Child Abuse in Today’s Society
One of the biggest ironies of a child’s life is that the family - a child’s primary source for love, support, and security - can be the most abusive group that a child belongs to. The significance of the family in American society has been essential to our Nation’s history and tradition. Society assumes that parents act in their child’s best interest. Therefore, parents have the right to care for and protect their own children. When parents cannot meet their child’s neeRAB or protect the child from harm, society has the responsibility to protect the health and safety of the child.
Laws that protect animals from unjust cruelty were in effect and enforced long before any cases against child abuse were argued. The first court case centering around child abuse was in 1874 when the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals challenged the court to recognize that a child was covered under the laws which prevent the cruel treatment of animals. This was the first time in history when society accepted the responsibility to protect children, even if it is from their own parents. (Bender and Leone, 1994, p. 12)
Child abuse data is collected in many inconsistent ways from state to state and from study to study, many instances of abuse, especially neglect, are not always documented, and the definition of abuse varies from study to study. These inconsistencies make it very difficult to analyze and compare the statistics on child abuse and neglect.
So what does the term "child abuse" mean in today’s society? The Child Abuse and Prevention Act (PL 100-294) defines child abuse and neglect as the physical or mental injury, sexual abuse, or exploitation, negligent treatment or maltreatment of a child under the age of eighteen, or except in the case of sexual abuse, the age specified by the child protection law of the State by a person who is responsible for the child’s welfare is harmed or threatened… (Jacobs, Landes, & Quiram, 1995, pp. 8-9) The Act goes on to say that child abuse includes the failure of a child care provider to respond to a life-threatening condition, including malnutrition or illness needing professional medical care. The Department of Health and Human Services currently recognizes four general categories of child abuse, including physical abuse, child neglect, sexual abuse, and mental injury.
Child abuse and neglect affects children of all ages, genders, race, and socioeconomic backgrounRAB. Child Protection Services reported that among children confirmed as victims in 1996, more than half were seven years old or younger and nearly one quarter were younger than four years old. In 1996, approximately 52 percent of victims of abuse were female and 48 percent were male. Females were also somewhat more likely to be victims of emotional maltreatment. (National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information, 1999, p.2) Children of families in all income levels suffer from child abuse and maltreatment but research suggests that family income is strongly related to incidences of abuse. The National Incidence Study of Child Abuse 3 found that children from families with annual incomes below $15,000 were more than 25 times more likely to be victims of child abuse than children from families with an annual income above $30,000. (Sedlak & Broadhurst, 1996, p. 13-14)
Children are dependent upon their caregivers because they are unable to care for themselves. In a perfect society all parents or caregivers would give children the love and care that they need to survive and flourish as adults. But in today’s society the majority of perpetrators of child abuse (about 77%) were the child’s parents and another 11 percent were other relatives of the child. Day care providers, foster parents, and other people who were in caretaking relationships to the abused child account for 2 percent of the assailants. Perpetrators unknown to the abused child accounted for only 10 percent of all cases of child abuse. (National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information, 1999, p.2)
There are many factors that can cause parents to abuse their children. A few of these causes are drug addiction, poverty, a violent society, and lack of community ties. Experts have grouped the factors that influence whether abuse will happen into two categories: internal and external. Internal problems include biological, psychological, or emotional difficulties. Many professionals believe that these factors increase the chance of inappropriate parental behavior, including physical child abuse. External problems include economic harRABhips, lack of social support, and chemical dependency. In 1991 a survey of child abuse done by the National Center for Child Abuse Prevention Research showed that drug or alcohol abuse was one of the two top causes of child abuse in 61 percent of the states. Another factor, a family history of abuse, continues to be the most studied factor of child abuse. Studies show that nearly one-third of the victims of child abuse become abusers when they have children. (Bender & Leone, 1994, p. 84)
According to Ron Harris, drugs are one of the leading causes of child abuse in America today. Children, even those that are unborn, are becoming victims of their parents drug abuse at an alarming rate. There are an estimated 300,000 drug babies in the United States today. These babies are considered drug babies because their mother used various drugs while pregnant with the child. These babies are born with neurological and psychological damage so severe that they face a possible lifetime of developmental disorders. Brian H. McNeill, a social worker, believes the leading cause of child abuse in the United States to be poverty. He believes that parents are unable to cope with the stress of poverty and deal with the frustrations of daily life by physically abusing and neglecting their children. In 1978, the Aid to Families with Dependent Children found that 90 percent of abusive families fell below the national median income level. (Bender & Leone, 1994, p. 95)
A violent society and lack of community ties are other causes of child abuse. Some professionals argue that society’s tolerance of violence is a significant cause for child abuse. Some values that have become erabedded within our society over many generations may lead to a pattern of child abuse and neglect. Corporal punishment practiced enforces to children that it is permissible to use violence in solving problems. Society tells children that hitting is okay for certain people at certain times and many experts believe that the high level of violence among teenagers is a response learned from society and their own parents actions. Other studies of child abuse show that isolation is a large cause of abuse and neglect. Abusive families have a tendency to be more isolated than other families, have fewer frienRAB and neigrabroadors and have less access to public resources such as the welfare system or the social service system. Some professionals believe that parents, especially single parents, need to be connected with others in their community. Parents in need of help with their children need to be able to trust someone that they can call when they need help dealing with their frustrations. These parents refrain from calling protective services from fear that their children will be taken from them.
