essay about child abusing

Child Abuse Essay Example

Many parents are not aware of the signs of child abuse. This is largely due to the fact that they do not want to believe it could happen or they are in denial. Abuse can manifest itself as an extreme lack of empathy, which is also known as coldness. There are other signs to look for including a decline in school performance, mood swings, and aggressive behavior. If you suspect your child has been abused there are several resources available to help find out if it truly happened and get them to help if necessary.

Thesis Statement
Introduction

Essay Example On Child Abuse

Thesis Statement Every kind of child abuse is harmful to better cognitive development which can create multiple social issues. Introduction Child abuse is an umbrella term that covers so many aspects. It is not just limited up to torturing or dismantling a child on a physical basis but mental and sexual harassment is also a part of it. Sometimes in many cases, parents are found to be guilty of such major problems in society. The goal of different types of child abuse also differs in every situation. For instance, parents abusing their child by forcing him to work at minor age are backed by the financial crisis of the family. Similarly, mental torture could be given to a child for performing below the par in his studies. All these pressures restrict the proper growth of children which leads to many crises in society. Get Non-Plagiarized Custom Essay on Child Abuse in USA Order Now Main Body Child abuse is rising with increasing poverty and competition among people. To become the survivor of this cut-throat competition, it becomes a necessity for people to push their minor children into the workforce. Here are some important points that will highlight the issue of child abuse in a deeper sense. Who is Responsible for Child Abuse? We cannot blame a single person for the problem of child abuse. As discussed above child abuse could be described in multiple dimensions. A person who abuses a child sexually cannot be justified on any grounds but pushing children to work at a minor age can be justified with poverty. Here are some forces that are responsible for child abuse. Society – Multiple social customs based on the cast restrict children to take admission to the school. These customs are mainly gendered biased for girls and transgender. As a result of which these children have to work at a very low age. Social Institutions – Social institutions like a police departments, education centers are also biased towards the punishment of culprits who are responsible for child abuse and giving admission to students of lower strata respectively. Class System – Class system is another big reason for child abuse in society due to different rights for the people of different classes. Poverty – Poverty is the most challenging reason that is difficult to cope up with for child abuse. Parents are sending their children and wards to labor at a very small age due to poverty. These were the main reasons behind child abuse that must be uprooted from society. We cannot imagine a society that is ideal and does not involve child abuse at any point without mitigating the issue of poverty in it. How to Deter the Issue of Child Abuse Child abuse is a problem that needs to be addressed very carefully. This is the high time when professionals and intelligentsia of society should take some major steps to reduce and eradicate this problem. Here are some suggestions that could be used for handling the problem of child abuse by people. Equal Distribution of Economic Resources – The economic resources of a region or country must be distributed evenly among the citizens. This is very important to maintain equality among people of different communities. When there will be no crisis for money the issue of child abuse could be managed at some level. No Injustice on the Grounds of Cast and Gender – By reducing the injustice on the grounds of cast and gender we can send all the children to school easily. Thus child labor would no longer exist in society. Awareness about Child Abuse in the Society – Child abuse awareness campaign in the different parts of the world is also important. Parents are not mindful of the fact many times that their children are exploited on sexual as well as physical grounds by the rich when. Often poor children are taken away by the rich businessmen and merchants in the name of the job. But the wages paid to these children are negligible as compared to the work they have to do. When parents would be aware of this fact they will not send the children for manual labor. Conclusion We should work together in a union to fight against the problem of child abuse. Children are the main pillar of any nation for economic and social growth. If they will be harassed and given major traumas in their very childhood, it can disturb society with their growth. Intelligentsia of society should discuss some relevant points to deter with this serious problem effectively. Only then a bright and stable future of a country or nation could be presumed by the citizens. Buy Customized Essay on Child Abuse At Cheapest Price Order Now

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Essay on Child Abuse

Students are often asked to write an essay on Child Abuse in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Child Abuse

Understanding child abuse.

Child abuse refers to harmful actions against children. It can be physical, emotional, or sexual in nature. It’s a serious issue that affects many children worldwide.

Types of Child Abuse

Physical abuse involves causing physical harm. Emotional abuse includes actions that harm a child’s mental well-being. Sexual abuse involves sexual exploitation.

The Impact of Child Abuse

Child abuse can lead to serious problems, like mental health issues and difficulty in social interactions. It’s important to protect children from such harm.

Preventing Child Abuse

Everyone can help prevent child abuse. If you see signs of abuse, it’s crucial to report it to authorities. Education and awareness are key.

250 Words Essay on Child Abuse

Introduction.

Child abuse, a grave societal issue, is an act that inflicts physical, sexual, or emotional harm or neglect upon children. This pervasive problem transcends geographical boundaries, socio-economic statuses, and cultures, having long-term detrimental effects on the individual’s life and society.

Child abuse manifests in various forms: physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect. Physical abuse involves deliberate actions causing injuries or harm to a child, while sexual abuse pertains to any sexual activity involving a child. Emotional abuse is the continual emotional mistreatment, and neglect is the consistent failure to meet a child’s basic needs.

Consequences of Child Abuse

The impact of child abuse is profound and long-lasting. Victims often experience cognitive difficulties, emotional instability, and behavioral issues. The psychological trauma can lead to mental health disorders, substance abuse, and even suicide in severe cases.

Prevention and Intervention

Preventing child abuse requires collective societal effort. It involves improving parenting skills, providing family support, and increasing public awareness. Intervention strategies include therapy, counseling, and legal action. Schools and communities play a crucial role in identifying and reporting suspected abuse.

In conclusion, child abuse is a pressing issue that requires immediate attention. Understanding its forms and consequences is the first step towards prevention. Society’s collective effort is crucial in creating a safe environment for children, thus ensuring their healthy development and well-being.

500 Words Essay on Child Abuse

Introduction to child abuse, the different forms of child abuse.

Child abuse manifests in various forms, each with its profound impact on a child’s mental and physical development. Physical abuse involves the deliberate use of force against a child, leading to potential bodily harm. Sexual abuse encompasses any sexual activity involving a child, where they are incapable of giving informed consent. Emotional abuse involves persistent negative behavior towards a child, such as belittling, humiliation, or rejection. Lastly, neglect is the failure to provide for a child’s basic needs, including food, shelter, education, and medical care.

Impact of Child Abuse

Child abuse has devastating consequences on the victims, their families, and society at large. Abused children often suffer from physical injuries, psychological disorders, and impaired social development. They may experience difficulties in school, struggle with interpersonal relationships, and are at a higher risk of developing mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Moreover, the cycle of abuse often continues into adulthood, with victims more likely to become perpetrators themselves.

The Role of Society and Institutions

Conclusion: towards a safer future for children.

Child abuse is a pervasive issue that demands urgent attention and action. It is essential to foster a culture of respect and protection for children’s rights, where every child can grow up in a safe and nurturing environment. This involves a collective effort from individuals, communities, and governments to recognize, address, and prevent child abuse. By doing so, we can break the cycle of abuse and pave the way for a safer, healthier future for our children.

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Essays on Child Abuse

Child abuse essay covers a topic that is brutal but needs to be written about. Criminal behavior poses a threat to society, and it's especially devastating when directed towards children. This painful subject is getting a lot of public attention in the past years, and writing child abuse essays are a way of shining light on this issue. While researching for your essay you will discover heartbreaking statistics – about 1 billion children were abused within the past year. The numbers and facts you will come across are unsettling. child abuse essay samples below will help you gather information for your essays and offer some guidelines when exploring this topic. Writing essays on child abuse is challenging in many ways, so it’s understandable if you need assistance, which we can provide you with.

This project aims to assess whether the primary schools in the UK implemented Eileen Munro’s Recommendations. It critically analyses the effectiveness of child protection in UK’s primary schools. The report advocates for review on child protection targets which enable both children and social workers a freedom to apply judgment as...

The discussion section elaborates the argument on whether any of Eileen Munro’s recommendations were implemented. To begin with, let us briefly review some of the endorsements. The Munro report changes the current child protection approach that is extremely rigid and incomprehensible because of the bureaucratic procedures that leave professionals glued...

Words: 1932

Putting up child protection ensures the safeguard of children from varying harmful activities that they are exposed to from their parents or the environment they live in. It is important to address issues that affect the children as a can severely impact the young ones both psychologically and also physically....

Words: 1200

Child Protection is a fundamental issue that has been addressed at various levels of governance. The United Kingdom is one of the many countries that are still grappling with how best to protect a child from any dangerous exposure. Prof Eileen Munro was tasked to come up with a report...

Words: 1648

Sexual assault is defined as an infringement of a person's sexual space by sexual touch without consent by coercion or physical force to engage in a sexual act against the person's will. It ranges from verbal sexual insults to the physical acts such as groping, rape, and sodomy and child...

Words: 1622

An Assessment of the Brothers` ACE Score and ACE that Might Indicate Future-Offending Behaviour ACE, also known as Adverse Childhood Experiences denotes to the stressful situations that young children encounter as they grow. The child can be either directly hurt through abuse or indirectly regarding the environment, which they are situated...

Words: 3789

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In today’s world, cases of child abuse are on the raising trend globally. It’s a matter of great concern when people close to the children; physically, emotionally or sexually abuse them. In most occasions, guardians who are mentally stable and highly conscious of their actions continually and methodically abuse their...

Words: 1410

Child abuse has become a severe social and public health problem and many studies have revealed the alarming number of child abuse cases all over the world. The diverging parenting norms and standards of different cultures has made it difficult to arrive at an agreement on the definition of child...

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The article Preventing Child Sexual Abuse, What Parents Know? analyzes the out parental information with regards to the prevention of child abuse in Saudi Arabia. The study begins with a definition of a sexual offense which is regarded as the engagement of a child in sexual activities without...

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Child Abuse and Neglect Child abuse is any action performed by a parent, guardian, or caregiver that cause serious physical, sexual or emotional harm to a child. On the other hand, child neglect refers to maltreatment of a child due to failure by parent, guardian or caregiver to provide needed care....

