Patterns and Effects of Child Abuse: Healing Our Children's Wounds

Nico Riley, Yahoo! Contributor Network
Jan 2, 2007 "Share your voice on Yahoo! websites. Start Here."

Over the years, child abuse has become a steadily recurring problem. Not only does child abuse affect society, it affects children all across the United States physically, emotionally, sexually, and mentally. Everyday children are suffering the harmful effects of abuse which is often inflicted upon them by members of their own families. Sadly, as children are seeking the love and protection they deserve, they are often becoming the victims of abuse and neglect. It's a shame that over 3 million children are abused or neglected in the U.S. alone (Vachss, p.2). We cannot allow our children to become endangered species. It's time to take a hard look at how children are being treated and step forward to fight these crimes being committed against them. Children are suffering long term consequences such as emotional, mental, and physical scarring as a result of the abuse and neglect being inflicted upon them.

The four main types of child abuse are physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and child neglect. Physical abuse is defined as the infliction of physical injury such as hitting, biting, kicking, punching, burning, or physically harming a child in any way (Santrock, p. 271). In some cases, physical abuse may be unintended as a result of physical punishment being taken too far. No matter the intention of physical abuse, it can result in long term injury and even death. Children who are physically abused can suffer fractured bones, bruising, scarring, and brain injuries. Many children who suffer this type of abuse have serious physical and psychological consequences concerning their health and well-being.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, "sexual abuse occurs when a child is engaged in sexual activities that he or she cannot comprehend, for which he or she is developmentally unprepared and cannot give consent, and/or violate the law or social taboos of society" (p. 507). These activities can include all forms of oral-genital, genital, or anal contact. It also includes exposing the child to pornographic materials, using the child in child pornography or prostitution, exhibitionism, or voyeurism. Many experts believe that this type of abuse is the most underreported type of child abuse Santrock, p.272). Some reasons for this are children being too ashamed to tell what is happening to them or children simply being too frightened to tell anyone else what's happening to them due to be threatened by their abuser or fear that they won't be believed or will be considered a bad child. In some instances when children have come forward with sexual abuse allegations, their abusers aren't prosecuted due to lack of physical evidence or otherwise being unable to prove that the abuse ever occurred.

Santrock defines emotional abuse as "acts or omissions by parents or other caregivers that have caused, or could cause, serious behavioral, cognitive, or emotional problems (Wark, Krusek, & Boley, 2003, p.272). Examples of this type of abuse would be any type of verbal abuse that belittles or rejects the child. Emotional abuse can also be using unusual types of punishment on a child such as locking them in dark rooms or doing things to purposely instill fear in a child. This type of abuse can be hard to prove since there isn't always clear evidence that it's happening.

Child neglect is the failure to provide the child's basic needs. This type of abuse can be physical, educational, or emotional (Santrock, p.271). Types of physical neglect are failing to seek adequate health care for the child or abandonment. Educational neglect includes allowing frequent truancy, not enrolling a child in school, or failing to get special education for children who need it. Emotional neglect includes not meeting the child's emotional needs for love, care, attention, and overall affection. It can also include parents allowing children to consume drugs and alcohol (Santrock, p.272).

Although the different types of child abuse can be individually defined, it's not uncommon for a child to be a victim of more than one types of abuse. No form of child abuse should be taken lightly. Children who suffer or have suffered from abuse need therapy and emotional support. It's important for abused children to seek help from a pediatrician as well as a mental health professional in order to provide the needed treatment and support. Some children may harbor negative feelings because they were abused and even carry the cycles and patterns of abuse with them into their own adult lives and become abusers themselves. That's why proper treatment and interaction is so vital. Not only does it help save the live of the current victim, it may very well prevent the abuse of possible future victims.

Child abuse is a crime that everyone needs to fight back against. It is time to do all we can as parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, childcare providers, and anyone else who wants to guarantee the safety and security of children everywhere. Family is the first line of defense against the production of violent criminals. Families and society as a whole should work together to ensure that children aren't being abused. It's important to keep our eyes and ears open to possible cases of abuse and report them. It's also extremely important to listen to children who have the courage to speak up and tell they are being abused. A child's voice is as important as anyone else's and children have a right to be heard. Far too often their cries for help have gone unanswered, allowing patterns of abuse to continue. Some changes need to be made in the legal system to make child abusers fear the consequences. Harsher penalties should be inflicted upon those who abuse and mistreat children. This nation needs to be informed and fed up with the abuse of its children in order to protect them from horrible crimes of abuse.

"We humans have been on the planet a long time. If we forget where we come from, if we forget our own children, then our evolution is not "in progress"-it is finished" (Vachss, p.4).

Sources Cited

Kellogg, Nancy, MD; and the Committee on Child Abuse and Neglect (2005). New Roman" size="3">Pediatrics. American Academy of Pediatrics.Santrock, J.W. (2006). Life Span Development, 10^th ed. University of Texas at Dallas: McGraw-Hill. Vachss, Andrew (1998). Our Endangered Species: "A Hard Look at How We TreatChildren." Parade Magazine.

Published by Nico Riley

Riley is a 27 year old writer who resides in Chicago, IL. Her interests include traveling, poetry, reading, music, and art. View profile

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Patterns and Effects of Child Abuse: Healing Our Children's Wounds

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