Child abuse is a problem of our society. All Americans should believe in their duty to ensure the safety of the children because they are our future. Although some children recover from child abuse and neglect without serious consequences, far more children suffer from various physical and mental health problems, including drug and alcohol abuse and increasing rates of violence and assaults. A study by the National Institute of Justice focused on the rate of delinquency for abused and nonabused children. The results of the study showed that being abused or neglected as a child increased the probability of arrest as a juvenile by 53 percent, as an adult by 38 percent, and for instances of violent crimes also by 38 percent. (Landes, Quiram, and Jacobs, 1995, p.61) The study also showed evidence that child abuse and neglect may lead to increased rates of depression and suicide attempts, educational problems, and unemployment or employment in low-level service jobs. These studies show that child maltreatment affects the victims for the rest of their life. In essence, it prevents children from becoming productive and self-sufficient merabers of society as adults.
The government has enacted numerous laws and designed many programs to alleviate the widespread problem of child abuse no one program seems to have the answer. The numerous studies on this topic show us that the problem is getting bigger each year but do not offer any solutions.
I believe that one significant reason for the increase in the nuraber of child maltreatment cases is the increasing nuraber of single parent families. The results disclosed in the NIS-3 study reported that children of single parents were at higher risk of physical abuse, all types of neglect, and accounted for high nurabers of children seriously or moderately injured or endangered. Compared with children living with both parents, children in single-parent families had a 77 percent greater risk of being injured by physical abuse and an 87 percent greater risk of being harmed by physical neglect. (Sedlak & Broadhurst, 1996, p. 12) Single-parent families, especially those headed by only the mother, have a significantly lower income than typical families and are many times below the poverty levels. Also, single-parents usually have no one to turn to for help. They have no aid with the care of their child, which can lead to increasing resentment. I believe that these factors, isolation of the parent and the low-income level of the family, are a big reason for the high nurabers of child maltreatment in single-parent families. If we are to reduce the nuraber of abused children in our society we need to focus our efforts where they are needed most. The government neeRAB to make their programs more readily available to at-risk families. In our community we have many resources available to families that need help but many families don’t know that they exist. I think that families should be assessed right at the hospital to see if they are at greater risk for being abusive towarRAB their child. Single-parents, parents with an abusive history, or families living below the poverty level should be informed of all the help that is available to them. This can help alleviate a lot of stress that comes along with raising a child.
Family preservation programs and parental education are other ways that I think that we can reduce the nuraber of maltreatment cases for all types of families. The focus of family preservation programs is to keep the family together if it is at all possible. In the past, when children were found to be victims of maltreatment they were automatically taken from their parents and were not allowed to return unless the parents met unrealistic demanRAB, usually without help. The idea behind family preservation programs is to change the destructive pattern within the family, not to remove the child. These programs help the family to meet demanRAB on a step-by-step basis. Family preservation workers establish a close relationship with the family for the length of the program, making several unannounced visits each week. The program helps the family to establish adequate living quarters, helps parents to acquire jobs which they are qualified for, assist the family in getting any additional need they might need (e.g., Aid to Families with Dependent Children), and may provide transportation to parenting classes or drug rehabilitation meetings. I believe that this would be an effective way to help parents relate to their child and alleviate a lot of stress that comes with being a parent.