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It is universally agreed among scientist, sociologist, physiologist, criminologist and other interested scholars that youths in the adolescence stage are more likely to engage in antisocial behaviors. However, numerous studies are concerned with activities that teens are more apt to participate in the adolescent stage such as substance abuse and...

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Over the years elderly mistreatment has been recognized as a social problem that has affected the society at large. The magnitude of the problem is uncertain but it is increasing in the United States and other countries in the world. Elderly abuse can be referred to as an intentional act...

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Understanding Child Abuse and Neglect (1993)

Chapter: 1 introduction, 1 introduction.

Child maltreatment is a devastating social problem in American society. In 1990, over 2 million cases of child abuse and neglect were reported to social service agencies. In the period 1979 through 1988, about 2,000 child deaths (ages 0-17) were recorded annually as a result of abuse and neglect (McClain et al., 1993), and an additional 160,000 cases resulted in serious injuries in 1990 alone (Daro and McCurdy, 1991). However tragic and sensational, the counts of deaths and serious injuries provide limited insight into the pervasive long-term social, behavioral, and cognitive consequences of child abuse and neglect. Reports of child maltreatment alone also reveal little about the interactions among individuals, families, communities, and society that lead to such incidents.

American society has not yet recognized the complex origins or the profound consequences of child victimization. The services required for children who have been abused or neglected, including medical care, family counseling, foster care, and specialized education, are expensive and are often subsidized by governmental funds. The General Accounting Office (1991) has estimated that these services cost more than $500 million annually. Equally disturbing, research suggests that child maltreatment cases are highly related to social problems such as juvenile delinquency, substance abuse, and violence, which require additional services and severely affect the quality of life for many American families.

The Importance Of Child Maltreatment Research

The challenges of conducting research in the field of child maltreatment are enormous. Although we understand comparatively little about the causes, definitions, treatment, and prevention of child abuse and neglect, we do know enough to recognize that the origins and consequences of child victimization are not confined to the months or years in which reported incidents actually occurred. For those who survive, the long-term consequences of child maltreatment appear to be more damaging to victims and their families, and more costly for society, than the immediate or acute injuries themselves. Yet little is invested in understanding the factors that predispose, mitigate, or prevent the behavioral and social consequences of child maltreatment.

The panel has identified five key reasons why child maltreatment research should be viewed as a central nexus of more comprehensive research activity.

	Research on child maltreatment can provide scientific information that will help with the solution of a broad range of individual and social disorders. Research in this field is demonstrating that experiences with child abuse and neglect are a major component of many child and adult mental and behavioral disorders, including delayed development, poor academic performance, delinquency, depression, alcoholism, substance abuse, deviant sexual behaviors, and domestic and criminal violence.
	Many forms of child abuse and neglect are treatable and avoidable, and many severe consequences of child maltreatment can be diminished with proper attention and assistance. Research on child abuse and neglect provides an opportunity for society to address, and ultimately prevent, a range of individual and social disorders that impair the health and quality of life of millions of America's children as well as their families and communities.
	Research on child maltreatment can provide insights and knowledge that can directly benefit victims of child abuse and neglect and their families. Individuals who have been victimized as a result of child maltreatment deserve to have research efforts dedicated to their experience, in the same manner as our society invests in scientific research for burn victims, victims of genetic or infectious diseases, or those who are subjected to other forms of trauma. Yet the families of child abuse and neglect victims are often not active in social and political organizations. Unable to speak for themselves or employ paid representatives to promote their interests, they have been discounted and overlooked in the process of determining what social problems deserve public resources and attention from the American research community.
	Research on child maltreatment can reduce long-term economic costs associated with treating the consequences of child maltreatment,

	in areas such as mental health services, foster care, juvenile delinquency, and family violence.
	Economic issues must also be considered in evaluating long-term treatment costs and loss of earnings associated with the consequences of child victimization. One analysis cited by the General Accounting Office that used prevalence and treatment rates generated from multiple studies (Daro, 1988) calculated potential fiscal costs resulting from child abuse estimates as follows: (1) Assuming a 20 percent delinquency rate among adolescent abuse victims, requiring an average of 2 years in a correctional institution, the public cost of their incarceration would be more than $14.8 million. (2) If 1 percent of severely abused children suffer permanent disabilities, the annual cost of community services (estimated at $13 per day) for treating developmentally disabled children would increase by $1.1 million. (3) The future lost productivity of severely abused children is $658-1300 million annually, if their impairments limit their potential earnings by only 5-10 percent.
	Government officials, judges, legislators, social service personnel, child welfare advocates, and others make hundreds of crucial decisions each day about the lives and futures of child victims and their offenders. These decisions include the selection of cases of suspected child abuse and neglect for investigation and determinations about which children should remain with families in which abuse has occurred. Individuals making such decisions will benefit from informed guidance on the effectiveness and consequences of various social interventions that address child maltreatment. Such guidance can evolve from research on the outcomes of alternative responses to reports of child abuse and neglect, results of therapeutic and social service interventions, and cost-effectiveness studies. For example, research that describes the conditions under which family counseling and family preservation efforts are effective has tremendous implications for the importance of attachment relationships for children and the disruption of these relationships brought on by foster care.

Research On Child Maltreatment Is Currently Undervalued And Undeveloped

Research in the field of child maltreatment studies is relatively undeveloped when compared with related fields such as child development, so-

cial welfare, and criminal violence. Although no specific theory about the causes of child abuse and neglect has been substantially replicated across studies, significant progress has been gained in the past few decades in identifying the dimensions of complex phenomena that contribute to the origins of child maltreatment.

Efforts to improve the quality of research on any group of children are dependent on the value that society assigns to the potential inherent in young lives. Although more adults are available in American society today as service providers to care for children than was the case in 1960, a disturbing number of recent reports have concluded that American children are in trouble (Fuchs and Reklis, 1992; National Commission on Children, 1991; Children's Defense Fund, 1991).

Efforts to encourage greater investments in research on children will be futile unless broader structural and social issues can be addressed within our society. Research on general problems of violence, substance addiction, social inequality, unemployment, poor education, and the treatment of children in the social services system is incomplete without attention to child maltreatment issues. Research on child maltreatment can play a key role in informing major social policy decisions concerning the services that should be made available to children, especially children in families or neighborhoods that experience significant stress and violence.

As a nation, we already have developed laws and regulatory approaches to reduce and prevent childhood injuries and deaths through actions such as restricting hot water temperatures and requiring mandatory child restraints in automobiles. These important precedents suggest how research on risk factors can provide informed guidance for social efforts to protect all of America's children in both familial and other settings.

Not only has our society invested relatively little in research on children, but we also have invested even less in research on children whose families are characterized by multiple problems, such as poverty, substance abuse, violence, welfare dependency, and child maltreatment. In part, this slower development is influenced by the complexities of research on major social problems. But the state of research on this topic could be advanced more rapidly with increased investment of funds. In the competition for scarce research funds, the underinvestment in child maltreatment research needs to be understood in the context of bias, prejudice, and the lack of a clear political constituency for children in general and disadvantaged children in particular (Children's Defense Fund, 1991; National Commission on Children, 1991). Factors such as racism, ethnic discrimination, sexism, class bias, institutional and professional jealousies, and social inequities influence the development of our national research agenda (Bell, 1992, Huston, 1991).

The evolving research agenda has also struggled with limitations im-

posed by attempting to transfer the results of sample-specific studies to diverse groups of individuals. The roles of culture, ethnic values, and economic factors pervade the development of parenting practices and family dynamics. In setting a research agenda for this field, ethnic diversity and multiple cultural perspectives are essential to improve the quality of the research program and to overcome systematic biases that have restricted its development.

Researchers must address ethical and legal issues that present unique obligations and dilemmas regarding selection of subjects, provision of services, and disclosure of data. For example, researchers who discover an undetected incident of child abuse in the course of an interview are required by state laws to disclose the identities of the victim and offender(s), if known, to appropriate child welfare officials. These mandatory reporting requirements, adopted in the interests of protecting children, may actually cause long-term damage to children by restricting the scope of research studies and discouraging scientists from developing the knowledge base necessary to guide social interventions.

Substantial efforts are now required to reach beyond the limitations of current knowledge and to gain new insights that can improve the quality of social service efforts and public policy decisions affecting the health and welfare of abused and neglected children and their families. Most important, collaborative long-term research ventures are necessary to diminish social, professional, and institutional prejudices that have restricted the development of a comprehensive knowledge base that can improve understanding of, and response to, child maltreatment.

Dimensions Of Child Abuse And Neglect

The human dimensions of child maltreatment are enormous and tragic. The U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect has called the problem of child maltreatment ''an epidemic" in American society, one that requires a critical national emergency response.

The scale and severity of child abuse and neglect has caused various public and private organizations to mobilize efforts to raise public awareness of individual cases and societal trends, to improve the reporting and tracking of child maltreatment cases, to strengthen the responses of social service systems, and to develop an effective and fair system for protecting and offering services to victims while also punishing adults who deliberately harm children or place them in danger. Over the past several decades, a growing number of state and federal funding programs, governmental reports, specialized journals, and research centers, as well as national and international societies and conferences, have examined various dimensions of the problem of child maltreatment.

The results of these efforts have been inconsistent and uneven. In addressing aspects of each new revelation of abuse or each promising new intervention, research efforts often have become diffuse, fragmented, specific, and narrow. What is lacking is a coordinated approach and a general conceptual framework that can add new depth to our understanding of child maltreatment. A coordinated approach can accommodate diverse perspectives while providing direction and guidance in establishing research priorities and synthesizing research knowledge. Organizational mechanisms are also needed to facilitate the application and integration of research on child maltreatment in related areas such as child development, family violence, substance abuse, and juvenile delinquency.

