Maria, Please assist me with revising or editing my paper

Running head: IS POVERTY A PREDICTOR OF CHILD ABUSE

1

IS POVERTY A PREDICTOR OF CHILD ABUSE

2

Child Abuse

Students Name

Institutional Affiliation

Child Abuse

Introduction

The World Health Organization estimates that almost three in four children-or 300 million children aged 2–4 years are routinely subjected to physical violence and psychological harassment at the hands of either their parents and caregivers. The organization adds that one in five women and one in 13 men reported having been sexually assaulted as a child aged 0-17. There are now around 120 million girls and young women below 20 who have had unwanted sexual intercourse. It is also estimated that 40 to150 deaths per year are recorded in children under 18 years of age, some of which are believed to be attributed to child maltreatment. This figure almost definitely underestimates the true magnitude of the epidemic, as a large proportion of child abuse fatalities are wrongly attributed to slips, fires, and drowning. Effects of childhood maltreatment include compromised lifetime physical and mental wellbeing, and social and workplace implications will potentially slow down economic and social growth in the nation. A mistreated child is far more inclined to harass people as an adult. Such aggression is carried on across one generation to the next (WHO, 2020).

Child abuse is the exploitation and neglect of children under the age of 18. It encompasses all types of physical and emotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse, negligence, mismanagement, and commercial or other violence that result in severe or potential harm to the individual's wellbeing, wellbeing, survival, development, or integrity of the child in the context of care, confidence, or power. Preventing childhood maltreatment before it begins is feasible and requires a multi-pectoral solution. Practical prevention approaches include helping parents and teaching healthy parenting habits, and strengthening laws that prohibit coercive punishment. Continuing caring for children and families can reduce the possibility of repeated maltreatment and decrease the occurrence of maltreatment (WHO, 2020).

Types of Child Abuse

Neglect

Neglect is the most prevalent type of recorded neglect and the most common cause of death for neglected children. The Office for Child Abuse and Neglect characterized neglect as failure to meet the child's fundamental physical, social, educational, and cognitive or medical needs. Physical negligence is the inability to provide sufficient food, clothes, shelter, sanitation, safety, or supervision. Failure to provide caring, comfort, empathy, social assistance, or treatment when appropriate is emotional negligence. Medical negligence is a pause in or failure to obtain medical attention, resulting in harm to the infant's wellbeing (McDonald, 2007).

Emotional Abuse

Emotional abuse outcomes in identifiable damages, such as disrupted psychological growth and infant development. Several subtypes of emotional violence include alienation, loneliness, terror, denial, psychological disponibility, exploitation, and the child's inadequate desires or demands. Behavioral patterns that may raise concerns about the risk of emotional violence include social isolation, extreme frustration or hostility, eating disorders, inability to succeed, developmental delay, and emotional disruptions. In certain places, the vulnerability to intimate partner abuse at home has also been deemed a cause of emotional damage to the child (McDonald, 2007).

Physical Abuse

Child physical assault is a child's non-accidental disability. Many jurisdictions apply other criteria to the legal description, such as the age of the abuser and the severity of the injuries. Injuries cause cuts and bruises, blunt force trauma, fracturing, head injuries, trembling, burns, and poisoning. Data on the frequency of child physical abuse (CPA) in the United States was collected from child protection agencies and nationwide surveys. These statistics show that almost 3 million children remain exploited and abandoned last year. Approximately 25% of those identified for suspected assault are prosecuted for physical abuse. The National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect (NCCAN) published a series of National Incidence Studies on Child Abuse and Neglected by assessing clinical monitoring standards. They observed that about 2.3/1000 children were physically assaulted. The 1995 Gallup poll approximated the CPA rate to be 49/1000 children, more than five times the NCCAN survey (Swenson, 2007).

Sexual abuse

Child sexual assault is characterized both scientifically and legally. Legally, child welfare and criminal legislation are in place. Federal child welfare legislation recognizes sexual harassment and exploitation to be a subsection of child abuse. Sexual assault can be defined as the work, use, manipulation, incitement, enticement, or intimidation of any child to participate in or assist any other person to engage in any sexually explicit activity or imitation of such behavior to create a visual representation of such conduct; or rape, harassment, adultery or other means of sexual exploitation of children or incest with children (McDonald, 2007).