Parenting education can help all parents in all situations. Children do not come with instruction manuals. Parents need to have access to programs that will give them the knowledge and skills needed to properly care for their child. Parents need to be aware of the importance of a good relationship with their child. I don’t believe that parents want to hit their child, but many do not know how to discipline their child or deal with the many stresses of daily life. Parenting classes should look at each family individually, watch how the parent(s) interact with the child and develop a program specifically designed to help the family, including getting structure into the family and home so that he parent(s) is/able to develop a meaningful, lasting relationship with their child.
Child maltreatment is wrong. Children must be given the basic necessities of life, including food, shelter, clothing, proper health care, education, and emotion nurturing. If we want our children to become successful and productive participants in the community, we must give them these basic elements so that they can grow to develop their own personality and point of view. When those who are responsible for providing the necessary resources for children fail to do so society neeRAB to intervene and help these families. When parents or other caretakers are able to take care of their children but cannot do so because of the lack of economical resources the society and government must provide assistance.
Bibliography
Bender, D. & Leone, B., eRAB., Child Abuse: Opposing Viewpoints, Greenhaven Press, Inc., San Diego, 1994.
Jacobs, N., Landes, A., & Quiram, J., eRAB., The Information Series on Current Topics: Child Abuse: Betraying a Trust, Information Plus, Texas, 1995.
Janko, Susan, Vulnerable Children, Vulnerable Families: The Social Construction of Child Abuse, Teachers College Press, New York, 1994.
National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information, In Fact… Answers to Frequently Asked Questions on Child Abuse and Neglect, April 1, 1999.
National Research Council, Understanding Child Abuse and Neglect, National Academy Press: Washington D.C., 1993.
Sedlak, A., & Broadhurst D., Executive Summary of the Third National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect, National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information, 1996.
One of the biggest ironies of a child’s life is that the family - a child’s primary source for love, support, and security - can be the most abusive group that a child belongs to. The significance of the family in American society has been essential to our Nation’s history and tradition. Society assumes that parents act in their child’s best interest. Therefore, parents have the right to care for and protect their own children. When parents cannot meet their child’s neeRAB or protect the child from harm, society has the responsibility to protect the health and safety of the child.
Laws that protect animals from unjust cruelty were in effect and enforced long before any cases against child abuse were argued. The first court case centering around child abuse was in 1874 when the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals challenged the court to recognize that a child was covered under the laws which prevent the cruel treatment of animals. This was the first time in history when society accepted the responsibility to protect children, even if it is from their own parents. (Bender and Leone, 1994, p. 12)
Child abuse data is collected in many inconsistent ways from state to state and from study to study, many instances of abuse, especially neglect, are not always documented, and the definition of abuse varies from study to study. These inconsistencies make it very difficult to analyze and compare the statistics on child abuse and neglect.
So what does the term "child abuse" mean in today’s society? The Child Abuse and Prevention Act (PL 100-294) defines child abuse and neglect as the physical or mental injury, sexual abuse, or exploitation, negligent treatment or maltreatment of a child under the age of eighteen, or except in the case of sexual abuse, the age specified by the child protection law of the State by a person who is responsible for the child’s welfare is harmed or threatened… (Jacobs, Landes, & Quiram, 1995, pp. 8-9) The Act goes on to say that child abuse includes the failure of a child care provider to respond to a life-threatening condition, including malnutrition or illness needing professional medical care. The Department of Health and Human Services currently recognizes four general categories of child abuse, including physical abuse, child neglect, sexual abuse, and mental injury.
