stress that the child is causing at that moment. Signs of physical abuse in children could be bruises on covered body parts, hand print bruises, burn marks, fractures, and history of consistent
The main sign of this kind of physical abuse that the parents or caregivers can show are anger problems or the excessive need for control. Sexual abuse is another type of child abuse. It is any type of sexual activity that a child cannot understand or give consent to. Some examples of this are: fondling, oral-genital contact, genital or anal intercourse, exhibitionism, voyeurism and exposure to pornography (National Council On Child Abuse And Family Violence...) Some signs of sexual abuse are: the child has trouble sitting or standing,... ... middle of paper ... ...g a support system can be hard. If they do not have anyone to listen to him or her or even help take care of them, they can easily turn to child abuse.
Finally, the effects of childhood sexual abuse include sleeping disorders, co-dependency, and may continue to be abused by others even after they leave an abusive environment (Lipovsky & Hanson, 2007). The encounter of child sexual abuse differs between individuals. The seriousness, occurrence, and age of the child, relationship between the child and the offender, degree of support, admission by the perpetrator, active family life, and exact nature of the abuse all affect the type and severity of effects seen in the child victim. It is imperative to mention that no one symptom outline is exclusively to children who have been sexually abused. Furthermore, the majority of ch... ... middle of paper ... ..., H., Taylor, N., & Prentice, K. (2014).
According to Susanne Babbel’s article “The Lingering Trauma of Child Abuse”, “For children that have suffered from abuse, it can be complex getting to the root of childhood trauma to alleviate later symptoms as adults”. Physical abuse can lead to sexual abuse in most cases. In several sexual abuse cases, children are physically abused to allow the abuser to sexually abuse the
When the abused becomes aware of her anger, it has become rage. Women who were sexually abused as children grow up repressing anger; as a result they may enter adulthood totally unaware of the rage that lies within them. Researchers (Draucker, 1996; Maltz, 1991) reported that childhood sexual abuse may cause negative attitudes about touch and sex that result in troublesome reactions to adult sex. Many incest survivors had struggle with their abuse unaided, and that number of those who are in prisons, mental institutions, or working in prostitution have been influenced by a history of sexual abuse. Those who have been most affected by such abuse may be unable to verbalize their pain and anger.
Fondling, masturbation, intercourse, and pornography are a few of the things that are done to a child when they are abused sexually (“Child Abuse” 222). The last way to abuse a child is through emotional abuse (“Child Abuse” 116). When the abuser humiliates the child, reprimands them, or other acts that are carried out over time (“Child Abuse” 222). Certain situations increase the risk of child abuse. These problems cause stress and tension which is sometimes expressed in neglect or violence toward a child.
According to Gateway, Long-Term Consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect,( 2009) not all children that are victims of sexual assault will have behavior problems or difficulties. The victims that do have difficulties coping with the sexual assault are often are emotionally and traumatized by the person who has abused them. There can be both short and long-term effects, which may result from such abuse, including intense shame, low self-esteem, grief, anger, depression, anxiety. They could show signs of mistrust of adults, feelings of anger and hostility, and difficulties in getting along with peers. Younger children may have sleep difficulties, loss of appetite, and generalized fearfulness and anxiety.