Effects of Child Abuse

Children may experience a range of emotional, psychological and physical problems as a result of being harmed. These include low self-esteem, increased fear, guilt and self-blame, and distrust of adults. Children may also suffer from eating disorders, physical injuries, and death problems. Children subjected to violence and neglect are more likely to experience unsafe or disorganized attachment issues with their primary caregiver. Insecure attachments change the usual child development process. They can seriously impair a child's ability to connect and interact with others. Child abuse is associated with problematic peer relationships in childhood and adolescence. Strong partnerships have also been established between child maltreatment and learning disabilities, and low academic performance. Abuse and neglect in early life can significantly impact the developmental capacity of children, especially in crucial areas of speech and speech. Maltreated children have less educational attainment than other classes of children (CFCA, 2014).

Treatment

Treatment of child abuse and neglect depends on the extent of the abuse. Priority is given to providing a secure atmosphere for the child, including calling social workers or law enforcement agencies so that the child can be transported to a secure location where they feel safe. Once the infant is healthy, mental health providers and the psychiatrist can find a suitable treatment form. Therapy can help children understand their thoughts and emotions to learn how to deal with the consequences of violence. There are various forms of counseling available. Developmental therapy, to begin with, is a form of therapy that deals with how the infant develops and how the growth has been altered or blocked by trauma. Interpersonal therapy is a form of therapy that relates to how trauma has affected the infant's relationship. Also, cognitive and behavioral therapy deals with how battered children's emotions and thoughts have affected their behavior.

Treatment activities can also concentrate on stopping child abuse and neglect from recurring. Federal, state, and municipal governments will assist with these efforts. Helping parents and children build closer relationships and informing parents of effective parenting strategies. They will also help by teaching parents to be emotionally supportive and assist those who may suffer. They can also help to build closer relationships and mutual ties. It is also imperative to teach children how to have more vital social and emotional skills.

Solutions

Raise Awareness by Educating people about the realities of domestic abuse and violence. It can be done in workplaces, churches, schools, Adverts on social media, or Campaigns organized by Civil Society group and Governments. That helps to pass knowledge on Child Abuse, and Those Educated will be Advocates of Fighting Child Abuses. Documentation is also crucial. If one suspects child abuse being administered to a child, one should document what they see, location, date, and time. The benefits of filing a report to the relevant authorities. Documentation should be done in a non-biased manner and be factual hence helping to protect a child. One should try to understand His/her child and learn how children behave and what they can do at different ages. One should have a realistic expectation and reasonable if a child fell short (CDC, 2020).

It is also critical to choose the words that we tell children. Punishing or Angry language can leave profound emotional scars in a child for a lifetime and affect them mentally. Taking a Time Out by Stopping if you begin to act out frustrations or other emotions physically. Try finding some help from someone or calling a Child Abuse Prevention hotline if you are worried about causing harm to your child. Parents need to support Children. Children are great imitators. They frequently model what they learn and experience from the adults in their lives. A child's most significant role model is often the parent; hence, they may imitate what they see or hear what their parents are doing to say in their adult life with their spouses or partners, hence needing counseling, support, and service to children (CDC, 2020).

Recommendations

Social attitudes must change as we teach children about dangers they may face. Parents and other family members can help reduce child abuse by giving children space to talk freely. Law should be stringent and strict about child abuse, and Governments, NGOs, and international organizations can work together to understand the context of abuse, identify signs of abuse and provide sensitive and emphatic care. Creation of a suitable environment for children to live freely. Awareness at various levels starting from the family to schools, and Parents should make a positive environment where they can understand their children and discuss problems without any hesitation.

Conclusion

A child is an individual who is 18 years and below. Child abuse has been a persistent problem that is experienced not only locally but also globally. Child abuse is the exploitation and neglect of children under the age of 18. It encompasses all types of physical and emotional ill-treatment and sexual abuse. The management of child abuse can be complicated and often require a multidisciplinary approach. Counseling services for the child and the caregivers should form part of the management regime. Therapy can help children understand their thoughts and emotions to learn how to deal with the consequences of violence. Identifying child abuse cases earlier helps ensure that children do not grow up to mistreat other people since they were raised in an environment that majorly consisted of violence.

References

Child abuse and neglect treatment | Pediatrics. (2018). Retrieved from https://intermountainhealthcare.org/services/pediatrics/services/child-protection-and-family-health/child-abuse-and-neglect-treatment/

Child Family Community Australia. (2014). Effects of child abuse and neglect for children and adolescents. Retrieved from https://aifs.gov.au/cfca/publications/effects-child-abuse-and-neglect-children-and-adolescents

McDonald, K. C. (2007, January). Child abuse: Approach and management. Retrieved from https://www.aafp.org/afp/2007/0115/p221.html

Swenson, C. C. (2007). Encyclopedia of stress (2nd ed.). Academic Press.

World Health Organization. (2020). Child maltreatment. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/child-maltreatment