CHILD ABUSE

Child Abuse

Child Abuse

Introduction

Child abuse is a social menace that depletes the society and cause lifelong adversaries. A child can be abused or mistreated in a number of ways including physical harm, mental tortures and sexual harassments. This in turns create many problems for the society, such that the well-being of its children is at stake. In the long run, countries tend to realize that child abuse has become a menace not only for the present times, but for the next generations as well. Unfortunately, the society has still not recognized child abuse in real terms, the reason why it still persists to be a dilemma since a long time now. The phenomenon no longer remains confined to developing countries alone. Child abuse has been observed in the most developed countries as well; where children are made to work after school in order to earn daily livelihoods. In developed countries however, the phenomenon starts as soon as the parent adopt a discriminatory and neglecting attitude towards their offspring. They are isolated and the strained family ties leave them under miserable conditions. In such circumstances, a child loses his focus and takes to the roads in the form of a homeless being, most of the times a beggar or a member of the slum. Childhood is a very innocent and carefree stage in one's life. However, issues like child abuse and maltreatments stain this age with miseries and disorders (Ellis, Boyce, 2008). While the state and local governmental bodies should make collaborated efforts in dealing with the issue, control on child abuse practices is also a parental responsibility.

Definition of Child Abuse

The International Child Abuse Network (ICAN) takes their definition of child abuse and neglect from the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), Public Law 104-235, as it has been amended and reauthorized in March 2003. Child Abuse is a maltreatment of a child under the age of 18 years, which can take the form of physical, mental or sexual abuse that results in putting the life of the child in danger. Child abuse is any action (or lack of) which endangers or impairs a child's physical, mental or emotional well-being and culminates into a variety of disorders and diseases for the child. Child abuse occurs in different ways. All forms of abuse and neglect are harmful to the child and damage the societal development (Herrenkohl, 2005).

Vulnerability

According to the 1994 Survey of the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect (1995), there are approximately 3 million children reported abused each year, with 2,022 deaths reported in 1994. Of these deaths, 58% were the result of physical abuse, and 37% resulted from neglect. It is important to remember that abusive parents are not necessarily mentally ill; only 1 in 10 is mentally ill, which is equal to the rate in the general population. An estimated 9-10 million children under age 18 have substance-abusing parents, and 1 out of 10 babies have been exposed to drugs in the uterus due to addictive ...