The Causes and Effects of Child Abuse: Physical, Emotional, and Sexual

Child abuse is a very sad thing to hear about but unfortunately it happens more often then most people know. There are all kinds of child abuse such as physical, mental, emotional, and sexual. I know more about physical and emotional abuse than anything else and there are many causes and effects of child abuse. I have first hand experience and I have known people who have been abused before. There are also different groups of children that are more prone to abuse such as children who have mental or physical illnesses or handicaps. Also children who are very poor can be targeted for child abuse of one form or other such as the Bacha Bazi Boys of Afghanistan who are sold to wealthy business men just so their families have money to eat. They are then taught to dance and sing and then they are continuously raped by the highest bidder at the party.

There are books and stories from people who were abused out there including the books by Dave Pelzer who tells the story of how he grew up and how he survived the abuse. He was one of the most abused children in the world, his mother even tried to burn him on the stovetop. In an newspaper article written by Kim Archer in the Tulsa World, ChildHelp a national non-profit organization claims, "In the U.S., some 3.2 million reports of child abuse are made each year, typically involving 6 million children."(A9). However usually we only need toturn on the television or open a newspaper to hear the horrific stories of children who's childhood gets ripped away from them.

There are many causes of child abuse however I do not believe that any of them are any excuse for the torture abused children experience. It seems that most people who abuse their children or children of others were abused themselves as children. When a child is taught to lash out at other people with violence it tends to stick and instead of making themselves better people they continue the cycle. Drug and alcohol abuse also seem to be a common factor in child abuse cases, people who abuse drugs often are not in control of themselves therefore how can they be in control of a child. The parent may abuse drugs or alcohol to numb themselves from the pain in their lives and in the end the child is the one that pays the price.

A lot of people also think that socioeconomic status makes a difference as well. Most child abuse cases that we hear about are about lower class individuals .They have nothing to live for and usually are extremely stressed out because of a lack of a job or because they are working multiple jobs. Therefore they end up lashing out at the child because of their high level of stress. There are high class individuals that do abuse their children however we don't hear as much about those cases because those people have a greater hold on society and therefore can keep certain things from the public eye. I also think that it is more common in families where there are problems between the parents of the child. Once again probably due to the stress of the marriage and sometimes the abuse is not just directed to the child, but children are the easy target because they are innocent and can not defend themselves. There may be causes to child abuse but there are also effects and I believe the effects are greater than the causes.

I myself was abused as a baby by my biological father. I was too young to recall anything that happened but I do believe it had a great effect on my life. My biological parents lived under a bridge, he was in his 40s and she was in her teens. He would sit above me as I slept and would burn me with his cigarettes over and over again. I was told by my adoptive mother that I was completely covered in burns. I also ended up with black and decayed teeth because I was so badly malnourished. I may not remember what happened to me but I do think that it has created fears that I still have to this day. A body never forgets the torture it has endured no matter how old or young we are. I am afraid of things hanging over my head and I am afraid of abandonment even though I know my family will never leave me. I know if I had been older it would of effected me more which I can be glad didn't happen. Children who are abused are often like animals who were abused they become withdrawn and afraid. They will do anything they can to survive including lash back out in violence to protect themselves.

Of course serious injury can occur such as the loss of a body part or mental damage from shaking or hitting an infant and of course death can occur. According to prominent forensic pathologist and human rights activist Robert Kirschner, "Approximately two thousand such fatalities occur annually, 90% in children under the age of 5, and 41% among infants"(248). Children may have trouble in school or may have trouble trusting people. Depression and anxiety are also a problem and suicide is often the only option an abused child may think they have if they are old enough to comprehend it. In a 2009 Journal article Professor of Psychiatry D.J. Kolko remarks, "The long term effects of physical abuse are an increased risk of violent, crime, conduct disorders, antisocial behavior, suicide attempts, depressive disorders and alcohol problems."(Christofferson and DePanfilis 25) .Children themselves may also think that drug and alcohol abuse may be the only option for escape being that both alcohol and drugs can numb the pain.

Abused children often never have anyone to talk to about the abuse and abused children are often silent to anyone. They may be afraid of losing a parent because strangely enough it seems that a lot of abused children still love their abuser and often can even forgive them. I myself have not really forgiven my abuser but I have gotten past it. I have moved on with my life and do no use it as an excuse to be a bad human being. I was one of the lucky ones that never had to really "experience" it as most abused children do but that doesn't mean it left me scar-less. There are many effects because of child abuse but there are always ways to end the problem.

Child abuse is a horrible problem we hear about it all the time and it happens all over the world. In the U.S. News and World Report Robert J. Shapiro and Joseph P. Shapiro correspond, "California is setting up a statewide directory to identify children at risk. But nationwide, as many of half the children who died had been previously identified by child-protection agencies as victims of abuse." (35). If we worked harder on teaching people how to parent better or had better drug prevention programs the rate of child abuse may lessen. Of course classes and child protection programs do cost money and according to Robert J. Shapiro and Joseph P. Shaprio, " Strapped for funds and swamped by a growing case load that topped 1.1 million last year, agencies often cannot follow up on the reports." (35). There are also other efforts taking place to help stop child abuse as outlined in the Tulsa World in an article written by world staff writer Kim Archer. The article states that if they make "child-abuse pediatrics a medical subspecialty" that it will be easier to do more research in the research in the field and testify in court, they want to "bring a higher level of correct science to the judicial system." (A9) Children need someone to support them. Weather it be another family member, social worker, or even a total stranger from a program such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, they need someone in their lives they can trust. If they have someone to talk to they will be much more likely to get past the abuse they have endured. They will know that someone does love them and that they are worthwhile and have something to contribute to the world. In the end all the abused child can do is decide to be better than the abuser and grow as a person to end the cycle of child abuse.

Works Cited

Archer, Kim. "Local Doctor Behind New Child-Abuse Subspecialty." Tulsa World. [Tulsa] 19 Aug. 2009, A.9. Print

Helfer, E Ray and Kempe, S Ruth. The Battered Child. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1987. Print.

Christofferson, Nygaard Mogens and DePanfilis, Diane. Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect and Improvements in Child Development.

Child Abuse Review. 18. 24-40 Print

Shapiro, J Robert and Shapiro, P Joseph. The Epidemic of Child Abuse Turns Deadly; Parents Who Kill Their Kids. U.S. News and World Report. 11, April 1988 35. Print.