How Child Abuse Affects Our Society

Child abuse is one of the plagues on any given society. Sadly, it is present in nearly every, if not every, society. The fact that this plague affects society as a whole cannot be overlooked. There are a number of ways in which our society in America is directly impacted by the presence of this blight. The eradication of such a detriment would greatly improve our society as a whole.

One of the greatest affects of child abuse is its self perpetuation. It is commonly accepted that children that are abused have a greater chance of growing up and abusing their own children. As with so many other bad characteristics in society, this is a hard cycle to break. It takes a distinct and conscientious effort to disrupt the ongoing cycle of abuse. One must decide that they will not follow the pattern of their parents ahead of him. Unfortunately, since abuse is typically a problem among those that are under educated, those that are abused have very little chance of learning other options.

Child abuse also affects our society because it increases the rate of other abuse in the family. It is not uncommon for children who are abused to extend that abuse to other people when they have their own families. It is not surprising that children who are abused believe that such a practice is acceptable. When they have their own children, they believe that it is perfectly acceptable to abuse them, but they also extend that idea to their spouses. If they have become so domineering to abuse one member of the family, then they will not often hesitate to abuse others, thus guaranteeing the continuation of the cycle of abuse for another generation.

Another affect of child abuse on society is the emotional damage that is done to those who are abused. Abuse seems to drive a child to one extreme or the other. Either they become extremely hard, and end up bullying other children, or else they become so down trodden that they are easily taken advantage of by others around them. In the first extreme, children are hardened against the love and affection of others to the point that they are incapable of having serious interpersonal relationships. Their whole existence seems to be centered on dominating any relationship that they enter into. They end up bullying their way in relationships, and through life. The second extreme causes people to be so withdrawn from others that they can hardly function. They are taken advantage of by those around them, from being bullied to being taken advantage of by employers and co-workers later in life. When children do not learn to stand up for themselves, it is easy to develop into adults that also cannot stand up for themselves. When we examine both extremes, it is easy to see that neither is profitable for our society. Though these characteristics can be brought on by other things than abuse, if we can get rid of even a portion of the problem it will serve to improve our society.

One final impact on society is the affect that abuse has had in general on the idea of discipline. Unfortunately, in the minds of many, any kind of physical discipline used to correct children has been equated to physical abuse. The end result has been that many children have grown up without any kind of discipline. This results in children who are unruly and very self-centered. This is of course, a secondary result of abuse, and one that is often overlooked. Parents (as well as those that examine such actions) must distinguish between true and effective discipline and abuse. It has been the practice of some, in an effort to stay as far from abuse as possible, to cease any physical discipline. Many have also striven to make it impossible to others to discipline by calling all physical discipline abuse. A parent who spanks with a controlled hand and a defined purpose of training their child has not abused him, nor done him harm. We as a society cannot allow those who mistreat and abuse children to keep caring and loving parents from disciplining in an effective and legal manner.

One cannot deny that child abuse has serious affects on our society. The sooner this detriment on society is destroyed the better. The only way to accomplish this is to identify the abuse, and deal with it swiftly and systematically. We must also educate those that have been abused, and ingrain in them a better way of life, so that the cycle of abuse may be broken. Abuse can be stopped, if there are enough people willing to put forth the effort.