CHILDHOOD PAIN: THE TRUTH ON CHILD ABUSE 1
Childhood Pains: The Truth on Child Abuse
TeErica McClain
Liberty University
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Abstract
When you think of how a person childhood should be, you will think of carefree, playing in the
sun, and not having a care in the world. However, everyone childhood does end up being peachy
and full of rainbow. Some people have things happen in there left that makes them mature faster
or go into a shell. One factor that change someone’s childhood, personality, and mood is Child
Abuse. Child Abuse is a major human service issue in today society. In the United States, there is
a report of a child being abused every 10 seconds. Child abuse is any mistreatment to a child that
cause harm to physically or mentally in any shape or form. When a child is abused verbal,
physically or mentally they can develop many psychological illnesses, and turn to other factors
to relieve their pain. The abuse can come from a stranger or from parents that can cause tension
in the family home. Many former victims tend to become abusers themselves due to lack of
healing and acceptance of what has occurred to them. However, if the treatment is prescribed the
victim can overcome the many challenges, they face within themselves.
Keywords: child abuse, childhood, mentally, family
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Childhood Pain: The Truth on Child Abuse
The transition a child must endure when going through a traumatic experience is difficult.
Child abuse can be caused by so many factors like early exposure to porn, alcohol, etc. However,
any abuse to a child in any shape or form is not right because they are blessing from god. When a
child is abuse it affects a them mentally, spiritually, physically, and emotionally. It can cause
them to act out of character that in return can affect the parents and peers as well. Child abuse is
not all broken bones and bruises; it is verbal remarks, bullying, and emotionally neglect as well.
Child Abuse Affects the Mental Space
Child abuse is an experience that can affect an individual childhood, as well the physical
and psychological injuries often extend into adulthood if not healed. Childhood is a time to grow,
developed and figure out who you really are in. However, when a person’s childhood is tainted in
a toxic way, it can change the way someone looks at life. A person can develop psychological
issues due to the hurt, for example PSB. PSB stands for Problem Sexualized Behaviors, which
are inappropriate sexual behaviors that adolescents engage in (Dillard, Jack, Showwalter, Wolf,
Letson et al.,2019. Pg 2). When children are abuse it messes up their mind and they tend to
wonder is this how this suppose to be.
When we are younger, we are learning a lot of things from our family, peers, and
environment that is helping become who we think we want to be. When a person engages in
inappropriate sexual behaviors, it can potentially lead them to jail. When watching R. Kelly
interview, he explained that the reasons he raped those little girls was because his big sister used
to do it to him. Did you know that “Fifty-nine percent of offenders in their data had themselves
been sexually victimized as children (itself evidence of con-tinuity in these behaviors” (Drury,
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Elbert, DeLisi et al., 2019. Pg 1)? This shows that the trauma caused something to happen to
them mentally that made them want others to see how they felt. Victims can develop sexual
aggression, in which it gives them joy to see someone in distress. “Additionally, female victims
of CSA were .52 times less likely to engage in violent and delinquent behavior compared to their
male counterparts” (Kozak, Gushwa, Cadet et al., 2018. Pg 1).
Lastly, it can cause a person to be embarrassed about the situation and cause them to
blame themselves. When an individual is raped or abuse, they tend to think that somehow, they
played a part in it. This is what cause them to look for an outlet to get rid of the pain, the
memories, or the guilt. When asked “10% of females and 7% of males reported child sexual
abuse and explained how the substance abuse increased when they were younger, but lessen over
time” (Scheidell et al., 2017). Victims can turn to cutting themselves or killing themselves if
they feel like people are judging them, blaming them, or in a depression state. When a person
doesn’t heal from the trauma, it can cause them to go down a dark past that could not recovery
from. For example, they can turn to other suitors to help them get over the pain due to them
being in a vulnerable state. Friends, family, and suitors can take advantage which can lead the in
a darker depression. They could get raped or abuse again by someone they know or a stranger.
One of the main that could happen is Date rape. Date rape is a subset of acquaintance rape where
nonconsensual sex occurs between two people who are in a romantic relationship” (Rickert, V.,
& Wiemann, C., 1998 pg.1). This could happen, and they make think it’s fine because they have
left self esteem about themselves.
Healing Path Outcome
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Trauma prevention plans should be designed and brought to awareness of individuals, so
that it can heal the victim before the darkness takes over. When we are going through challenges,
we can never see the light at the end of the tunnel, but we must have faith. After healing has
taken place, it can cause a lot of growth for the victim. They are more cautious and know what
signs show that someone is getting abused, or that someone is going to try to hurt them again.
Also, they can share their story to help other individuals that are going through or has went
through child abuse to get over the trauma. Long lasting effects of child abuse can cause them to
end up being the abusers to others, withdraw towards other, etc.
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Conclusion:
The growth period between toddler to adolescent is very critical to the growth
development.
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disclosures of youth with problem sexualized ... Retrieved from
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014521341830440X
Drury, A. J., Elbert, M. J., & DeLisi, M. (2019, September). Childhood sexual abuse is
significantly associated with ... Retrieved from
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0145213419302121
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