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Research Paper: Child Abuse
Children are the most vulnerable individuals in our society, putting them at high risk for
many types of abuse and neglect. Child abuse is something that can occur in all walks of life and
many times the warning signs are vague or not seen. Child abuse can occur in any culture, race,
financial situation, and/or background. Abuse in children can happen in different forms
including, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and/or child neglect. Physical abuse
can include slapping, hitting, kicking, burning, shoving, shaking, and/or any other violent or
aggressive behavior that can hurt a child. While physical abuse is done intentionally and in an
aggressive manner, there are not always physical marks left on the child. Sexual abuse can
include inappropriate physical activities from abuse ranging from sex trafficking to non-contact
abuse such as exposure of the child. Emotional abuse is often seen as persistent yelling, insults,
swearing, and manipulation of the child. Neglect is seen when a parent, guardian, and/or
caretaker of a child is not meeting the child’s basic needs. Physically, this can be providing
things such as clothing, food, shelter for the child. In addition to meeting a child’s physical needs
they must also have their social and emotional needs met, such as being enrolled and attending
school and receiving medical care.
“Child maltreatment through physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, and
exposure to domestic violence, causes substantial adverse health, educational and behavioral
consequences through the lifespan.”0(Mathews B, Pacella R, Dunne MP, Simunovic M, Marston
C., 2020) All forms of child abuse can have negative effects on the child’s emotional, physical,
and psychological well-being. Children respond differently to abuse and how a child is impacted
can depend on many factors such as the type of abuse endured, time frame of the abuse, and the
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severity of abuse. Children that experience abuse may act out in a cry for help by acting
inappropriately, showing aggression, becoming socially withdrawn, and/or having a difficult time
building and maintaining relationships. Many times, children will develop a low self-esteem,
anxiety, and/or depression. Children who have experienced abuse can have academic challenges
and difficulty learning due to their cognitive development being affected. Often times, when a
child has been abused they have a difficult time trusting individual’s, especially caregivers and/or
authority figures in their lives.
“Childhood abuse increases the risk of the development of depression in adulthood.” (Lee
JY, Stewart R, Kang HJ, Kim JW, Jhon M, Kim SW, Shin IS, Kim JM., 2022) The negative
effects of child abuse do not end when a child becomes an adult, unfortunately many of them can
carry over into adulthood. Children who were abused are at an increased risk of substance abuse
that can lead to addiction. When children grow up being abused there is also an increased risk of
history repeating itself and the abused individual abusing others. “Child abuse has been
demonstrated to have long-term negative effects on mental and social functioning.” (Pagorek
Eshel, S., Alnabilsy, R., & Elias, H., 2022)
“The number of child abuse cases is increasing worldwide; therefore, it is important to
educate individuals having contact with children about it.” (Ayman M. Sulimany,0Abdulaziz
Alsamhan,0Abdulrahman Awwad Alawwad,0Mohammad Aqueel,0Nawaf Alzaid,0Omar A.
Bawazir,0Hebah M. Hamdan,02021) As mentioned in the beginning of this paper, child abuse can
occur with little to no warning signs. As adults, and human services professionals it is our duty to
report and follow the correct procedures for any suspected or known child abuse. By recognizing
child abuse and following the proper procedures you are helping a child that may be in harms
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way or even saving their life. Once child abuse is founded, the work does not stop there. The
child should begin receiving supportive interventions to allow them to process and work through
the trauma they endured. The child may attend therapy and/or counseling sessions and any
needed legal measures can address the abuse. Supportive interventions are important for the
abused child so they are able to move forward and begin the healing process.
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References
Mathews B, Pacella R, Dunne MP, Simunovic M, Marston C. (January 28,2020). Improving
measurement of child abuse and neglect: A systematic review and analysis of national prevalence
studies. PLoS doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0227884. PMID: 31990913; PMCID: PMC6986759.
Pagorek Eshel, S., Alnabilsy, R., & Elias, H. (2022). The role of exposure to child abuse, social
exclusion, and discrimination in predicting posttraumatic symptoms and resilience among young
Arab women in Israel.0American Journal of Orthopsychiatry.,092(6), 731–740.
https://doi.org/10.1037/ort0000649
Lee JY, Stewart R, Kang HJ, Kim JW, Jhon M, Kim SW, Shin IS, Kim JM. (2022). (Childhood
Abuse, Social Support, and Long-Term Pharmacological Treatment Outcomes in Patients With
Depressive Disorders. Front Psychiatry. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.803639
Ayman M. Sulimany,0Abdulaziz Alsamhan,0Abdulrahman Awwad Alawwad,0Mohammad
Aqueel,0Nawaf Alzaid,0Omar A. Bawazir,0Hebah M. Hamdan,0(2021). Knowledge Levels and
Educational Experiences among Dental Graduates in Saudi Arabia Regarding Child Abuse and
Neglect: A National Study, Children, 10.3390/children8090724
