Child Abuse and Neglect term paper
Stephanie Brinkert
Child Abuse and Neglect
December 7, 2012

Risk Factors
Five risk factors that increase the likelihood of child abuse occurring are:
1. Social and mass media:
The availability of many different types of media may increase the likelihood of child abuse occurring in which the two main types are the internet and television. First and what I believe to be the most influential for children and youth is the internet. There are many resources on the internet that expose children to different possibilities of abuse including social networking sites and the availability of information via search engines. With the use of social networking sites such as Facebook, there are many risks to being on them but because a person is behind a computer screen, they feel safe. The availability of personal information and accessibility of pictures is a risk factor because it can be the start to cyber relationships which always has the risk of resulting in different types of abuse. Second is the wide variety of television shows and movies that children and youth have access to. While many shows can and may be an innocent way of providing entertainment, it also familiarizes children and youth with many negative things including things such as alcohol, drugs, sex, and violence.
2. Communities’ tolerance of violence:
Communities may have different approaches when it comes to addressing violence in the community but it important that they take all forms of violence in a serious manner because children and youth can and will be impacted by violence at some point in their life. If they feel that it is not an important and serious problem as a general community, than that can result in many forms of abuse because of the lack of importance.
3. Social inequality:
In communities there are always cases of discrimination towards families because of many reasons. These include simple things such as social norms, age, race, and gender, but can also include more complicated areas such as sexual orientation, disabilities, ethnicity, religion, or lifestyle.
4. Poverty:
Where there is a lack of inadequate housing, high levels of unemployment, and unavailability of financial support services it can be difficult for families to be able to cope with the stresses involved. This may lead to the lack of focus on creating and maintaining healthy relationships, and to focus on the safety of children and youth.
5. Lack of support services:
If there is a lack of support services in a community than this can lead to being a factor of child abuse because youth as well as parents may be uneducated in some areas as well as when they are in need of help or assistance, they have no one to go to in the community and may redirect that need into negative situations. Specific and individualized needs.

Protective Factors
Five protective factors that reduce the likelihood of child abuse occurring are:
1. Extracurricular activities:
Having community based activities for children and youth to be involved in may reduce the likelihood of child abuse occurring. The main reason is because the youth is spending their spare time in a positive and healthy environment in which they can build upon life skills, hobbies, interests all while being involved with positive leaders and role models and in the hopes of building positive friendships along the way.
2. Concrete supports in times of need:
Activities that assist families in times of need have the ability to reduce social isolation and provide the necessary information, referrals and supports for families to access community resources. The most important thing is that the community is open and willing to help families and individuals.
3. Social Connections:
If communities have opportunities for families and children to interact with one another it allows them the chance to engage with one another in socially