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Abuse on Mentally Challenged Kids
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Abstract
It is estimated that worldwide- wide up to 20% of children suffer from deliberating
mental illness. Mental disorders that pose a significant concern include learning disorders and
depression. Some of the challenges faced by these kids include sexual abuse, discrimination and
stigma, neglect, and HIV/AIDS. The kids are usually victims of sexual abuse where the
perpetrators are parents, step-parents, relatives, neighbors, and educators. Drawing from the
labeling line theory that mentally retarded have low IQ, the majority of perpetrators tend not to
get arrested because of lack of evidence. Research indicates that educators struggle to identify
the psychological, behavioral, and physical symptoms of sexual abuse owing to their limiting the
research study found that mentally retarded children are prone to HIV/AIDS and feelings of
helplessness owing to the uninvolvement of parents, dysfunctional communities, poverty, and
their inability to differentiate between abuse and affection. Extensive training for professionals,
families, and community members be executed to protect children with intellectual disabilities.
Introduction
Mentally retarded or disabled people generally remain isolated and stigmatized despite
that the fact that everyone regardless of disability, race, culture, and gender, is entitled to fair
treatment and equal opportunities (Burns, 2011; Donohue, Bornman & Granlund, 2014). They
are Accorded far less social status in most societies and their behavior is not tolerated and this
impacts negatively on the mental well-being of their caregivers. For some children, mental
retardation leads them to suffer from depression, psychosis, conduct, or anxiety disorders
because, at school, their educators reject them (Louw & Louw, 2007).
Neglect
Mentally retarded children are recognized as one of the most vulnerable groups in terms
of safeguarding their wellbeing because they trust and rely on their caregivers to be sensitive to
their personal care needs, their health, emotional well-being, and their safety. The neglect is
always easy to identify sometimes. Some of the neglects are; A parent refuses to follow
professional advice which is considered to be in the child’s best interests, for example refusing to
take up services or treatment, pursuing invasive procedures which are unnecessary or carried out
against the child’s will. Failure to meet the communication needs of the child. Some kids are also
denied the success to play and leisure opportunities. Physical interventions are not carried out per
good practice. Misuse of medication. The caregivers fail to follow the doctor’s advice on the use
of medicines given to the kids. This makes them be left out of society.
Some of the reasons why mentally retarded children are more vulnerable to abuse and
neglect are; (1) social isolation with fewer contacts than other children. (2) A need for practical
assistance in daily living, including intimate care. (3) Physical dependence or learning with the
consequent reduction inability to be able to resist or avoid abuse. (4) Communication or learning
difficulties preventing disclosure or making disclosure more difficult. (5) Carers and staff
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lacking the ability to communicate adequately. (6) A lack of continuity of care so behavioral
changes may go unnoticed. (7) Lack of access to keep safe strategies available to others. (8)
Parents' own needs and ways of coping may conflict with the needs of the child. (9) The child is
especially vulnerable to bullying, intimidation, or abuse. (10) Some sex offenders may target
mentally retarded children in the belief that they are less likely to be detected. (11) Over
identification with the needs of parents can lead to a professional reluctance to make judgments
concerning aspects of parenting.
Stigma and Discrimination
Stigma refers to the attitudes and beliefs that motivate individuals to fear to reject and
avoid those who are labeled, diagnosed, or perceived to have mental illnesses. Stigma involves
the relationship between an attribute and stereotyping. Stigmatization of mental learners is fueled
by modified labeling theory. According to this theory, powerful groups in society tend to impose
negative and stereotypical labels on those they perceive as undesirable, and subsequently devalue
and discriminate.
One of the reasons mentally retarded children experience stigma and discrimination is
because of the perceptions prevailing in societies that they are violent and defiant. Some people
believe children with mental health problems are dangerous, when in fact they are at a higher
risk of being attacked or harming themselves than hurting other people. Media reports often link
mental ill health with violence, or portray people with mental health problems as dangerous,
criminal evil, or very disabled and unable to live normal, fulfilled lives.
Stigma leads to negative effects on mentally retarded children. The effects include;
reduced hopes, lower self-esteem, increased psychiatric symptoms. Difficulties with social
relationships, reduced likelihood of staying with treatment, and more difficulties at work.