Child maltreatment is not a new problem, yet concerted service, research, and policy attention toward it is just beginning. Although isolated studies of child maltreatment appeared in the medical and sociological literature in the first half of the twentieth century, the publication of "The Battered Child Syndrome" by C. Henry Kempe and associates (1962) is generally considered the first definitive paper in the field in the United States. The efforts of Kempe and others to publicize disturbing medical experience with child abuse and neglect led to the passage of the first Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act in 1974 (P.L. 93-247). The act, which has been amended several times (most recently in 1992), established a governmental program designed to guide and consolidate national and state data collection efforts regarding reports of child abuse and neglect, conduct national surveys of household violence, and sponsor research and demonstration programs to prevent, identify, and treat child abuse and neglect.

However, the federal government's leadership role in building a research base in this area has been complicated by changes and inconsistencies in research plans and priorities, limited funding, politicized peer review, fragmentation of effort among various federal agencies, poorly scheduled proposal review deadlines, and bias introduced by competing institutional objectives. 1 The lack of comprehensive, long-term planning for a research base has resulted in a field characterized by contradictions, conflict, and fragmentation. The role of the National Center for Child Abuse and Neglect as the lead federal agency in supporting research in this field has been sharply criticized (U.S. Advisory Board, 1991). Many observers believe that the federal government lacks leadership, funding, and an effective research program for studies on child maltreatment.

The Complexity Of Child Maltreatment

Child maltreatment was originally seen in the form of "the battered child," often portrayed in terms of physical abuse. Today, four general categories of child maltreatment are generally recognized: (1) physical

abuse, (2) sexual abuse, (3) neglect, and (4) emotional maltreatment. Each category covers a range of behaviors, as discussed in Chapter 2.

These four categories have become the focus of separate studies of incidence and prevalence, etiology, prevention, consequences, and treatment, with uneven development of research within each area and poor integration of knowledge across areas. Each category has developed its own typology and framework of reference terms, revealing certain similarities (such as the importance of developmental perspectives in considering the consequences of maltreatment) but also important differences (such as the predatory behavior associated with some forms of sexual abuse that do not appear in the etiology of other forms of child maltreatment).

In addition to the category of child maltreatment, the duration, source, intensity, timing, and situational context of incidents of child victimization are now recognized as important factors in studying the origin and consequences of child maltreatment. Yet information about these factors is rarely requested or recorded by social agencies or health professionals in the process of identifying or documenting reports of child maltreatment. Furthermore, research is often weakened by variation in research definitions of child maltreatment, bias in the recruitment of research subjects, the absence of information regarding circumstances surrounding maltreatment reports, the absence of measures to assess selected variables under study, and the absence of a developmental perspective in many research studies.

The co-occurrence of different forms of child maltreatment has been examined only to a limited extent. Relatively little is known about areas of similarity and differences in terms of causes, consequences, prevention, and treatment of selected types of child abuse and neglect. Inconsistencies in definitions often preclude comparative analyses of clinical studies. For example, studies of sexual abuse have indicated wide variations in its prevalence, often as a result of differences in the types of behavior that might be included in the definition adopted by each research investigator. Emotional abuse is also a matter of controversy in some quarters, primarily because of broad variations in its definition.

Research on child maltreatment is also complicated by the fragmentation of services and responses by which our society addresses specific reports of child maltreatment. Cases may involve children who are victims or witnesses to single or repeated incidents of child abuse and neglect. Sadly, child maltreatment often involves various family members, relatives, or other individuals who reside in the homes or neighborhoods of the affected children. Adult figures may be perpetrators of offensive incidents or mediators in intervention or prevention efforts.

The importance of the social ecological framework of the child has only recently been recognized in studies of maltreatment. Responses to child abuse and neglect involve a variety of social institutions, including commu-

nities, schools, hospitals, churches, youth associations, the media, and other social structures that provide services for children. Such groups and organizations present special intervention opportunities to reduce the scale and scope of the problem of child maltreatment, but their activities are often poorly documented and uncoordinated. Finally, governmental offices at the local, state, and federal levels have legal and social obligations to develop programs and resources to address child maltreatment, and their role is critical in developing a research agenda for this field.

In the past, the research agenda has been determined predominantly by pragmatic needs in the development and delivery of treatment and prevention services rather than by theoretical paradigms, a process that facilitates short-term studies of specialized research priorities but impedes the development of a well-organized, coherent body of scientific knowledge that can contribute over time to understanding fundamental principles and issues. As a result, the research in this field has been generally viewed by the scientific community as fragmented, diffuse, decentralized, and of poor quality.

Selection of Research Studies

The research literature in the field of child maltreatment is immense—over 2000 items are included in the panel's research bibliography, a portion of which is referenced in this report. Despite this quantity of literature, researchers generally agree that the quality of research on child maltreatment is relatively weak in comparison to health and social science research studies in areas such as family systems and child development. Only a few prospective studies of child maltreatment have been undertaken, and most studies rely on the use of clinical samples (which may exclude important segments of the research population) or adult memories. Both types of samples are problematic and can produce biased results. Clinical samples may not be representative of all cases of child maltreatment. For example, we know from epidemiologic studies of disease of cases that were derived from hospital records that, unless the phenomenon of interest always comes to a service provider for treatment, there exist undetected and untreated cases in the general population that are often quite different from those who have sought treatment. Similarly, when studies rely on adult memories of childhood experiences, recall bias is always an issue. Longitudinal studies are quite rare, and some studies that are described as longitudinal actually consist of hybrid designs followed over time.

To ensure some measure of quality, the panel relied largely on studies that had been published in the peer-reviewed scientific literature. More rigorous scientific criteria (such as the use of appropriate theory and methodology in the conduct of the study) were considered by the panel, but were not adopted because little of the existing work would meet such selection

criteria. Given the early stage of development of this field of research, the panel believes that even weak studies contain some useful information, especially when they suggest clinical insights, a new perspective, or a point of departure from commonly held assumptions. Thus, the report draws out issues based on clinical studies or studies that lack sufficient control samples, but the panel refrains from drawing inferences based on this literature.

The panel believes that future research reviews of the child maltreatment literature would benefit from the identification of explicit criteria that could guide the selection of exemplary research studies, such as the following:

•	The extent to which the study is guided by theory regarding the origins and pathways of child abuse and neglect;
•	The use of appropriate and replicable instrumentation (including outcome measures) in the conduct of the study; and
•	The selection of appropriate study samples, including the use of experimental and control groups in etiological studies or in the analysis of outcomes of child maltreatment or intervention efforts.

For the most part, only a few studies will score well in each of the above categories. It becomes problematic, therefore, to rate the value of studies which may score high in one category but not in others.

The panel has relied primarily on studies conducted in the past decade, since earlier research work may not meet contemporary standards of methodological rigor. However, citations to earlier studies are included in this report where they are thought to be particularly useful and when research investigators provided careful assessments and analysis of issues such as definition, interrelationships of various types of abuse, and the social context of child maltreatment.

A Comparison With Other Fields of Family and Child Research

A comparison with the field of studies on family functioning may illustrate another point about the status of the studies on child maltreatment. The literature on normal family functioning or socialization effects differs in many respects from the literature on child abuse and neglect. Family sociology research has a coherent body of literature and reasonable consensus about what constitutes high-quality parenting in middle-class, predominantly White populations. Family functioning studies have focused predominantly on large, nonclinical populations, exploring styles of parenting and parenting practices that generate different kinds and levels of competence, mental health, and character in children. Studies of family functioning have tended to follow cohorts of subjects over long periods to identify the effects of variations in childrearing practices and patterns on children's

competence and adjustment that are not a function of social class and circumstances.

By contrast, the vast and burgeoning literature on child abuse and neglect is applied research concerned largely with the adverse effects of personal and social pathology on children. The research is often derived from very small samples selected by clinicians and case workers. Research is generally cross-sectional, and almost without exception the samples use impoverished families characterized by multiple problems, including substance abuse, unemployment, transient housing, and so forth. Until recently, researchers demonstrated little regard for incorporating appropriate ethnic and cultural variables in comparison and control groups. In the past decade, significant improvements have occurred in the development of child maltreatment research, but key problems remain in the area of definitions, study designs, and the use of instrumentation.

As the nature of research on child abuse and neglect has evolved over time, scientists and practitioners have likewise changed. The psychopathologic model of child maltreatment has been expanded to include models that stress the interactions of individual, family, neighborhood, and larger social systems. The role of ethnic and cultural issues are acquiring an emerging importance in formulating parent-child and family-community relationships. Earlier simplistic conceptionalizations of perpetrator-victim relationships are evolving into multiple-focus research projects that examine antecedents in family histories, current situational relationships, ecological and neighborhood issues, and interactional qualities of relationships between parent-child and offender-victim. In addition, emphases in treatment, social service, and legal programs combine aspects of both law enforcement and therapy, reflecting an international trend away from punishment, toward assistance, for families in trouble.

Charge To The Panel

The commissioner of the Administration for Children, Youth, and Families in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services requested that the National Academy of Sciences convene a study panel to undertake a comprehensive examination of the theoretical and pragmatic research needs in the area of child maltreatment. The Panel on Research on Child Abuse and Neglect was asked specifically to:

•	Review and assess research on child abuse and neglect, encompassing work funded by the Administration for Children, Youth, and Families and other known sources under public and private auspices;
•	Identify research that provides knowledge relevant to the field; and
•	Recommend research priorities for the next decade, including new

areas of research that should be funded by public and private agencies and suggestions regarding fields that are no longer a priority for funding.

The report resulting from this study provides recommendations for allocating existing research funds and also suggests funding mechanisms and topic areas to which new resources could be allocated or enhanced resources could be redirected. By focusing this report on research priorities and the needs of the research community, the panel's efforts were distinguished from related activities, such as the reports of the U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect, which concentrate on the policy issues in the field of child maltreatment.