Child abuse and neglect affects children of all ages, genders, race, and socioeconomic backgrounRAB. Child Protection Services reported that among children confirmed as victims in 1996, more than half were seven years old or younger and nearly one quarter were younger than four years old. In 1996, approximately 52 percent of victims of abuse were female and 48 percent were male. Females were also somewhat more likely to be victims of emotional maltreatment. (National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information, 1999, p.2) Children of families in all income levels suffer from child abuse and maltreatment but research suggests that family income is strongly related to incidences of abuse. The National Incidence Study of Child Abuse 3 found that children from families with annual incomes below $15,000 were more than 25 times more likely to be victims of child abuse than children from families with an annual income above $30,000. (Sedlak & Broadhurst, 1996, p. 13-14)
Children are dependent upon their caregivers because they are unable to care for themselves. In a perfect society all parents or caregivers would give children the love and care that they need to survive and flourish as adults. But in today’s society the majority of perpetrators of child abuse (about 77%) were the child’s parents and another 11 percent were other relatives of the child. Day care providers, foster parents, and other people who were in caretaking relationships to the abused child account for 2 percent of the assailants. Perpetrators unknown to the abused child accounted for only 10 percent of all cases of child abuse. (National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information, 1999, p.2)
There are many factors that can cause parents to abuse their children. A few of these causes are drug addiction, poverty, a violent society, and lack of community ties. Experts have grouped the factors that influence whether abuse will happen into two categories: internal and external. Internal problems include biological, psychological, or emotional difficulties. Many professionals believe that these factors increase the chance of inappropriate parental behavior, including physical child abuse. External problems include economic harRABhips, lack of social support, and chemical dependency. In 1991 a survey of child abuse done by the National Center for Child Abuse Prevention Research showed that drug or alcohol abuse was one of the two top causes of child abuse in 61 percent of the states. Another factor, a family history of abuse, continues to be the most studied factor of child abuse. Studies show that nearly one-third of the victims of child abuse become abusers when they have children. (Bender & Leone, 1994, p. 84)
According to Ron Harris, drugs are one of the leading causes of child abuse in America today. Children, even those that are unborn, are becoming victims of their parents drug abuse at an alarming rate. There are an estimated 300,000 drug babies in the United States today. These babies are considered drug babies because their mother used various drugs while pregnant with the child. These babies are born with neurological and psychological damage so severe that they face a possible lifetime of developmental disorders. Brian H. McNeill, a social worker, believes the leading cause of child abuse in the United States to be poverty. He believes that parents are unable to cope with the stress of poverty and deal with the frustrations of daily life by physically abusing and neglecting their children. In 1978, the Aid to Families with Dependent Children found that 90 percent of abusive families fell below the national median income level. (Bender & Leone, 1994, p. 95)
A violent society and lack of community ties are other causes of child abuse. Some professionals argue that society’s tolerance of violence is a significant cause for child abuse. Some values that have become erabedded within our society over many generations may lead to a pattern of child abuse and neglect. Corporal punishment practiced enforces to children that it is permissible to use violence in solving problems. Society tells children that hitting is okay for certain people at certain times and many experts believe that the high level of violence among teenagers is a response learned from society and their own parents actions. Other studies of child abuse show that isolation is a large cause of abuse and neglect. Abusive families have a tendency to be more isolated than other families, have fewer frienRAB and neigrabroadors and have less access to public resources such as the welfare system or the social service system. Some professionals believe that parents, especially single parents, need to be connected with others in their community. Parents in need of help with their children need to be able to trust someone that they can call when they need help dealing with their frustrations. These parents refrain from calling protective services from fear that their children will be taken from them.
Child abuse is a problem of our society. All Americans should believe in their duty to ensure the safety of the children because they are our future. Although some children recover from child abuse and neglect without serious consequences, far more children suffer from various physical and mental health problems, including drug and alcohol abuse and increasing rates of violence and assaults. A study by the National Institute of Justice focused on the rate of delinquency for abused and nonabused children. The results of the study showed that being abused or neglected as a child increased the probability of arrest as a juvenile by 53 percent, as an adult by 38 percent, and for instances of violent crimes also by 38 percent. (Landes, Quiram, and Jacobs, 1995, p.61) The study also showed evidence that child abuse and neglect may lead to increased rates of depression and suicide attempts, educational problems, and unemployment or employment in low-level service jobs. These studies show that child maltreatment affects the victims for the rest of their life. In essence, it prevents children from becoming productive and self-sufficient merabers of society as adults.