Sexual Abuse and Exploitation
Sexual abuse includes a very broad range of behaviors that range from exposure of the
genital area, inappropriate fondling, and coercing the child to perform sex acts. Sexually
exploitation includes prostitution, electronically recording, and selling pictures of the child
commercially. 90% of mentally challenged children experience sexual abuse at some point in
their lives. They are victims of rape by the bus drivers who transport them to and from school.
Victims of neglect or maltreatment by their educators (Groce & Trasi, 2004) and physical abuse
in residential care or by their family members. Mentally retarded children face enormous
challenges of sexual abuse because of limited opportunities for sexuality education. The
educators are reported to be central in perpetrating sexual abuse. By their roles and powers
bestowed in them, they let mentally girls do their household chores after school hours and rape
them. Such educators deserve o be stuck off the role should they be found sexually abusing
children.
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Children with mental retardation often lack the skills to make a well-informed decision
regarding sexuality issues. They are often neglected, turned away, or not invited to HIV/AIDS
forums because of the assumption that they are not sexually active. They are at high risk for
sexual exploitation by their neighbors or caregivers since they long for affection and warmth as
opposed to isolation and social exclusion. The superstitions and myths that mentally challenged
children are free from HIV/AIDS to make the reports of sexual abuse cases increase. If the
children are raised by families where parents are not supportive and knowledgeable about family
planning, mentally challenged girls may be pregnant and left without knowing who the father is,
especially when not using birth control methods.
Cultural aspects such as polygamy and gender imbalances fuel sexual abuse of mentally
challenged children. Communities that practice polygamy tend to put the health of intellectually
impaired adolescent females at risk of contracting HIV/AIDS because they are seen as
possessing luck. In one village Phasha and Myaka (2009) found that traditional leaders ordered
their male clients to abduct mentally retarded girls to be financially rich and be respected in the
community.The majority of mentally retarded children face brutal killings from their perpetrators
once they have been sexually abused. A human rights watch (2001) found that some of the
reasons which contribute to the deaths of mentally challenged children are attributable to many
factors, including isolated locations of the institutions and lack of oversight mechanism that
would allow the visitors or staff members to witness the ordeal.
Drugs
Mentally retarded children are sometimes viewed as vessels of drug trafficking. Some
educators take advantage of these children and use them to traffic the drugs since the children
have no idea of what they are. This poses a risk to their lives because when they are caught they
are unable to speak out. After all, the language used by these children is difficult for the
prosecutors to understand. The mentally retarded children who are under the influence of drugs
are susceptible to rape and other atrocities.
Physical Abuse
Physical abuse of a child is defined as inflicting physical injury on a child by hitting,
kicking, punching, beating, throwing, biting, burning, starving, or physically harming a child.
The injury may be a result of one severe incident or cumulative from several injuries. The trauma
can be minor, resulting in bruises and abrasions, or major, with injury to internal organs such as
live or head trauma. Physical abuse also includes the use of torture such as electrical stimulation
with cattle prods, confinement in a coffin, and forcing the child to walk for long distances in the
cold. A mentally challenged child may commit a crime without knowing that it is not right and
the carer or the parent end up physically harming the child.
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Emotional or Psychological Abuse
Emotional abuse is defined as acts or omissions that caused, created, or threatened to
cause serious emotional, cognitive, behavioral, or mental disorders in a child. These acts are
usually made by parents, relatives, or caregivers, although the definition surely does not limit the
actions to only caretaking figures. Mentally challenged children sometimes suffer this
psychological abuse from their parents or caregivers. The child is cursed and name called,
damage derogatory comments are made, humiliated isolated, and rejected since he or she is
unable to make correct decisions on his or her own.
Impact of Abuse on the Mentally Challenged
Aside from the immediate physical injuries, children can experience through
maltreatment, a child’s reaction to abuse or neglect can have lifelong and even intergenerational
impacts. The maltreatment can be linked to later physical, psychological, and behavioral
consequences as well as costs to society as a whole. The outcomes for each child may vary
widely and are affected by a combination of factors, including the child’s age and developmental
status when the maltreatment occurred; the type, frequency, duration, and severity of the
maltreatment; the relationship between the child and the perpetrator.
