Child Abuse

Child Abuse

Introduction

Child abuse is a social menace, that plagues the development of a socitey by restricting its youth to grow and develop as productive citizens of the economy. An abused child is one who is a victim of physical violence, torture, emotional and sexual abuse, and neglect. This issue bears serious consequences on his physical and psychological development. This is not a violation of human rights only; in the long run it is a collective challenge for the entire society to combat child abuse and harness the development of productive citizens for future growth. The phenomenon of child abuse is not a recent phenomenon in the communities but existed since ancient times.

Discussion

There are several issues associated with the parctice of torture and harrassment to children below the age of eighteen years. The World Health Organization (WHO) approximates that 40 million children between birth and 14 years of age are abused or neglected every year round the world (Krause et.al, 2008). This “abuse” culminates into a variety of disorders that include physcial, cognitive, psychological, behavioral and other health-related disorders. Child abuse is mainly associated with the use or threat to use any type of physical force to restrict the physical abilities of a child or to restrcit his or her mental capabilities. The use of force takes the forms of violence, destruction, vandalism, aggression, theft, lying, depression, anxiety, and anger. The effects of such an abuse is that a child looses interest in academia, looses his self-worth, becomes isolated with the rest of the world, hesitates to make friends and develop shyness and inexpressiveness (Browne, 2008). He or she also develops sleep disorders, anorexia nervosa, low self-esteem and bedwetting. This calls for a concerted eeffort from the law-enforcing agencies and lawmakers to ensure the deliverance and practice of a child's human rights, his physical nutrition, his edcuational needs, emotional and psychological security.

Major Effects Of Child Abuse

In addition to the cosnequences that are mentioned previously, there are several major effects that occur when a child is subjected to abuse, torture, harrassment and neglect. Among these are:

Child abuse encourages a child to lie, resent, retaliate, and worry, rather than of trusting, and listening.

It will distance a child from his friends and family; making him a loner.

It will limit the child's self esteem, and sway away the child's psychological development to be well-mannered outdoors.

Child may hold out from his mature individual life.

The child exhibits traits of stubbornness and rebellion in life's activities.

It creates a generation gap between the child and his family; where the child no lonegr feels the need to express himself before his father or mother.

The acadmic records of the child suffer, since he looses interest andd zeal to participate in classroom and extra-curricular activities (Ascione, 2009).

Incidence and Prevalence

Determining the number of U.S. children who experience maltreatment is more complicated than it may seem. Prevalence is defined as the number of people who have experienced at least one act of child abuse or neglect, while ...