Child Abuse

Kimberly Bennett

Psychology

CHILD ABUSE

Child abuse has become an escalating phenomenon that is hurting children from every walk of life, and it seems to be happening with a more intense brutality, now more than ever, children need our help and loving homes to grow in. unfortunately child abuse is on the rise.

Child abuse is not just something that goes away once others find out the abuse been going on or once the child gets taking out of that situation. A child lives with those events that happen to them forever and some just try to suppress the memories of it ever happening to them. The consequences can be extremely harsh and painful. Child abuse victims may go through a healing process, but there is a great chance they may never actually heal from the abuse they went through. Child abuse victims could go to counseling and even take medication but no amount of medication or counseling can make them forget what happened to them. They have to slowly but surely learn that they cannot let hatred consume there lives because it could lead to future violence.

The overall impact of physical and sexual abuse of children has deep emotional and fiscal consequences for society as a whole. The devastating effects of child abuse reach across all areas of our lives, touching families and local communities, health care providers, the criminal justice system, welfare programs, and educational institutions.

I believe that child abuse affects us in an international level as well and we need to stand up as a community, nation and as a society and fight the people that are harming the very livelihood of our youth. As sad as it may sound when I'm going through my daily routine the last thing on my mind is child abuse. I believe we should make awareness a priority in our society.

In the past few years public awareness of and concern about child abuse has increased but more must be done to protect the children both in the United States and around the world.

Being stigmatized through beatings, scapegoating, or sexual abuse makes a child feel shame and guilt, and lowers his or her self esteem (Connelly, 32). The victims' sense of reality about the abuse is distorted for he or she is taught by the abuser that the beatings or sexual encounters are normal (Connelly, 35) Particularly in cases of sexual abuse the adult perpetrator may tell the child that their time together is "special," leaving the victims to wonder why this "special" time feels so bad (Connelly, 32). The child's sense that what he or she is doing is wrong may be exacerbated by the abusers insistence on secrecy, which is usually ensured by threatening the child with greater harm (Connelly, 32).

I think schools and parents should be more educated about this subject matter. Most importantly children should be well educated about this issue as well. By learning about child abuse, what contributes to it, and how deal to with it, children gain valuable knowledge about what to do if they are in an abusive situation during childhood or adolescence. Schools are an important place for children to learn about abuse.

Child abuse is defined as a non accidental act of physical injuries or emotional disturbances that are inflicted onto a child.