Physical Punishment And Physical Child Abuse

1074 Words3 Pages

Physical child abuse is defined in various ways. Most people would recognize it as the presence of an injury that the child sustains from someone who is caring for them. The injuries are also referred to as inflicted or nonaccidental injuries. Some common examples of inflicted injury are fractures, burns, bruises, subdural hematoma, head trauma, and shaken baby syndrome. Physical abuse may also be in the form of maltreatment, including hitting with a hand, stick, strap, or other object; punching; kicking; shaking; throwing; burning; stabbing; or choking to the extent that harm results. The National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect (NCCAN) estimated that 37% of children with maltreatment injuries developed a disability or special need, …show more content…

The difference between using physical punishment to discipline and physical abuse is huge. Teaching children right from wrong is the main point of discipline, making them live in fear is not! In physical abuse, the child never knows what is going to set the parent off. The children have no clear rules. The child is never sure what behavior will trigger a physical assault; they are constantly walking on eggshells. Parents or caregivers who use physical abuse may think that their children need to fear them to listen to them and get them to behave. They use physical abuse to” keep their children in line.” This teaches children that hitting or being hit is appropriate behavior, not how to behave or grow as …show more content…

A single incident of physical abuse can result in severe trauma. If the child were physically abused more often, this would result in a greater impact on the child. The age of the child when the physical abuse begins has a greater impact on the child. When the child has a very close relationship with their abuser, the feelings of betrayal are that much greater. The person that they trust and look to for protection is the person who is instead hurting them. When a child has no one to turn to, his or her feelings of abandonment increase. A child will find a way to cope with the abuse, different methods of coping include physical, such as becoming the “comedian”, some children use humor to cover up the fact that they are suffering. Another way of coping would be emotional, such as the child refusing to try anything new for fear of failure, avoiding any more negative messages about themselves. The children of physical child abuse suffer physically and emotionally. The physical child abuse effects also vary depending on the age of the

Open Document