The request for recommendations for research priorities recognizes that existing studies on child maltreatment require careful evaluation to improve the evolution of the field and to build appropriate levels of human and financial resources for these complex research problems. Through this review, the panel has examined the strengths and weaknesses of past research and identified areas of knowledge that represent the greatest promise for advancing understanding of, and dealing more effectively with, the problem of child maltreatment.

In conducting this review, the panel has recognized the special status of studies of child maltreatment. The experience of child abuse or neglect from any perspective, including victim, perpetrator, professional, or witness, elicits strong emotions that may distort the design, interpretation, or support of empirical studies. The role of the media in dramatizing selected cases of child maltreatment has increased public awareness, but it has also produced a climate in which scientific objectivity may be sacrificed in the name of urgency or humane service. Many concerned citizens, legislators, child advocates, and others think we already know enough to address the root causes of child maltreatment. Critical evaluations of treatment and prevention services are not supported due to both a lack of funding and a lack of appreciation for the role that scientific analysis can play in improving the quality of existing services and identifying new opportunities for interventions. The existing research base is small in volume and spread over a wide variety of topics. The contrast between the importance of the problem and the difficulty of approaching it has encouraged the panel to proceed carefully, thoroughly distinguishing suppositions from facts when they appear.

Research on child maltreatment is at a crossroads—we are now in a position to merge this research field with others to incorporate multiple perspectives, broaden research samples, and focus on fundamental issues that have the potential to strengthen, reform, or replace existing public policy and social programs. We have arrived at a point where we can

recognize the complex interplay of forces in the origins and consequences of child abuse and neglect. We also recognize the limitations of our knowledge about the effects of different forms of social interventions (e.g., home visitations, foster care, family treatment programs) for changing the developmental pathways of abuse victims and their families.

The Importance Of A Child-Oriented Framework

The field of child maltreatment studies has often divided research into the types of child maltreatment under consideration (such as physical and sexual abuse, child neglect, and emotional maltreatment). Within each category, researchers and practitioners have examined underlying causes or etiology, consequences, forms of treatment or other interventions, and prevention programs. Each category has developed its own typology and framework of reference terms, and researchers within each category often publish in separate journals and attend separate professional meetings.

Over a decade ago, the National Research Council Committee on Child Development Research and Public Policy published a report titled Services for Children: An Agenda for Research (1981). Commenting on the development of various government services for children, the report noted that observations of children's needs were increasingly distorted by the "unmanageably complex, expensive, and confusing" categorical service structure that had produced fragmented and sometimes contradictory programs to address child health and nutrition requirements (p. 15-16). The committee concluded that the actual experiences of children and their families in different segments of society and the conditions of their homes, neighborhoods, and communities needed more systematic study. The report further noted that we need to learn more about who are the important people in children's lives, including parents, siblings, extended family, friends, and caretakers outside the family, and what these people do for children, when, and where.

These same conclusions can be applied to studies of child maltreatment. Our panel considered, but did not endorse, a framework that would emphasize differences in the categories of child abuse or neglect. We also considered a framework that would highlight differences in the current system of detecting, investigating, or responding to child maltreatment. In contrast to conceptualizing this report in terms of categories of maltreatment or responses of the social system to child maltreatment, the panel presents a child-oriented research agenda that emphasizes the importance of knowing more about the backgrounds and experiences of developing children and their families, within a broader social context that includes their friends, neighborhoods, and communities. This framework stresses the importance of knowing more about the qualitative differences between children who suffer episodic experiences of abuse or neglect and those for whom mal-

treatment is a chronic part of their lives. And this approach highlights the need to know more about circumstances that affect the consequences, and therefore the treatment, of child maltreatment, especially circumstances that may be affected by family, cultural, or ethnic factors that often remain hidden in small, isolated studies.

An Ecological Developmental Perspective

The panel has adopted an ecological developmental perspective to examine factors in the child, family, or society that can exacerbate or mitigate the incidence and destructive consequences of child maltreatment. In the panel's view, this perspective reflects the understanding that development is a process involving transactions between the growing child and the social environment or ecology in which development takes place. Positive and negative factors merit attention in shaping a research agenda on child maltreatment. We have adopted a perspective that recognizes that dysfunctional families are often part of a dysfunctional environment.

The relevance of child maltreatment research to child development studies and other research fields is only now being examined. New methodologies and new theories of child maltreatment that incorporate a developmental perspective can provide opportunities for researchers to consider the interaction of multiple factors, rather than focusing on single causes or short-term effects. What is required is the mobilization of new structures of support and resources to concentrate research efforts on significant areas that offer the greatest promise of improving our understanding of, and our responses to, child abuse and neglect.

Our report extends beyond what is, to what could be, in a society that fosters healthy development in children and families. We cannot simply build a research agenda for the existing social system; we need to develop one that independently challenges the system to adapt to new perspectives, new insights, and new discoveries.

The fundamental theme of the report is the recognition that research efforts to address child maltreatment should be enhanced and incorporated into a long-term plan to improve the quality of children's lives and the lives of their families. By placing maltreatment within the framework of healthy development, for example, we can identify unique sources of intervention for infants, preschool children, school-age children, and adolescents.

Each stage of development presents challenges that must be resolved in order for a child to achieve productive forms of thinking, perceiving, and behaving as an adult. The special needs of a newborn infant significantly differ from those of a toddler or preschool child. Children in the early years of elementary school have different skills and distinct experiential levels from those of preadolescent years. Adolescent boys and girls demon-

strate a range of awkward and exploratory behaviors as they acquire basic social skills necessary to move forward into adult life. Most important, developmental research has identified the significant influences of family, schools, peers, neighborhoods, and the broader society in supporting or constricting child development.

Understanding the phenomenon of child abuse and neglect within a developmental perspective poses special challenges. As noted earlier, research literature on child abuse and neglect is generally organized by the category or type of maltreatment; integrated efforts have not yet been achieved. For example, research has not yet compared and contrasted the causes of physical and sexual abuse of a preschool child or the differences between emotional maltreatment of toddlers and adolescents, although all these examples fall within the domain of child maltreatment. A broader conceptual framework for research will elicit data that can facilitate such comparative analyses.

By placing research in the framework of factors that foster healthy development, the ecological developmental perspective can enhance understanding of the research agenda for child abuse and neglect. The developmental perspective can improve the quality of treatment and prevention programs, which often focus on particular groups, such as young mothers who demonstrate risk factors for abuse of newborns, or sexual offenders who molest children. There has been little effort to cut across the categorical lines established within these studies to understand points of convergence or divergence in studies on child abuse and neglect.

The ecological developmental perspective can also improve our understanding of the consequences of child abuse and neglect, which may occur with increased or diminished intensity over a developmental cycle, or in different settings such as the family or the school. Initial effects may be easily identified and addressed if the abuse is detected early in the child's development, and medical and psychological services are available for the victim and the family. Undetected incidents, or childhood experiences discovered later in adult life, require different forms of treatment and intervention. In many cases, incidents of abuse and neglect may go undetected and unreported, yet the child victim may display aggression, delinquency, substance addiction, or other problem behaviors that stimulate responses within the social system.

Finally, an ecological developmental perspective can enhance intervention and prevention programs by identifying different requirements and potential effects for different age groups. Children at separate stages of their developmental cycle have special coping mechanisms that present barriers to—and opportunities for—the treatment and prevention of child abuse and neglect. Intervention programs need to consider the extent to which children may have already experienced some form of maltreatment in order to

evaluate successful outcomes. In addition, the perspective facilitates evaluation of which settings are the most promising locus for interventions.

Previous Reports

A series of national reports associated with the health and welfare of children have been published in the past decade, many of which have identified the issue of child abuse and neglect as one that deserves sustained attention and creative programmatic solutions. In their 1991 report, Beyond Rhetoric , the National Commission on Children noted that the fragmentation of social services has resulted in the nation's children being served on the basis of their most obvious condition or problem rather than being served on the basis of multiple needs. Although the needs of these children are often the same and are often broader than the mission of any single agency emotionally disturbed children are often served by the mental health system, delinquent children by the juvenile justice system, and abused or neglected children by the protective services system (National Commission on Children, 1991). In their report, the commission called for the protection of abused and neglected children through more comprehensive child protective services, with a strong emphasis on efforts to keep children with their families or to provide permanent placement for those removed from their homes.

In setting health goals for the year 2000, the Public Health Service recognized the problem of child maltreatment and recommended improvements in reporting and diagnostic services, and prevention and educational interventions (U.S. Public Health Service, 1990). For example, the report, Health People 2000 , described the four types of child maltreatment and recommended that the rising incidence (identified as 25.2 per 1,000 in 1986) should be reversed to less than 25.2 in the year 2000. These public health targets are stated as reversing increasing trends rather than achieving specific reductions because of difficulties in obtaining valid and reliable measures of child maltreatment. The report also included recommendations to expand the implementation of state level review systems for unexplained child deaths, and to increase the number of states in which at least 50 percent of children who are victims of physical or sexual abuse receive appropriate treatment and follow-up evaluations as a means of breaking the intergenerational cycle of abuse.

The U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect issued reports in 1990 and 1991 which include national policy and research recommendations. The 1991 report presented a range of research options for action, highlighting the following priorities (U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect, 1991:110-113):

•	To increase general knowledge about the causes, precipitants, consequences, prevention, and treatment of child abuse and neglect;
•	To increase knowledge about the child protection system;
•	To increase specific knowledge about the social and cultural factors related to child maltreatment;
•	To increase human resources in the field of research on child abuse and neglect;
•	To ensure that procedures for stimulation and analysis of research on child abuse and neglect are scientifically credible;
•	To facilitate the planning of research; and
•	To reduce obstacles to the generation of knowledge about child abuse and neglect.

