Child abuse, although gruesome and unnecessary, happens ever four seconds, and a

child's life is lost every seven seconds. As a society these statistics should be of great

concern to us. We have to be aware of what is happening to the children in our society,

because the only way to improve the situation is to be aware of it, and get involved. There

are many different forms of child abuse, including sexual abuse, emotional abuse,

physical abuse and many forms of neglect. We can help these children by doing even the

simplest things, so, why don't we?

Child Abuse and It's Warning Signs:

Child abuse is the physical and or emotional mistreatment of a child. It includes

everything from pulling hair to beating a child to death. A child abuser can be anyone,

from a parent to someone you don't even know. There are many warning signs of child

abuse, some of which include: crying more readily, jumping or pulling away when

touched, the child begins to decline in school, show a lot of fear, guilt or anxiety, they

may discuss or attempt suicide or have poor peer relationships. Although these signs may

be present when child abuse is not, if a child shows any of these signs, child abuse should

be an issue of concern.

Types of Abuse and Neglect:

There are many different types of child abuse. Sexual abuse is the use of a

child under age 16 for sexual purposes. Emotional abuse includes screaming, yelling,

name calling, or blaming the child for adult problems such as the parent's financial state.

Physical abuse is inflicting any type of physical injury on a child, whether it is intended or

not. Child neglect also goes along with child abuse and has many different areas. Physical neglect is the refusal or delay in seeking health care or emergency medical services. It

also includes abandonment, kicking and under aged child out of the house or not allowing

a runaway to return home. Educational neglect includes allowing a school aged child to

be chronically truant, not enrolling the child in school, or not attending to a child's special

educational need. Emotional neglect includes extreme spousal abuse while the child is

present knowledge of the child's drug or alcohol abuse or refusal or failure to provide psychological care.

Myths about Child Abuse:

There are many myths surrounding child abuse. Some people believe that children make

up stories of abuse, or that the child is at fault for encouraging or allowing sexual abuse

to happen. Many people also believe that the abuse is committed by strangers, or that the

abuses look sleazy, cruel and unusual. All of these are assumptions are untrue.

Child Abusers:

A child abuser is an ordinary person, usually a parent, who is caught in a situation they

can't handle emotionally. Most abusers feel lonely and they can't cope with personal

problems, and they have low self-esteem. Many abusers were abused themselves as

children, and that is the reason many abusers become abusers themselves.

Counseling For Abused Children:

There are many types of counseling for children who have been abused. Abused children

who are 16 and over can go to the Sexual Assault Center. Children from ages 0 to 18 can

go to Child and Family Services or the Children's Aid Society. All of these places provide

either group or individual therapy