Child Abuse

Child Abuse and Neglect

Child abuse and neglect are a growing national problem that affect all segments of the population. Child abuse may be a single incident, such as a parent burning a child's hand to "teach" the child not to touch something. Or, abuse may be a pattern of behavior, such as incest occurring over a number of years, or parents' continued failure to provide adequate food, clothing, or medical attention for a child even though they have the resources to do so. Whether the abuse happens once or multiple times, it results in harm to a child. Often the harm is easy to see: burns, bruises, or broken bones. Sometimes the harm is hidden: emotional damage, fear, anger, and the inability to trust.

Public Law 100-294 (reauthorized by the Child Abuse, Domestic Violence, Adoption and Family Service act of 1992, Public Law 102-295) defines child abuse and neglect as the "physical or mental injury, sexual abuse or exploitation, negligent treatment, or maltreatment

* Of a child under the age of 18, or except in the case of sexual abuse, the age specified by the child protection law of the State

* By a person (including any employee of a residential facility or any staff person providing out-of-home care) who is responsible for the child's welfare [or any other person known or unknown to the child]

* Under circumstances which indicated that the child's health or welfare is harmed or threatened... (H.R. 1900)

Physical abuse is characterized by the infliction of physical injury as a result of punching, beating, kicking, biting, burning, shaking or otherwise harming a child (Koralek, 3). Young children frequently fall down and bump into things, causing injuries to their elbows, chins, noses, foreheads, and other bony areas. If a child has bruises and marks on the soft tissue of the face, back, neck, buttocks, arms, legs, or genitals, they may have been caused by physical abuse (Child Abuse Indicators). Abusive parents may try to conceal the evidence of their abuse by dressing their children in long sleeves or long pants, even when the weather is warm. A child, who has several bruises, each a different color, may have been hurt on several occasions. Injuries to a child's abdomen or head, two vulnerable spots, are often hard to detect unless there have been internal injuries. Injuries to the abdomen may cause swelling, tenderness, and vomiting. Head injuries may cause swelling, dizziness, blackouts, or death (Child Abuse Indicators).

A child victim of physical abuse may exhibit certain behavioral indicators. Many child victims seem frightened or cower when an adult approaches. They may also inflict pain on themselves or others. Victims sometimes seem withdrawn or unconfident and are easily frightened by sudden movements or loud noises (Kraizer). Hypervigilance is another sign abuse. A child is unable to concentrate on anything because they are always nervously looking around. Hypervigilance can signify abuse if children are routinely hit for no reason, but also if children often witness frightening events (Berger, 209).

The National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect defines child sexual assault as: "Contacts or interactions between a child and an adult when the child is being used for sexual stimulation of the perpetrator or another person when the perpetrator or another person is in a position of power or control over the victim." All sexual activity between an offender and a child is considered sexual maltreatment. Free consent is considered impossible for children or young adolescents to give. They have little understanding of the implications of sexual activity, and are physically weaker than and psychologically dependent on adults.

Research began exposing sexual abuse of children as a problem of sizable proportions in the late 1960s and early l970s (Watson, 30-36). Finkelhor conducted the first national telephone survey of men and women. Of the 2,626 Americans questioned regarding prior sexual abuse, victimization was reported by 27 percent of the women and 16 percent of the men. One of the major findings was that many of those who were victims never told of their experiences to anyone. Of those participants who confirmed sexual abuse, 42 percent of the women and 33 percent of the men acknowledged never having told (Finkelhor, 14, 19-28).

Children may be sexually abused by parents, family members, neighbors, friends, or a care giver. Most often, sexual abusers know the child they abuse but are not relatives. In fact, about 60% of perpetrators are non-relative acquaintances, such as a friend of the family, babysitter, or neighbor. About 30% of those who sexually abuse children are relatives of the child, such as fathers, uncles, or cousins. Strangers are perpetrators in about 10% of child sexual abuse cases (Whealin). Often times the perpetrator will take advantage of a young child's fears by threatening to hurt the child's parents or telling the child that monsters will come after them. A child who knows and cares for the abuser becomes trapped between affection and loyalty for the person, and the sense that the activities are wrong. If the child tries to break away from the relationship, the abuser may threaten violence or loss of love. When sexual abuse occurs within the family, the child may fear the anger, jealousy or shame of other family members, or be afraid the family will break up if the secret is told (Newton).

Sexual victimization often begins in early childhood, with parental fondling, explicit nudity, or suggestive comments. Overall sexual abuse typically begins in puberty. Adolescent girls are prime targets for victimization by fathers, male relatives, family friends, and adolescent males. Adolescent boys can also be victims of sexual abuse and often suffer more than girls. A molested boy is likely to feel shame at being weak and unable to defend himself. An estimated 30 to 50 percent of child molesters are men who had been abused as children (Berger, 354).

Physical indicators of sexual abuse include torn, stained, or bloody underclothes, bruises or bleeding around the genitalia, pain when walking or sitting, and scratching of the genital area (Child Abuse & Neglect). There are also behavioral indicators of sexual abuse. Children may act out their abuse using dolls, or might talk with others about sexual acts. Premature sexual knowledge is often an indicator that a child has been involved in or exposed to sexual activities. Some children who have been sexually abused are very afraid of specific places, such as bathrooms or beds, because similar places were the site of their abuse. (Bagley, 13, 31-49)

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