This report differs from those described above because its primary focus is on establishing a research agenda for the field of studies on child abuse and neglect. In contrast to the mandate of the U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect, the panel was not asked to prepare policy recommendations for federal and state governments in developing child maltreatment legislation and programs. The panel is clearly aware of the need for services for abused and neglected children and of the difficult policy issues that must be considered by the Congress, the federal government, the states, and municipal governments in responding to the distress of children and families in crisis. The charge to this panel was to design a research agenda that would foster the development of scientific knowledge that would provide fundamental insights into the causes, identification, incidence, consequences, treatment, and prevention of child maltreatment. This knowledge can enable public and private officials to execute their responsibilities more effectively, more equitably, and more compassionately and empower families and communities to resolve their problems and conflicts in a manner that strengthens their internal resources and reduces the need for external interventions.

Report Overview

Early studies on child abuse and neglect evolved from a medical or pathogenic model, and research focused on specific contributing factors or causal sources within the individual offender to be discovered, addressed, and prevented. With the development of research on child maltreatment over the past several decades, however, the complexity of the phenomena encompassed by the terms child abuse and neglect or child maltreatment has become apparent. Clinical studies that began with small sample sizes and weak methodological designs have gradually evolved into larger and longer-term projects with hundreds of research subjects and sound instrumentation.

Although the pathogenic model remains popular among the general public in explaining the sources of child maltreatment, it is limited by its primary focus on risk and protective factors within the individual. Research investigators now recognize that individual behaviors are often influenced by factors in the family, community, and society as a whole. Elements from these systems are now being integrated into more complex theories that analyze the roles of interacting risk and protective factors to explain and understand the phenomena associated with child maltreatment.

In the past, research on child abuse and neglect has developed within a categorical framework that classifies the research by the type of maltreatment typically as reported in administrative records. Although the quality of research within different categories of child abuse and neglect is uneven and problems of definitions, data collection, and study design continue to characterize much research in this field, the panel concluded that enough progress has been achieved to integrate the four categories of maltreatment into a child-oriented framework that could analyze the similarities and differences of research findings. Rather than encouraging the continuation of a categorical approach that would separate research on physical or sexual abuse, for example, the panel sought to develop for research sponsors and the research community a set of priorities that would foster the integration of scientific findings, encourage the development of comparative analyses, and also distinguish key research themes in such areas as identification, incidence, etiology, prevention, consequences, and treatment. This approach recognizes the need for the construction of collaborative, long-term efforts between public and private research sponsors and research investigators to strengthen the knowledge base, to integrate studies that have evolved for different types of child maltreatment, and eventually to reduce the problem of child maltreatment. This approach also highlights the connections that need to be made between research on the causes and the prevention of child maltreatment, for the more we learn about the origins of child abuse and neglect, the more effective we can be in seeking to prevent it. In the same manner, the report emphasises the connections that need to be made between research on the consequences and treatment of child maltreatment, for knowledge about the effects of child abuse and neglect can guide the development of interventions to address these effects.

In constructing this report, the panel has considered eight broad areas: Identification and definitions of child abuse and neglect (Chapter 2) Incidence: The scope of the problem (Chapter 3) Etiology of child maltreatment (Chapter 4) Prevention of child maltreatment (Chapter 5) Consequences of child maltreatment (Chapter 6) Treatment of child maltreatment (Chapter 7)

Human resources, instrumentation, and research infrastructure (Chapter 8) Ethical and legal issue in child maltreatment research (Chapter 9)

Each chapter includes key research recommendations within the topic under review. The final chapter of the report (Chapter 10) establishes a framework of research priorities derived by the panel from these recommendations. The four main categories identified within this framework—research on the nature and scope of child maltreatment; research on the origins and consequences of child maltreatment; research on the strengths and limitations of existing interventions; and the need for a science policy for child maltreatment research—provide the priorities that the panel has selected as the most important to address in the decade ahead.

1. The panel received an anecdotal report, for example, that one federal research agency systematically changed titles of its research awards over a decade ago, replacing phrases such as child abuse with references to maternal and child health care, after political sensitivities developed regarding the appropriateness of its research program in this area.

Bell, D.A. 1992 Faces at the Bottom of the Well: The Permanence of Racism . New York: Basic Books.

Children's Defense Fund 1991 The State of America's Children . Washington, DC: The Children's Defense Fund.

Daro, D. 1988 Confronting Child Abuse: Research for Effective Program Design . New York: The Free Press, Macmillan. Cited in the General Accounting Office, 1992. Child Abuse: Prevention Programs Need Greater Emphasis. GAO/HRD-92-99.

Daro, D., and K. McCurdy 1991 Current Trends in Child Abuse Reporting and Fatalities: The Results of the 1990 Annual Fifty State Survey . Chicago: National Committee for Prevention of Child Abuse.

Fuchs, V.R., and D.M. Reklis 1992 America's children: Economic perspectives and policy options. Science 255:41-46.

General Accounting Office 1991 Child Abuse Prevention: Status of the Challenge Grant Program . May. GAO:HRD91-95. Washington, DC.

Huston, A.C., ed. 1991 Children in Poverty: Child Development and Public Policy . New York: Cambridge University Press.

Kempe, C.H., F.N. Silverman, B. Steele, W. Droegemueller, and H.R. Silver 1962 The battered child syndrome. Journal of the American Medical Association 181(1): 17-24.

McClain, P.W., J.J. Sacks, R.G. Froehlke, and B.G. Ewigman 1993 Estimates of fatal child abuse and neglect, United States, 1979 through 1988. Pediatrics 91(2):338-343.

National Commission on Children 1991 Beyond Rhetoric: A New American Agenda for Children and Families . Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

National Research Council 1981 Services for Children: An Agenda for Research . Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect 1990 Child Abuse and Neglect: Critical First Steps in Response to a National Emergency . August. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. August. 1991 Creating Caring Communities . September. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

U.S. Public Health Service 1990 Violent and abusive behavior. Pp. 226-247 (Chapter 7) in Healthy People 2000 Report . Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The tragedy of child abuse and neglect is in the forefront of public attention. Yet, without a conceptual framework, research in this area has been highly fragmented. Understanding the broad dimensions of this crisis has suffered as a result.

This new volume provides a comprehensive, integrated, child-oriented research agenda for the nation. The committee presents an overview of three major areas:

Definitions and scope —exploring standardized classifications, analysis of incidence and prevalence trends, and more.
Etiology, consequences, treatment, and prevention —analyzing relationships between cause and effect, reviewing prevention research with a unique systems approach, looking at short- and long-term consequences of abuse, and evaluating interventions.
Infrastructure and ethics —including a review of current research efforts, ways to strengthen human resources and research tools, and guidance on sensitive ethical and legal issues.

This volume will be useful to organizations involved in research, social service agencies, child advocacy groups, and researchers.

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Child Abuse: Signs, Types, Impact

Elizabeth is a freelance health and wellness writer. She helps brands craft factual, yet relatable content that resonates with diverse audiences.

Ann-Louise T. Lockhart, PsyD, ABPP, is a board-certified pediatric psychologist, parent coach, author, speaker, and owner of A New Day Pediatric Psychology, PLLC.

LumiNola / Getty Images

Indicators of Child Abuse

Types of child abuse, impact of child abuse, how to manage the effects of child abuse.

Child abuse is the wrongful treatment of a child. It may be in the form of physical, emotional , or sexual abuse . This form of abuse may also be recognized as the exploitation of a child, as well as the failure to properly care for a child, otherwise known as neglect .

Children that are subjected to abuse usually experience harm to their health, welfare, and self-respect.

This article covers the many forms of child abuse, how each form impacts a child's mental and physical well-being, and discusses how childhood trauma can be treated.

If you are a victim of child abuse or know someone who might be, call or text the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 to speak with a professional crisis counselor.

For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database .

When a child is experiencing ill-treatment from a caregiver or other person, there are signs that may indicate abuse. These include:

Signs of Physical Abuse

Unexplained facial injuries
Injuries on forearms
Burn marks on the skin
Bruises on the ears
Oral and dental injuries
Dislocations around the body
Internal damage
Vomiting or breathing difficulties due to head trauma

Signs of Sexual Abuse

Bruising around the genitals
Painful urination or defecation
Discharge around the genital or rectal areas
Difficulty walking or sitting

Signs of Neglect

Poor hygiene
Improper clothing during the seasons
Lack of access to medical care
Worsening medical conditions
Poorly-tended wounds
Malnutrition

Behavioral Cues of Child Abuse

Excessive crying in infants
Poor concentration
Development of phobias
Eating issues
Displays fear around parents/caregivers
Speech difficulties
Poor performance at school
Substance abuse
Discomfort while undressing
Docile during physical exams
Withdrawing when touched

Child abuse is committed in epidemic proportions in the United States. Every year, approximately one million children are deprived of a normal, harm-free childhood. Instead, they are subjected to the horrors of maltreatment in their formative stages.

The abuse of children may take different forms, listed below.

Physical Abuse

This form of abuse refers to the deliberate physical harm of a child by parents or caregivers. Physical abuse affects around 18% of maltreated children, and is a leading cause of child deaths—homicide falling in second for the loss of infant lives younger than one.

Physical abuse may involve hitting a child with hands or an object. Burning, biting, or physically restraining a child with the intent to do harm is also considered physical abuse.

Children of all races, ethnicities and economic groups may be subject to physical abuse. It is, however, more commonly observed in boys and infant children.

A child is also at a higher risk of physical abuse where they live with a disability or are under the care of an unmarried mother.

There is also an increased chance of violence where a child is raised in poverty, or in a home where domestic violence is rampant. The same goes in situations where a child grows up with an unrelated adult, or with more than two siblings at home.

Emotional Abuse

This form of abuse may not always have the immediately apparent signs of physical harm but is no less painful.

Emotional abuse occurs where a child is degraded, terrorized, isolated, or exploited by a parent/caregiver. This is seen where a child is constantly criticized, threatened, rejected, or given no support or love while growing up.

In 2010, The Federal Report of Child Maltreatment Statistics stated that 8% of all reported cases of child maltreatment involve emotional abuse. There is a chance that cases of emotional abuse may be even higher than those reported.

Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse refers to the forceful participation of children in sexual acts. It may also involve forcing a child to engage in sexual acts that they do not fully understand. This abuse may also force children to engage in sexual acts that they do not fully understand.

Sexual abuse includes sexual assault, rape, incest, fondling, oral sexual contact, the commercial sexual exploitation of children, or genital/anal penetration. Sexual abuse is a worryingly common form of child abuse. By adulthood, it is estimated that 26% of girls and 5% of boys will experience this maltreatment.

While sexual contact typically makes up sexual abuse, non-contact improper treatment may also come under the abuse classification. This includes the exposure of a child to sexual activity or taking inappropriate photographs of children.

This is the failure of a caregiver/parent to meet the most basic needs of a child. It is the most common form of child abuse where approximately two-thirds of reports to child protective services are made over concerns of child neglect.

Neglect takes many forms and can be observed where a child is not taken for regular doctor appointments, or is denied access to healthcare by a caregiver.

This form of abuse is also apparent where a child is not given the right nutritional care, or when children are exposed to harmful substances like drugs.

Abuse has far-reaching effects on every aspect of a child’s well-being.

Impact of Physical Abuse

Physically, children may suffer the pains of fractures, burns, facial or bodily disfigurement, and even seizures brought on by bodily maltreatment. The mental effects of this treatment may leave children with PTSD or even cognitive retardation.

Impact of Emotional Abuse

Emotional abuse may cause a disconnect in a child’s sense of self. This abuse could be responsible for negative disruptions in the brain, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem , hostile behaviors , and noticeable delinquent habits such as alcohol use in early adulthood.

Impact of Sexual Abuse

The sexual abuse of children has both immediate and long-term effects on their well-being. Survivors of child sexual abuse may feel anger, guilt, and shame over the treatment they have endured.

Children who have experienced sexual abuse are also at a higher risk of developing anxiety, depression, and inappropriate sexual behaviors in life. In later years, these survivors may experience problems like alcoholism , drug dependency, marriage/family difficulties, and a worrying preoccupation with suicide .

Impact of Neglect

A child left without the useful tools and care for proper development may perform poorly in school. This child is also likely to display emotional and behavioral problems as a result of their abandonment.

Later difficulties in life like liver and heart disease may also be traceable to poor treatment received in childhood.

In suspected cases of child abuse at the hands of a parent or caregiver, this treatment should be reported to child protection services or other relevant law enforcement agencies.

Children that have been physically abused should then be stabilized, with examinations carried out to determine the extent of the ill-treatment endured.

Physical, emotional, and sexual abuse victims, as well as children that have lived through neglect, need appropriate care. These children may be protected using treatments like psychotherapy , medication, or a combination of both.

Therapy is useful for addressing the issues linked with abuse and neglect. It is also necessary to teach a child appropriate behaviors for adult-child relationships. Therapy can also provide a support system for poorly treated children.

Medication may be recommended for the PTSD, anxiety, depression, and other pains associated with abusive treatment.

Maltreatment is a painful thing to experience during development. The different forms of child abuse have far-reaching effects on welfare, but may be managed using the right methods.

A Word From Verywell

Child abuse is an alarmingly common form of abuse. With many different forms, children are exposed to multiple ripple effects from the maltreatment they've been subjected to. While recovery from a life punctuated by physical assault, sexual violence, or neglect can be difficult, healing is possible. Putting a child affected by abuse in therapy, or placing them on medication to manage adverse outcomes are effective ways to manage child abuse. To protect a child against abuse, it's important to report suspected cases of ill-treatment to the correct authorities.

Gonzalez D, Bethencourt Mirabal A, McCall JD. Child Abuse and Neglect .In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2021 Jan.

Stanford Medicine. Child abuse .

Mahoney J. Types of abuse . Nurs Clin North Am . 2011;46(4):385-v. doi:10.1016/j.cnur.2011.08.005

Brown CL, Yilanli M, Rabbitt AL. Child Physical Abuse And Neglect . In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2021 Jan.

Shin SH, Lee S, Jeon SM, Wills TA. Childhood emotional abuse, negative emotion-driven impulsivity, and alcohol use in young adulthood . Child Abuse Negl . 2015;50:94-103. doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2015.02.010

Murray LK, Nguyen A, Cohen JA. Child sexual abuse . Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am . 2014;23(2):321-337. doi:10.1016/j.chc.2014.01.003

Melmer MN, Gutovitz S. Child Sexual Abuse And Neglect . In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2021 Jan.

Dubowitz H. Neglect in children . Pediatr Ann . 2013;42(4):73-77. doi:10.3928/00904481-20130326-11

Childwelfare.gov. Anthony U., Cynthia W. Treatment for Abused and Neglected Children: Infancy to Age 18 .

Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. Substance Abuse Treatment for Persons with Child Abuse and Neglect Issues . Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US); 2000. (Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series, No. 36.) Chapter 3—Comprehensive Treatment for Adult Survivors of Child Abuse and Neglect.

By Elizabeth Plumptre Elizabeth is a freelance health and wellness writer. She helps brands craft factual, yet relatable content that resonates with diverse audiences.

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Child abuse and neglect.

Dulce Gonzalez ; Arian Bethencourt Mirabal ; Janelle D. McCall .

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Continuing Education Activity

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines child maltreatment as “all forms of physical and emotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse, neglect, and exploitation that results in actual or potential harm to the child’s health, development or dignity.” There are four main types of abuse: neglect, physical abuse, psychological abuse, and sexual abuse. Abuse is defined as an act of commission and neglect is defined as an act of omission in the care leading to potential or actual harm. This activity reviews the epidemiology, presentation, and diagnosis of child abuse and highlights the role of the interprofessional team in its management and prevention.

Identify the etiology of child abuse and neglect.
Review the presentation of a child with abuse and neglect.
Outline the treatment and management options child abuse and neglect.
Describe interprofessional team strategies for improving care coordination and outcomes in children with abuse and neglect.
Introduction

Neglect may include inadequate health care, education, supervision, protection from hazards in the environment, and unmet basic needs such as clothing and food. Neglect is the most common form of child abuse.
Physical abuse may include beating, shaking, burning, and biting. The threshold for defining corporal punishment as abuse is unclear. Rib fractures are found to be the most common finding associated with physical abuse.
Psychological abuse includes verbal abuse, humiliation, and acts that scare or terrorize a child, which may result in future psychological illness of the child.
Sexual abuse is defined as “the involvement of dependent, developmentally immature children and adolescents in sexual activities which they do not fully comprehend, to which they are unable to give consent, or that violate the social taboos of family roles.” Some cases of sexual abuse do not need to involve oral, anal, or vaginal penetration and may include exposure to sexually explicit materials, oral-genital contact, genital-to-genital contact, genital-to-anal contact, and genital fondling.

A significant amount of child abuse cases frequently are missed by healthcare providers. For the diagnosis of child abuse to be made, there needs to be a high index of suspicion. [1] [2] [3]

All races, ethnicities, and socioeconomic groups are affected by child abuse with boys and adolescents more commonly affected. Infants tend to have increased morbidity and mortality with physical abuse. Multiple factors increase a child’s risk of abuse. These include risks at an individual level (child’s disability, unmarried mother, maternal smoking or parent’s depression); risks at a familial level (domestic violence at home, more than two siblings at home); risks at a community level (lack of recreational facilities); and societal factors (poverty). Other risk factors include living in an unrelated adult’s home and being a child previously reported to child protective services (CPS). All of these increase the risk of child maltreatment. There are also protective factors that decrease the risk of child maltreatment, which includes family support and parental concern. Preventive factors include parental education regarding child development and parenting, social support, as well as parental resilience. [4] [5] [6]

Epidemiology

Each year, millions of children are investigated by the Child Protective Services for child abuse and neglect. In 2014, over 3.2 million children were subjects of child maltreatment reports, of those, 20% were found to have evidence of maltreatment. [7]

History and Physical

To diagnose a patient with child maltreatment is difficult since the victim may be nonverbal or too frightened or severely injured to talk. Also, the perpetrator will rarely admit to the injury, and witnesses are uncommon. Physicians will see children of maltreatment in a range of ways that include:

An adult or mandated reporter may bring the child in when they are concerned for abuse
A child or adolescent may come in disclosing the abuse
The perpetrators may be concerned that the abuse is severe and bring in the patient for medical care
The child may present for care unrelated to the abuse, and the abuse may be found incidentally.

Physical abuse should be considered in the evaluation of all injuries of children. A thorough history of present illness is important to make a correct diagnosis. Important aspects of the history-taking involve gathering information about the child’s behavior before, during, and after the injury occurred. History-taking should include the interview of each caretaker separately and the verbal child, as well. The parent or caretaker should be able to provide their history without interruptions in order not to be influenced by the physician’s questions or interpretations.

Physical Abuse

Child physical abuse should be considered in each of the following:

A non-ambulatory infant with any injury
Injury in a nonverbal child
Injury inconsistent with child’s physical abilities and a statement of harm from the verbal child
Mechanism of injury not plausible; multiple injuries, particularly at varying ages
Bruises on the torso, ear or neck in a child younger than 4 years of age
Burns to genitalia
Stocking or glove distributions or patterns
Caregiver is unconcerned about injury
An unexplained delay in seeking care or inconsistencies or discrepancies in the histories provided.

"TEN 4" is a useful mnemonic device used to recall which bruising locations are of concern in cases involving physical abuse: Torso, Ear, Neck and 4 (less than four years of age or any bruising in a child less than four months of age). A few injuries that are highly suggestive of abuse include retinal hemorrhages, posterior rib fractures, and classic metaphyseal lesions.

