History of Child Abuse

Child abuse and neglect is a big problem in the United States. Child abuse is sexual, physical, emotional, and even verbal maltreatment towards the children. When food, clothing, and shelter is not provided this is termed neglect. Many children in the United States are abused and neglected by parents, grandparents, guardians, and friends of the family. Many children suffer abuse such as beating, starved,

The current problem is the continued rise in child abuse and neglect today. Within the United States, the problem of child abuse and neglect is far much common than most people would like to admit. Sanchez (2012) stated that child maltreatment is a global epidemic and a major social problem in the United States resulting in at least 740, 000 visits to hospital emergency departments and more than $124 in child welfare, criminal justice, and health care. Norman, Byambaa, De, Butchart, Scott, and Vos (2012) also observed that child abuse and neglect is a global problem that is mostly perpetrated by parental guardians and parents. Sexual abuse is the infringement of a child’s

Child abuse and neglect is a significant problem in the United States that should demand direct attention. There are approximately three million child abuse reports made each year, and these reports involve more than six million children. Out of four to five children that die daily, 70 percent are under three years of age. There are 90 percent of cases involving of children who know who know their perpetrator. The main factors of child abuse are physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. In many cases involving sexual abuse, there is usually not any medical evidence to be shown, and there are usually not any witness due to the sexual acts taking place in private places. That is why it is considered the “hidden” form of abuse. Neglect is a type of maltreatment related to the failure to provide needed, age-appropriate care.

Child maltreatment has been a serious public health problem not just in the United States but globally. Maltreatment is defined as neglect which means failure to provide for a child’s basic physical, educational, or psychological needs. Physical abuse such as causing physical harm, sexual abuse, abuse that includes fondling a child’s genitals or breasts, and psychological abuse, such as verbal put-downs and other behavior that terrorizes, threatens, rejects or isolates the child. “According to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS), in 2007 approximately 794,000 children (10.6 per 1,000 children of all ages) were identified as victims of child abuse or neglect. Approximately one-half (46.1%) of all victims were non-Hispanic white, 21.7% were African American, and 20.8% were Hispanic. One-third (31.9%) were under the age of 4 years.” (Gross, 2010)

“Every year more than 3 million reports of child abuse are made in the United States involving more than 6 million children (A report can include multiple children). The United States has one of the worst records among industrialized nations- loses on average between four to seven children every day due to child abuse and neglect” ("National Child Abuse Statistics."). There are numerous children who are suffering from child abuse, but determining what child abuse is for each state differs. This makes it harder to determine how to solve the issue of child abuse and the fact that it has existed for so long. To help solve the issue of child abuse, innovative programs are being created every day. Some of those programs are using culture to determine whether or not it is a factor.

Then there are those, who for various reasons find some sort of satisfaction in causing physical harm to children. Each of these scenarios is exemplary of the neglect, maltreatment, physical abuse, and sexual exploitation of children in this country. This essay will attempt to describe the major types of child abuse in the United States and provide documented trends in its occurrences, as well as offer solutions for the decrease in incidence of child abuse and neglect in American society.

Child abuse and neglect is a national problem which has increased to epidemic proportions in the United States. More than 2.5 million reports of child abuse are made in the United States annually with over hundreds of deaths related to child abuse that has been reported each year. In 2013, an estimation of 1,520 children died from abuse in the United States. In that same year, Children’s Advocacy Centers around the country had served nearly 295,000 child victims of abuse, providing victim with support to these children and their families. Moving to 2014 this number was maxed to over 315,000. An estimation of 679,000 children were victims of abuse. There were 47 out of the 50 states that reported approximately 3.1 million children who received preventative services from Child Protective Services agencies in the United States. In the first year of a child 's life it was the highest rate of victimization of 23.1 per 1,000 children in the national population of the same age. Of the children who experienced abuse, nearly 80% sufficer neglect; 18% suffered physical abuse; and 9% suffered sexual abuse.