Physical Health Consequences
Some long-term physical effects of abuse or neglect may occur immediately but others
can take months or years to be detected. Abuse of the mentally challenged has been linked to ho
higher risk for a wide range of long-term health problems. They include (wisdom, Czaja,
Bentley, & johnson, 2012; Monnat & Chander, 2015; Afifi et al, 2016) lung disease,
malnutrition, functional limitation, cancer, bowel disease, and stroke. Abuse and neglect also
have been associated with certain regions of the brain failing to form and grow properly.
Additionally, the type of abuse a child experiences can increase the risk for specific health
conditions. For example, children who experienced neglect are at high risk for diabetes, poorer
lung functioning, and vision and oral health problems. Children who have been physically
abused are at higher risk for diabetes and malnutrition. Children who are victims of sexual abuse
are more likely to contract HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C.
Psychological Consequences
Child abuse and neglect can cause a variety of psychological problems. Maltreatment can
cause victims to feel isolation, fear, and distrust, which can translate to lifelong psychological
consequences that can manifest as educational difficulties, low self-esteem, depression, and
trouble forming and maintaining relationships.
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Experiencing abuse and neglect is a risk factor for depression, anxiety, and other
psychiatric disorders throughout adulthood. Adults with major depression who experienced
abuse as children had poorer response outcomes to antidepressant treatment, especially of abuse
and neglect(Williams, Debattiata, Duchemin, Schatzberg & Nemeroff, 2016).
Children in foster care who have experienced maltreatment followed by disruptions in
early caregiving can develop attachment disorders that can negatively affect a child’s ability to
form positive peer, social, and romantic relationships later in life. Additionally, mentally
challenged children who experience abuse or neglect are more likely to develop antisocial traits
as they grow up, which can lead to criminal behavior in adulthood.
Children who experience abuse or neglect can develop posttraumatic stress disorder,
which is characterized by symptoms such as persistent re-experiencing of the traumatic events
related to the abuse, avoiding people, places, and events that are associated with their
maltreatment; feeling fear, horror, anger, guilt, or shame, startling easily, and exhibiting
hypervigilance, irritability, or other mood changes. Posttraumatic stress disorder in children can
cause depression, suicidal behavior, substance use, and oppositional or defiant behaviors well
into adulthood which can affect their ability to succeed in school, and create and nurture
important relationships.
Behavioral Consequences
Victims of abuse and neglect often exhibit behavioral difficulties even the maltreatment
ends. Mentally challenged children who have been neglected and abused are more likely to
engage in sexual risk-taking as they reach adolescence, including a higher number of sexual
partners, earlier initiation of sexual behavior, and transactional sex, which increases their
chances of contracting a sexually transmitted disease.
Juvenile delinquency leading to adult criminality. Several studies have documented the
correlation between child maltreatment and future juvenile delinquency and criminal activities.
(Herrenkohl, Jung, Lee & Kim, 2007). Children who experience maltreatment in the form of
physical and emotional abuse are more likely to develop antisocial behaviors and form
relationships with other antisocial people (U.S. department of justice, office of justice programs,
national institute of justice,2017). Furthermore, there is a difference between girls and boys in
the way abuse and neglect influence delinquent behavior girls tend to express internalizing
behaviors, for example, depression, social withdrawal, and anxiety while boys tend to express
externalizing behaviors such as bullying, aggression, and hostility leading up to adult criminal
behavior.
Societal Consequences
Although the physical, psychological, and behavioral consequences of abuse and neglect
weigh heavily on the shoulders of the children who experience it, the impact of abuse does not
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end there. Society pays a price for child abuse and neglect in both direct costs like
hospitalization, and foster care payments and indirect costs such as long-term care lost
productivity at school, juvenile and criminal justice systems costs.
Protection Against Abuse on Mentally Challenged Children
Foster care, adoption, and fitness to parents. One remedy to stop abuse and neglect is to
remove the child from the parent’s home and place the child in foster care or kinship care. Some
child protective services handle their foster placement systems, while others contract out to
companies or other agencies who license and coordinate foster parents. While the child is in
foster care, child protective services will provide case plans or treatment plans to the parents,
outlining a list of required services and other mandated actions such as securing safe and suitable
housing. During this time the parents will have scheduled visitation opportunities.
Parents should educate themselves about their child’s disability as well as care for their
mental health and well-being. Connecting parents to services such as social support groups and
respite care may allow them to better understand their own mental and physical well-being and
reduce stress, improve attachment, and reduce the risk of abuse. Examples of general prevention
services to which child welfare professionals can connect families are;(1) Home visiting where
the professional can visit families to provide them support and services in their home. The visitor
partners with the family to access the family’s strengths and needs and enhance protective
factors.
