Essay about Child Abuse

Submitted By sandy1066
Words: 3066
Pages: 13

Child Abuse and Neglect In the USA, an estimated 906,000 children are victims of abuse & neglect every year, making child abuse as common as it is shocking. Whether the abuse is physical, emotional, sexual, or neglect, the scars can be deep and long lasting, often leading to future child abuse. We can learn the signs and symptoms of child abuse and help break the cycle, finding out where to get help for the children and their caregivers. How could anyone abuse a defenseless child? Most of us cannot imagine what would make an adult abuse a child. The worse the behavior is, the more unimaginable it seems. Yet sadly, child abuse is much more common then we might think. Child abuse cuts across social classes and all ethnicities. In addition, the abuse overwhelmingly is at the hands of those who are supposed to be protecting the child- the parents. In the case of Shaniya Davis, a 5 year old that was raped and murdered in North Carolina last month, her mother sold her into prostitution, to pay for drugs. This beautiful, innocent little girl should not have died in this manner. I really believe that there were some signs that her mother was unfit. I wished that someone had the courage to report something, anything; maybe she would be alive today. Mario McNeill was charged with rape and murder. He should be given the death penalty, but then he will not suffer enough for his crimes. In addition, the mother needs to be in jail for the rest of her miserable life, but this is only my personal opinion. Child abuse happens in many different ways, but the result is the same-serious physical or emotional harm. Physical or sexual abuse may be the most striking types of abuse, since they often unfortunately leave physical evidence behind, as with Shaniya Davis, her body was found near a pile of trash. However, emotional abuse and neglect are serious types of child abuse that are often more subtle and difficult to spot. Child neglect is the most common type of child abuse. How can child abuse happen and to children living with a parent. There are many complicated factors that lead to child abuse. Unfortunately, the patterns we learn in childhood are often what we use as parents. Without treatment and insight, sadly, the cycle of child abuse often continues. Parenting can be a very time intensive, difficult job. Parents caring for children without support from family, friends or the community can be under a lot of stress. Younger parents often struggle with the maturity and patience needed to be a parent. Caregivers who are under financial or relationship stress are at risk as well. In this case, alcohol and drug abuse played an important part with the outcome. Alcohol and drug abuse lead to serious lapses in judgment. They can interfere with impulse control making emotional and physical abuse more likely. Due to impairment caused by being intoxicated, alcohol and drug abuse frequently lead to child neglect. The lasting effects of child abuse, all types of child abuse and neglect leave lasting scars. Some of these scars might be physical, but emotional scarring has long lasting effects throughout life, damaging a child’s sense of self and ability to have healthy relationships. We can make a difference; one of the most painful effects of child abuse is its tendency to repeat itself. One of every three abused or neglected children will grow up to become an abusive parent. Maybe as time goes on the trial may spotlight that Shania’s mother was a product of child abuse herself. We may be reluctant to interfere in someone’s family, but you can make a huge difference in a child’s life if you do. The earlier abused children get help, the greater chance they have to heal from their abuse and not perpetuate the cycle, and sometimes save their lives (Waldfogel, & Maluccio, 1998). Sexual abuse, defined as any sexual act between an adult and a child, has components of both physical and emotional abuse. Sexual abuse can be physical, such as