Child Abuse: Affecting Adolescent Development

Child Abuse: Affecting Adolescent Development

Introduction

Child neglect and abuse, often called maltreatment collectively, is a big issue which is affecting thousands of adolescent and children in United States. This affects the children both by maltreatment which happened during their childhood with persistent effects and by abuse that begins or continues into adolescence. Numerous experts have proved that these types of abuse creates different mental diseases, including externalizing and internalizing problems, in addition other maladaptive development difficulties, in upbringing and further. Researchers have emphasized greatly on maltreatment in childhood will show a negative affects on adolescent development in cognitive and brain development, academic achievement and attachment to the family. However, neglect and abuse can have lasting psychological, physical and intellectual repercussions in to childhood as well adulthood. This paper will concentrate on the types and affects of child abuse on adolescent development

Background

Before giving any reviews over this topic, it is important to discuss the history of when this child development and adolescent issue was recognized and became a critical social problem in America. Since the beginning of 21st century, our society was aware about its existence. However, physical abuse and maltreatments was discovered more recently around fifty years ago in early 1960s when few doctors found physical injuries on children bodies caused by their parents. They identified it as “battered Child Syndrome” (Peckins et. al., 2010, p. 1). Around ten years later, series of sexual abuse cases with children were appeared which was extremely rare in the past. This brought an awareness of the issue which forced the government to take positive actions. Federal legislation enforced Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act in early 1974 and later (NCCAN) National Center of Child Neglect and Abuse was formed under the supervision of United States Health and Human Services. The primary function of this organization was to make sure that states are taking positive steps and developing child abuse awareness among the people. Four types of abuses were defined and states were given responsibilities to make sure they are discouraged at least with the adolescents under the age of eighteen. According to Child Welfare Information Gateway (2007), these four maltreatments are, 1) Physical Abuse, 2) Sexual Abuse, 3) Emotional and Mental maltreatment, 4) Neglect.

Types of Neglects and Child Abuse

Child abuse include any acts of omission or commission by a caretaker, parent or any other individual that produces harm, or threats to harm to a adolescent under the age of eighteen (Gilbert et al., 2009). Evidence has put forward many types of neglects and abuse infrequently occur in loneliness and adolescents who faces repeated mistreatment often encounter forms of abuse (Higgins, 2004). Indeed their might be many different forms of child abuse, however, our society have identified five basic types of them.

Sexual Abuse.

Physical Abuse.

Neglect

Witnessing domestic violence.

Emotional maltreatment.

Factors Influencing the Consequences of Maltreatments

Neglect and abuse affects children in many ways, despite of their age. However, it will have different consequences in different age ...