Bruising is the most common sign of physical abuse but is missed as a sentinel injury in ambulatory children. Bruising in non-ambulatory children is rare and should raise suspicion for abuse. The most common areas of bruising in non-abused children are the knees and shins as well as bony prominences including the forehead. The most common area of bruising for the abused children includes the head and face. Burns are a common form of a childhood injury that is usually not associated with abuse. Immersion burns have characteristic sharp lines of demarcation that often involves the genitals and lower extremities in a symmetric pattern, and this is highly suspicious for abuse.

Abusive Head Trauma

Abusive head trauma (AHT), also known as the shaken baby syndrome, is a form of child physical abuse with the highest mortality rate (greater than 20%). Symptoms may be as subtle as vomiting, or as severe as lethargy, seizures, apnea, or coma. Findings suggestive of AHT are retinal hemorrhages, subdural hematomas, and diffuse axonal injury. An infant with abusive head trauma may have no neurologic symptoms and may be diagnosed instead with acute gastroenteritis, otitis media, GERD, colic and other non-related entities. Often, a head ultrasound is used as the initial evaluation in young infants. However, it not the test of choice in the emergency setting. In the assessment of AHT, the ophthalmologic examination should be performed, preferably by a pediatric ophthalmologist.

Skeletal Trauma

The second most common type of child abuse after neglect is physical abuse. Eighty percent of abusive fractures occur in non-ambulatory children, particularly in children younger than 18 months of age. The most important risk factor for abusive skeletal injury is age. There is no fracture pathognomonic for abuse, but there are some fractures that are more suggestive of abuse. These include posterior or lateral rib fractures and “corner” or “bucket handle” fractures, which occur at the ends of long bones and which result from a twisting mechanism. Other highly suspicious fractures are sternal, spinal and scapular fractures.

Abdominal Trauma

Abdominal trauma is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in abused children. It is the second most common cause of death from physical abuse, mostly seen in infants and toddlers. Many of these children will not display overt findings, and there may be no abdominal bruising on physical exam. Therefore, screening should include liver function tests, amylase, lipase, and testing for hematuria. Any positive result can indicate the need for imaging studies, particularly an abdominal CT scan.

Sexual Abuse

If a child demonstrates behavior such as undressing in front of others, touching others' genitals, as well as trying to look at others underdressing, there may be a concern for sexual abuse. It is important to understand that a normal physical examination does not rule out sexual abuse. Indeed, the majority of sexual abuse victims have a normal anogenital examination. In most cases, the strongest evidence that sexual abuse has occurred is the child’s statement.

Physical examination may not only demonstrate signs of physical abuse but may show signs of neglect. The general examination may show poor oral hygiene with extensive dental caries, malnutrition with significant growth failure, untreated diaper dermatitis, or untreated wounds.

All healthcare providers are mandated reporters, and, as such, they are required to make a report to child welfare when there is a reasonable suspicion of abuse or neglect. One does not need to be certain, but one does need to have a reasonable suspicion of the abuse. This mandated report may be lifesaving for many children. an interprofessional approach with the inclusion of a child-abuse specialist is optimal.

Any child younger than two years old for whom there is a concern of physical abuse should have a skeletal survey. Additionally, any sibling younger than two years of age of an abused child should also have a skeletal survey. A skeletal survey consists of 21 dedicated views, as recommended by the American College of Radiology. The views include anteroposterior (AP) and lateral aspects of the skull; lateral spine; AP, right posterior oblique, left posterior oblique of chest/rib technique; AP pelvis; AP of each femur; AP of each leg; AP of each humerus; AP of each forearm; posterior and anterior views of each hand; AP (dorsoventral) of each foot. If the findings are abnormal or equivocal, a follow-up survey is indicated in 2 weeks to visualize healing patterns.

Laboratory evaluation may be performed to rule out other diseases as causes of the injuries. These can including bone (calcium, magnesium, phosphate, alkaline phosphatase), hematology (CBC), coagulation (PT, PTT, INR), metabolic (glucose, BUN, creatinine, albumin, protein), liver (AST, ALT), pancreatic (amylase and lipase), and bleeding diathesis (von Willebrand antigen, von Willebrand activity, Factor VIII, Factor IX and platelet function assays).

One should take into consideration that the most common differential diagnosis of non-accidental injury is an accidental injury. [8] [9] [10]

Treatment / Management

Initial management of an abused child involves stabilization, including assessing the patient’s airway, breathing, and circulation. Once ensured that the patient is stable, a complete history and physical examination is required. With the suspicion for any form of child abuse, CPS needs to be informed. If there is a child abuse specialist at the pediatric center, their involvement would be optimal. If the patient is seen in an outpatient setting, there may be a need to transfer the patient to a hospital for laboratory and radiologic evaluation as well as the appropriate continuation of care. Even if a child was transferred to another physician or facility, the physician first involved with the patient care still has the responsibility of being a mandated reporter. It is not the responsibility of the physician to identify the perpetrator, but it is to recognize potential abuse. The physician can continue to advocate for the child, ensuring that the patient receives the appropriate follow-up services.

Victims of sexual abuse should have their physical, mental, and psychosocial needs addressed. Baseline sexually transmitted infection (STI) and pregnancy testing should be performed as well as empiric treatment for HIV, gonorrhea, chlamydia, trichomonas, and bacterial vaginosis infection for the adolescent victims. This management is possible if the patients present within 72 hours of the incident to receive appropriate care as well as emergency contraception if desired. Prepubertal patients are not provided with the prophylactic treatment due to the low incidence of STIs in this age group. Urgent evaluation is beneficial in the patients who need prophylactic treatment, those with anogenital injury, for forensic evidence, optimally in less than 72 hours, for urgent child protection, and in those having suicidal ideation or any other form of symptom and/or injury requiring urgent medical care. [11] [12] [13]

Differential Diagnosis
Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura
Vascular malformations
Collagen vascular disorder
Osteogenesis imperfecta
Complications
Disfigurement
Emotional trauma
Mental retardation
Consultations
Psychiatrist
Orthopedic surgeon
Neurologist
Child protective services
Pearls and Other Issues

It is important as physicians to have a high index of suspicion for child maltreatment since early identification may be lifesaving.

Enhancing Healthcare Team Outcomes

Child abuse is a public health problem that leads to lifelong health consequences, both physically and psychologically. Physically, those who undergo abusive head trauma may have neurologic deficits, developmental delays, cerebral palsy, and other forms of disability. Psychologically, child abuse patients tend to have higher rates of depression, conduct disorder, and substance abuse. Academically, these children may have poor performance at school with decreased cognitive function. It is important as clinicians to have a high index of suspicion for child maltreatment since early identification may be lifesaving. Nurses, doctors, pharmacists, and all other healthcare workers should not hesitate to report child abuse.

When it comes to child abuse, all healthcare workers have a legal, medical and moral obligation to identify the problem and report it to CPS. The majority of child abuse problems present to the Emergency Department; hence nurses and physicians are often the first ones to notice the problem. The key is to be aware of the problem; allowing abused children to return back to their parents usually leads to more violence and sometimes even death. Even if child abuse is only suspected, the social worker must be informed so that the child can be followed as an outpatient. The law favors the clinician for reporting child abuse, even if it is only a suspicion. On the other hand, failing to report child abuse can have repercussions on the clinician. Unfortunately, despite the best practices, many children continue to suffer from child abuse. [14] [15] [16] (Level V)

Evidence-based outcomes

Child abuse is a serious problem in many countries. While there is an acute awareness of the problem, many children fail to be referred to CPS and consequently continue to suffer abuse, sometimes even death. In a busy emergency room, signs of child abuse are missed, and thus healthcare workers must be vigilant of abuse in any child who presents with injuries that are out of place. [2] [17] (Level V)

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Disclosure: Dulce Gonzalez declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Arian Bethencourt Mirabal declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Janelle McCall declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

This book is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ ), which permits others to distribute the work, provided that the article is not altered or used commercially. You are not required to obtain permission to distribute this article, provided that you credit the author and journal.

Cite this Page Gonzalez D, Bethencourt Mirabal A, McCall JD. Child Abuse and Neglect. [Updated 2023 Jul 4]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-.

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Cause and Effect of Child Abuse

This essay will explore the causes and effects of child abuse. It will examine factors leading to abuse, its immediate and long-term psychological impacts on children, and the importance of preventive and supportive measures. Also at PapersOwl you can find more free essay examples related to Abuse.

How it works

Abuse impacts an individual negatively and follows them the rest of their life. Child abuse is horrific as the abuse is often from the very person that is supposed to protect the child. The abuse isn’t always physical but can be mental, sexual, and neglectful. Many factors can influence a child’s reaction to the traumas that they experience such as age, how far developmentally they are, the type of abuse, how long the abuse went on, how severe, and the relationship to perpetrator.

Child abuse is a major problem in the world today. There are several causes such as domestic violence, substance abuse, and inadequate parenting skills but the effects always affect the victims psychologically, physically, and mentally during the abuse and later in life.

One of the many causes of child abuse is domestic violence. If a child lives in a household were violence is present, they often become victims of violence as well. The anger between parents can be projected on to a child if the child begins to cry, tries to protect the abused parent, or just reminding the abuser of the other parent. Some of the effects from this type of abuse is the physical injury to the child such as shaken baby syndrome. Shaken baby syndrome often causes swelling in the brain, possibly internal bleeding of the brain, blindness, or mental retardation. With any injuries to a child’s brain at such a young age may result in cognitive issues as they get older. The brain is still developing so any injuries during this time can be detrimental for the child’s cognitive future. The child could also receive broken bones which if not healed properly will cause issues physically as they get older.

As the child grows older, they can begin to feel isolated and think no one understands or is in the position to help them escape the situation that they are in. Children that feel isolated also tend to have low self-esteem, depressed, have anxiety, eating disorders, mental health issues, and often find their selves contemplating suicide.

Another cause of child abuse is substance abuse. When a parent is so dependent on a substance, they do not have the ability to care for their children the way that they should be. An addictive parent will put their drug needs before their own needs for shelter and food, as they are only searching for their next fix to sustain that ultimate high. Drugs and alcohol can contribute to maltreatment of children. The early exposure to drugs allows a child to think the behavior they are seeing is normal and may experience drugs and alcohol a lot earlier than other children their age. Children also are left up to their own devices in these situations.

