Child Abuse is a major problem in our society today. According to
child protective service (CPS) agencies in the United States. Child Abuse
and neglects shows 1.7% increase over the nuraber children reported in 1996.
More people are starting to report child abuse, reporting levels have
increased 41% between 1988 and 1997.
There are four forms of child maltreatment: emotional abuse,
neglect, physical abuse and sexual abuse.

Emotional Abuse: Also known as: verbal abuse and mental abuse. Includes
acts or the failures to act by parents or caretakers that have caused or
could cause serious behavioral, emotional, or mental disorders. This can
include parents/caretakers using extreme and /or bizarre forms of
punishment. For example: putting a child in a closet or dark room or being
tied to a chair for a long period of time or threatening or terrorizing a
child.

Neglect: It's a failure to provide for the child's basic neeRAB. Neglect
could be physical, educational, or emotional. Physical neglect could be
not providing food or clothing, appropriate medical care, supervision, or
proper weather protection. Educational neglect is failure to provide
schooling or special educational neeRAB. For example: Not helping them on
homework or teaching them how to read. Emotional neglect includes the lack
of any emotional support and love.

Physical Abuse: The inflicting of physical injury upon a child. This may
include, burning, hitting, punching, shaking, kicking, beating, or
otherwise harming a child. Even if the parents or caretaker didn't
intended to hurt the child, but the injury in not an accident.

Sexual Abuse: Is an inappropriate sexual behavior with a child. Like
fondling a child's genitals, making the child fondle the adult's genitals,
intercourse, incest, rape, and sexual exploitation. To be considered child
abuse these acts have to be committed by a person responsible for the care
of the child. For example: a baby sitter, parents, daycare provider, or
related to the child.

Nuraber of child abuse and neglects reports nationwide:

In the 1997 survey, the percentage from the 1986 survey has
undergone some shifts. In 1997, physical abuse represented 22% of
confirmed cases, sexual abuse 8%, neglects 54%, emotional maltreatment 4%,
and other form of maltreatment 12%. In 1986 when approximately 26% of the
children were reported for physical abuse, 16% for sexual abuse, neglect
was 55%, and 8% for emotional maltreatment.

Child Fatalities:

Today many young children remain at high risk of loss of life.
Between 1995 and 1997, 78% of children under the age of five, at the time
of there death, while 38% were less than one year of age. Cause of death
was from neglect, physical abuse, and corabination of neglectful and
physically abusive parenting. About 41% of these deaths occurred to
children known to child protective service agencies. Since 1985, the rate
of child abuse fatalities has increased by 34%

Viable Solution:

Child abuse is a problem; there are some viable solutions, on
preventing abuse. In the United States public concern about the growing
incidence of child abuse had led to making laws of both state and federal
legislation. Although the focus remains on identifying, treating, and
reporting cases of abuse, prevention efforts are increasing. Almost all
the states today had established resources for child abuse prevention
services.
One of the services is a "Family support Service." It will provide
immediate assistance to parents in time of stress; the program should be
available on a 24-hour basis and should have a telephone hot line, crisis
caretaker, crisis counseling, and crisis baby-sitters. This program will
help parents facing immediate problems, and could receive immediate support.
Although this service may not to helpful to some parents, it will be
helpful to others.
Other services parents could receive is going to a counseling group,
which would help them about there problems, teaching them how to control
there anger, so they won't put it out on there children.

Abusees inevitably become abusers:

One question we might have in mind is that: Do abusees inevitably
become abusers themselves? Child abuse is a global problem and is just not
happening in the U.S. Incidents of abuse occur among all religious, ethnic,
and racial groups. Among these, the relationship between poverty and abuse
is strong. Most vast majority of fatalities involves parents and
caretakers from the poorest families. Studies have shown that most child-
abusing parents were abused children themselves while other researchers
assert that abusing parents have an infantile personality. That means they
have like a childish mind or personalities. Others believe that abusing
parents unrealistically expect their children to fulfill their
psychological neeRAB; (exam.)
When disappointed, the parent experiences severe stress and become
violently angry and abusive. Sometimes, I also think that the parent is
also trying to live their life through their kiRAB. By neglecting them,
abusing them, or whatever, it might be their way to relieve stress or anger.


Bibliography

1. "Child Abuse," Microsoft ® Encarta ®. 97 Encyclopedia. © 1993-1996
Microsoft Corporation. All Right Reserved.

2. National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse.
WWW.childabuse.org/facts97.html. (October 1, 1998)

3. R. Kim Oates, M.D. The Spectrum of Child Abuse. New York:
Burnner/Mazel. Inc., 1996

4. Ito, Tom. Child Abuse. CA: Lucent Books, Inc., 1995





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