(2) Parenting classes. Given the large presence of children with mental illness involved
with child welfare, general parenting classes should be necessary. The assumption is made that
an abusive parent will commit abuse or fail to prevent it from occurring if that parent does not
know what to expect from a child developmentally. such parents need to be provided with
information on parenting to prevent abuse and neglect. The dads especially need a more hands-
on approach so that they can be told immediately when they are inappropriate or miss the signals
their child is giving them.
(3) support groups. parents can share their experiences in a supportive group setting and
trade information on resources, address issues relate to their children’s mental illness, and create
informal support networks.
Ensure community members are aware of the heightened risk. community members may
not realize that children with mental challenges are at an increased risk for maltreatment or
understand how they can better identify, support, and protect children with mental issues who
have been or are at risk of abuse and neglect. The community should help others see children
with mental illness as valued and unique individuals. Child welfare can counteract negative
attitudes by discussing the strengths of children with mental illness so they can be powerful
advocates for promoting the safety of their children and all children in the community.
Teaching children with mental illness about the risks of abuse and neglect, as well as
improving their ability to advocate for themselves, can help reduce maltreatment among this
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population. Child welfare professionals should try to involve children at risk of abuse in group-
based educational opportunities about abuse and neglect. This could include involving children
in opportunities to learn about their body parts and functions, how to communicate with a trusted
adult if the need arises.
Maximize children’s communication skills and tools. Children may need opportunities to
practice using effective communication skills. Child welfare professionals can model healthy
relationships and positive interactions with other children and adults and encourage others
involved in children’s and the same. Increasing children’s verbal development and
communication skills can help them advocate for their own needs and report abuse if it occurs.
Reduce children’s social isolation. Children with mental illness may have limited
involvement in developmentally appropriate activities that can help reduce social isolation. Child
welfare professionals can help ensure children with mental illness feel welcomed and included in
these activities and throughout their communities. Service providers can work with
multidisciplinary teams of parents, foster parents, educators, and others to identify opportunities
and assist caretakers in enrolling their children inappropriate activities and supporting them as
they form and strengthen relationships with peers and trusted adults.
Communities can also promote a variety of protective factors for children. Protective
factors are conditions or attributes of individuals, families, communities, or society that promote
well-being and reduce the risk for negative outcomes including the long-term consequences.
Children that suffer sexual abuse should be protected by (1) encouraging the educators to
have positive attitudes towards the mentally challenged learners and develop tolerance since this
group of children progress slowly academically, (2) the judiciary system should take into account
the cognitive limitations of the mentally challenged children when detailing their sexual ordeal
than to be intimidated during cross-examination by the perpetrators legal representative and (3)
children with intellectual can be empowered provided a constellation of support is in place
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Conclusion
Children with mental challenges experience a higher rate of abuse and neglect than
normal children. The superstitions that mentally challenged children are always violent and
hostile sometimes makes them be neglected by other people. The theory that the mentally
retarded have low IQ makes them victims of sexual abuse in the community. The perpetrators
tend not to be arrested due to a lack of evidence. The language they use is not understood by
their prosecutors and this makes the case to be dismissed. Due to this reason, the perpetrators
take advantage of them and sexually abuse them.
Abuse and neglect of mentally challenged children may lead to long-term consequences
which may affect him or her even in adulthood. These children suffer from stress, depression,
anxiety, physical consequences like stroke, and others who end up committing suicide. Some
children start using drugs and end up being criminals in society.
It is expected that families will take care of their children until they can take care of
themselves. However, when no one can take care of the mentally disabled children, the
responsibility falls to the child welfares to protect its citizens. When an instance of abuse and
neglect is confirmed, the child welfare may assume responsibility for the child. They develop
networks of support for children and families in the population, identifying and addressing
family strengths and needs so children with mental disabilities can live in safe and supportive
homes.
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References
Jabulani Gilford Kheswa, Mediterranean journal of social sciences5(27);959-965 mentally
challenged children in Africa: victims of sexual abuse.
Child welfare information gateway, (2015) promoting protective factors for victims of child
abuse and neglect.
Lenore E. Walker, David Shapiro, Stephanie Akl, Introduction to forensic science. pp 227-238,
protection of abused children
