CHILD ABUSE

Child Abuse

Child Abuse

Victimology and crime prevention cut across many fields of study, including social services. Although the perpetrators of child maltreatment are not always prosecuted, the children who are abused and neglected are undeniably crime victims. They suffer the emotional trauma of victimization in addition to the physical effects of the abuse or neglect. In many cases, the consequences of the abuse are especially traumatic because of children's subsequent separation from their loved ones. Professionals' use of best practices in responding to and trying to prevent child maltreatment is a critical part of ensuring that all children have the opportunity to grow up in a safe, nurturing environment.

Child abuse and neglect, also referred to collectively as child maltreatment, comprises the legal and social definitions of specific typologies, including physical abuse, physical neglect, emotional/psychological neglect, and sexual abuse. Legal definitions of the different types of maltreatment vary from state to state, but their source is societal standards of a safe, nurturing environment that ensures a child can grow into a fully functioning, contributing member of society. The definitions below are based on those used by the American Humane Society and other standard sources in the field. Physical Abuse Physical abuse is the most visible of the maltreatment typologies. It is defined as inflicted, nonaccidental physical injury, or the risk of injury, to a child by a caregiver or parent. The injury often results from inappropriate or excessive discipline. Discipline and cultural practices are part of determining what crosses the threshold for the legal definition of abuse. Most of the Western world accepts corporal punishment as a means of discipline. The question becomes how one differentiates between discipline and abuse. Generally, physical abuse is confirmed when the injury goes beyond temporary redness and results in bruises, broken bones, burns, bite marks, internal injuries, disfigurement, impairment of health or daily functioning, or risk of death (DiScala, 2000).

Neglect Neglect, the most often reported maltreatment typology, is an act of omission by the parent or caregiver that is harmful to the child. What constitutes neglect depends on societal mores, community standards and culture, and economic and political values. It is subdivided into physical, medical, educational, and in some cases emotional neglect. (Emotional neglect will be dealt with below as a separate category.) Physical neglect, the most prevalent and recognizable form of neglect, is the omission by a parent or caregiver to provide the child with basic necessities such as food, clothing, or shelter. Examples also include poor hygiene, inadequate supervision, and an unsafe environment such as exposed wiring or broken glass on the floor. Medical neglect is a failure to provide needed medical treatment, placing the child at serious risk of death, disfigurement, or disability. Examples of medical neglect include not giving a child with diabetes the required medication or monitoring it and not seeking immediate medical care for a child with a severe injury.

Educational neglect includes failure to make an effort to ensure that a child attends school or has a ...