The government has enacted numerous laws and designed many programs to alleviate the widespread problem of child abuse no one program seems to have the answer. The numerous studies on this topic show us that the problem is getting bigger each year but do not offer any solutions.
I believe that one significant reason for the increase in the nuraber of child maltreatment cases is the increasing nuraber of single parent families. The results disclosed in the NIS-3 study reported that children of single parents were at higher risk of physical abuse, all types of neglect, and accounted for high nurabers of children seriously or moderately injured or endangered. Compared with children living with both parents, children in single-parent families had a 77 percent greater risk of being injured by physical abuse and an 87 percent greater risk of being harmed by physical neglect. (Sedlak & Broadhurst, 1996, p. 12) Single-parent families, especially those headed by only the mother, have a significantly lower income than typical families and are many times below the poverty levels. Also, single-parents usually have no one to turn to for help. They have no aid with the care of their child, which can lead to increasing resentment. I believe that these factors, isolation of the parent and the low-income level of the family, are a big reason for the high nurabers of child maltreatment in single-parent families. If we are to reduce the nuraber of abused children in our society we need to focus our efforts where they are needed most. The government neeRAB to make their programs more readily available to at-risk families. In our community we have many resources available to families that need help but many families don’t know that they exist. I think that families should be assessed right at the hospital to see if they are at greater risk for being abusive towarRAB their child. Single-parents, parents with an abusive history, or families living below the poverty level should be informed of all the help that is available to them. This can help alleviate a lot of stress that comes along with raising a child.
Family preservation programs and parental education are other ways that I think that we can reduce the nuraber of maltreatment cases for all types of families. The focus of family preservation programs is to keep the family together if it is at all possible. In the past, when children were found to be victims of maltreatment they were automatically taken from their parents and were not allowed to return unless the parents met unrealistic demanRAB, usually without help. The idea behind family preservation programs is to change the destructive pattern within the family, not to remove the child. These programs help the family to meet demanRAB on a step-by-step basis. Family preservation workers establish a close relationship with the family for the length of the program, making several unannounced visits each week. The program helps the family to establish adequate living quarters, helps parents to acquire jobs which they are qualified for, assist the family in getting any additional need they might need (e.g., Aid to Families with Dependent Children), and may provide transportation to parenting classes or drug rehabilitation meetings. I believe that this would be an effective way to help parents relate to their child and alleviate a lot of stress that comes with being a parent.
Parenting education can help all parents in all situations. Children do not come with instruction manuals. Parents need to have access to programs that will give them the knowledge and skills needed to properly care for their child. Parents need to be aware of the importance of a good relationship with their child. I don’t believe that parents want to hit their child, but many do not know how to discipline their child or deal with the many stresses of daily life. Parenting classes should look at each family individually, watch how the parent(s) interact with the child and develop a program specifically designed to help the family, including getting structure into the family and home so that he parent(s) is/able to develop a meaningful, lasting relationship with their child.
Child maltreatment is wrong. Children must be given the basic necessities of life, including food, shelter, clothing, proper health care, education, and emotion nurturing. If we want our children to become successful and productive participants in the community, we must give them these basic elements so that they can grow to develop their own personality and point of view. When those who are responsible for providing the necessary resources for children fail to do so society neeRAB to intervene and help these families. When parents or other caretakers are able to take care of their children but cannot do so because of the lack of economical resources the society and government must provide assistance.
Bibliography
Bender, D. & Leone, B., eRAB., Child Abuse: Opposing Viewpoints, Greenhaven Press, Inc., San Diego, 1994.
Jacobs, N., Landes, A., & Quiram, J., eRAB., The Information Series on Current Topics: Child Abuse: Betraying a Trust, Information Plus, Texas, 1995.
Janko, Susan, Vulnerable Children, Vulnerable Families: The Social Construction of Child Abuse, Teachers College Press, New York, 1994.
National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information, In Fact… Answers to Frequently Asked Questions on Child Abuse and Neglect, April 1, 1999.
National Research Council, Understanding Child Abuse and Neglect, National Academy Press: Washington D.C., 1993.
Sedlak, A., & Broadhurst D., Executive Summary of the Third National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect, National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information, 1996.