Most children experience physical abuse at 28.3 percent and physical neglect at 9.9%. Sexual abuse comes in at 20.7%. Lastly there is Emotional abuse at 10.6% and Emotional neglect at 14.8%, which happens to be one of the hardest abuse cases to gather evidence on and argue in court ("Child Abuse Statistics."). Child abuse and neglect is the failure to act upon the part of a parent or guardian. In other words, if your child is put in danger of death, exploitation, emotional or physical harm, or sexual abuse ("Definitions of Child Abuse and Neglect."). Many children that endure abuse or neglect of any form are bound to face behavioral changes. They often have feelings of anger, depression, and anxiety. Some symptoms can be worse such as suicidal tendencies, sexual behavior at a young age, desperately seeking affection, sexual abuse of other children, and much, much more ("Child Abuse."). The thought of a child being mistreated is heartbreaking enough, imagine what is going on inside their heads from the

Tufford, Bogo, & Asakura (2015) states “the domains of child maltreatment include both child abuse (wilful acts such as physical, sexual and emotional abuse which harm a child) and neglect (failure to provide for a child’s basic needs) (Fontes, 2005)” (Tufford, Bogo, & Asakura 2015, p. 3). These areas will have a life-altering impact on a child’s life and it might change how they view people and things around them. Tufford, Bogo, & Asakura (2015) states “neglect, as a form of child maltreatment, can take many forms such as failing to provide adequate food, clothing, shelter, supervision, medical care, emotional care or education” ((Tufford, Bogo, & Asakura 2015, p. 3). Neglect is also big issue just as Tufford, Bogo, & Asakura (2015) mentioned, not giving a sufficient amount of food, not providing them with emotional support or proper education or medical care could put a child in this category. Therefore, simply providing a child with their basic needs can solve the problem, although not everyone can afford this basic needs because of life’s situations. Situation like poverty, lack of work, and others can cause this to happen. This is why Tufford, Bogo, & Asakura (2015) also states that “Child Neglect can often be confounded by poverty, inadequate housing and dangerous neighbourhoods as parents or caretakers have fewer resources to provide children with the care they need (Jonson-Reid, Drake, & Zhou, 2013)” ((Tufford, Bogo, &

There are many forms of abuse and neglect. One that stands out to me is child abuse. There are several forms of child abuse, some rarer than others. The reasoning behind child abuse is intriguing to me. Why and how can someone abuse a child? Mental health of the abuser plays a big role in how and why people do the things they do. A mental health issue contributing to child abuse is Munchhausen syndrome by proxy. (MSpB) Munchhausen syndrome by proxy symptoms are varied, almost always characterized by a caretaker, usually the mom, creating symptoms in someone they care for. (Gross, 2008)

The consequences of child abuse and neglect is time and again reflected in physical, psychological, behavioural, and societal significances. These consequences, however, are interrelated and can show their impact on one or the other aspects and for a very long duration.

Child abuse is seen in a variety of ways. After committing the action, one will suffer the consequences. “Child abuse and neglect is well established as an important societal concern with significant ramifications for the affected children, their families, and society at large. A critical step in devising effective responses is reasonable agreement on the definition of the problem and its scope. Yet achieving clarity in the area of child abuse and neglect has been an ongoing challenge. Legal definitions

Although child abuse and neglect has been and continues to be a major societal issue, it only attracted major attention through the pivotal work of Kempfe, Silverman, Steele, Droegmueller and Silver (1962) who coined the term, “the battered- child syndrome” (Krug, 2002). This term was used to define children who have been subjected to mild to serious physical abuse from their parent/carer on one or multiple occasions (Kempfe et al., 1962) and lay the foundations of what is today defined as “child abuse and neglect” (child maltreatment). Child maltreatment predominantly falls under four categories - physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse and neglect (Garbarino, Guttmann, & Seeley, 1986; Matthews, 2014a; Goldsworthy, 2015). Given that

Child abuse can be defined as any act or failure to act by a parent or caregiver that results in actual or potential harm of the child. Child abuse can also be known as child maltreatment, which is the general term that is used to describe all forms of child abuse and neglect. Child neglect consists of the failure of the caretaker of the child to properly provide adequate emotional and physical care for the child. Child abuse or child maltreatment usually occurs because of immaturity, unrealistic expectations made by the parents or caregiver, stress in the household, substance abuse, intergenerational patterns of abuse by family members, and the isolation

Of the children who are abused “approximately five children will die everyday because of the abuse” (“11 facts...”) . This is a scary thought because abused children are more likely to have problems when they are older. According to Dosomething.org “in 2012, 82.2 percent of child abuse perpetrators were found to be between the ages of 18-44, of which 39.6 percent were between the ages of 25-34” (“11 facts...”). Neglect is also a form of child abuse, “in the United States more than 4 children die from abuse and neglect on a daily basis, and for those children over 70 percent of them are below the age of three” (“11 facts...”). People do not realize how common child abuse is, but “2.9 million cases are reported a year just for the United States”. “About 80 percent of 21 year olds met the criteria for at least one psychological disorder” (“ 11 facts...”) child abuse and neglect affects everyone differently, but most victims can say that it has impacted their lives tremendously. Not every person that has been a victim is in the statistics because some people can not say what