Without the parental interaction and support these children tend to suffer academically as they score lower on tests and have issues developing language outside of normal school settings. Other effects of this type of abuse is the higher probability of the child dropping out of school, becoming delinquent, early teen pregnancy, and becoming involved in criminal activity which leads to arrest. Children that experience this type of abuse can also be aggressive as they have no outlet or guidance on how to deal with their emotions in a positive way.

Inadequate parenting skills is another cause of child abuse. A lot of parents when finding out they will be bringing another life into the world get excited and begin to research and participate in classes to help them become a better parent. However, some parents have no desire to be parents but do not take the precautionary measures to prevent pregnancies and often do not believe in abortions or not able to get one because of financial reasons. Some parents even have children to gain government benefits that wouldn’t be available to them otherwise. Some parents are unable to manage the physical and emotional needs to care for the child.

When parents are stressed, they often take their frustrations out on their children both physically and verbally. Relationship issues and financial obligations are the main stressors that many parents face. Some parents just do not have the basic knowledge of the development of a child and may have unrealistic expectations of their role as a parent or the capabilities of the child. The effects of these abused children prevent them from being able to form positive attachments. Being able to attach to the parent or caregiver is important as it is a guideline for relationships in the future. The primary attachment is the person that cares for a child whether it be a parent, friend, relative, or foster/adoptive parent.

This person is to protect, comfort, and guide the child in their life. Without this attachment being positive, the child finds it hard to trust and can be often distressed in situations when they are being asked to trust someone. It is extremely difficult to trust people when the person they are supposed to trust first was never a positive model in their life. Later in life as adults, these children are more likely to not be able to form and maintain strong relationships and have very unhealthy relationships with people.

As you can see child abuse is very damaging to children no matter when they are abused in their life. Children that experience these life scarring events can prevail and make a better life for themselves. However, not all children have the capacity or help to be able to overcome the trauma. These scars may not be seen physically forever but mental scars will always be there. The ultimate effect of abuse is death which occurs more today than one would like to admit. There are classes in place to help parents become better parents. Children that are abused more than likely grow up and repeat the same pattern of abuse if there is no intervention. It is society’s duty to be able to identify and help not only the children that experiences the abuse but also help the abuser understand the effects that last far longer than the abuse itself.

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Student Essays

Essay on Child Abuse Causes & Impacts of Child Abuse

Child abuse is one the dangerous issues the world is facing right now. There is growing abuse of children in every forms due to a host of issues. The following essay talks about the child abuse, its definition, concept and its impacts.

Essay on Child Abuse – Concept, Types, Causes & Impacts of of Child Abuse

Child abuse refers to any form of physical, emotional, or sexual maltreatment of a child. In most cases, child abuse is perpetrated by a parent or other adult caregiver. Child abuse can have severe and long-lasting effects on its victims. There are many different types of child abuse, but they all share one common trait: they are all harmful to the child.

Forms of Child Abuse

Some of the most common types of child abuse include physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect. Physical abuse is any form of intentional physical violence against a child. This can include hitting, punching, slapping, shaking, or throwing a child. It can also involve burning, choking, or beating a child.

>>> Related Post: “ Essay on Father’s Day Celebration & Love ”

Emotional abuse is any type of verbal or nonverbal mistreatment that causes emotional damage to a child. This can include yelling, name-calling, threatening, shaming, or humiliating a child. It can also involve neglecting a child’s emotional needs, such as not providing love and support.

Sexual abuse is any form of unwanted sexual contact or exploitation of a child. This can include touching, kissing, oral sex, or intercourse. It can also involve making a child watch or participate in sexual activities.

Neglect is the failure to provide a child with the basic necessities of life, such as food, water, shelter, clothing, or medical care. This can also include emotional neglect, such as not providing love and support.

Main Causes of Child Abuse

There is no single cause of child abuse. Instead, it is usually the result of a combination of factors. Some of the most common causes of child abuse include:

1. Family stress: Many families are under a lot of stress. This can be caused by financial problems, job loss, illness, or divorce. This stress can make it difficult for parents to cope, which can lead to them taking their frustration out on their children.

2. Substance abuse: Parents who abuse drugs or alcohol are more likely to abuse their children. This is because drugs and alcohol can make people act impulsively and angrily. They can also make it difficult for parents to bond with their children.

3. Mental illness: Parents with mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder are more likely to abuse their children. This is because these illnesses can make it difficult for parents to cope with everyday life.

4. Parental conflict: Parents who have a lot of conflict are more likely to abuse their children. This is because conflict can lead to stressful and angry interactions.

5. Lack of parenting skills: Some parents may not know how to effectively deal with their child’s behavior. This can lead to them using physical or emotional abuse as a way to discipline their child.

6. Abuse in the child’s own life: Children who have been abused or neglected are more likely to be abusive themselves. This is because they may think that abuse is normal or they may not know how to effectively deal with their own emotions.

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Child abuse is a serious problem that can have lasting effects on its victims. Victims of child abuse are more likely to experience problems in adulthood, such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and suicide. If you suspect that a child is being abused, it’s important to report it to the authorities. Thank you for reading this essay on child abuse. I hope you found it informative and helpful. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them in the comment section below.

When Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse Are Disbelieved

Learn why caregivers fail to support kids who disclose abuse and its impact..

Posted July 11, 2024 | Reviewed by Margaret Foley

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Up to one-third of children abused in the home may not receive a supportive response when they disclose.
Poor parental attachment, patriarchal beliefs, and emotional and economic dependence may cause non-support.
Lack of support or disbelief has been linked to poorer, more severe long-term outcomes post-disclosure.

Andrea Robin Skinner, the daughter of late Canadian author and Nobel Laureate Alice Munro , wrote an essay in the Toronto Star where she described how she was sexually abused by her stepfather in 1976. Her story of intrafamilial child sexual abuse is unfortunately not uncommon, but what has shocked many was that Skinner wrote that when she told her mother in 1992, Munro acted “as if she had learned of an infidelity ," returning to her husband, whom she stayed with until his death, causing an irreparable rift between mother and daughter. Many are struggling to understand how a lauded and respected author who wrote about trauma failed to support her own daughter.

Why would a non-abusing parent disbelieve or fail to adequately support their child post-disclosure of CSA?

This is a complex question, and answers can vary based on the individual. Little recent research has examined this question, and many existing studies have small samples, with most focusing on the role of mothers, as it is often the stepfather or biological father who is the perpetrator. In cases of intrafamilial CSA, it is estimated that between 15 and 35 percent of non-abusing parents disbelieve some aspects of their child’s report.

One study of 10 mothers found that those mothers who were rated as “unsupportive” of their children post-disclosure adhered more strongly to patriarchal cultural or religious beliefs and values, causing them to remain in contact with the abusing partner.
Several studies have found that mothers were more likely to believe their children when the perpetrator was a biological father or extended family member than when it was a boyfriend or stepfather.
Economic and/or emotional dependence on the abusing parent was also found to be related to disbelief or unsupportive responses.
The findings regarding the age and gender of the child are inconclusive, but some studies have found that mothers are more likely to believe younger children and male children than adolescent, female children.
Other studies have found that poor attachment between mother and child can result in disbelief or non-support.
It is also speculated that perpetrators engage in familial grooming , such that the perpetrator not only engages in the sexual grooming of the child but also of the non-offending family members, thus increasing the likelihood that the abuse will not be detected or believed.

What happens when children are disbelieved or not adequately supported when they disclose CSA?

There are many negative long-term consequences of CSA, however, research suggests that they are exacerbated when a survivor comes forth and is not supported.

Parental support post-disclosure has consistently been associated with the adjustment of sexually abused children, such that children who are believed and supported have better long-term outcomes.
A recent meta-analysis found that this relationship was not as strong as previously believed, but perhaps that was because of the way support was conceptualized. That is, perhaps the long-term outcomes were less about whether the child was believed or disbelieved than about the quality of the parental attachment to the child and the child’s perception of the parent-child relationship.
However, the worst outcomes result when a child discloses the abuse, nothing is done, and they remain in the abusive situation.

Thus, it is imperative for children who have disclosed abuse to be supported by caregivers, and the quality of this support should be a focus of the healing process.

Jeglic, E.J., & Calkins, C.A. (2018). Protecting you child from sexual abuse: What you need to know to keep your kids safe. New York: Skyhorse Publishing.

Winters, G.M., & Jeglic, E.L. (2022). Sexual Grooming: Integrating Research, Practice, Prevention, and Policy . Springer.

Elizabeth Jeglic, Ph.D. , is a clinical psychologist and a professor of psychology at John Jay College who studies sexual violence prevention.

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What is child abuse and neglect? Understanding warning signs and getting help

Physical Abuse and Violence

Children depend on many adults as they grow up. Parents, relatives, teachers and child care workers all provide children with love, support and guidance.

No one wants to see children grow up with fear, anger or neglect. But no one is born knowing how to care for children. Sometimes we make mistakes that hurt them.

Whether you are a parent, a teacher, a relative or a caregiver, you can make a difference and help the children you love grow up in a caring, loving environment. Adults don't have to be perfect, just willing to listen, learn, grow and change.

Why do adults hurt children?

Carlos came home from work in a foul mood. Seven-year-old Miguel ran out of the kitchen just as his father walked in, and they ran into each other. Carlos cursed and grabbed his son. He shook Miguel hard while yelling at him, and then shoved him out of the way. The next day, Miguel's arms and back had bruises .

It takes a lot to care for a child. A child needs food, clothing and shelter as well as love and attention. Parents and caregivers want to provide all those things, but they have other pressures, too. Sometimes adults just can't provide everything their children need.

Adults may not intend to hurt the children they care for. But sometimes adults lose control, and sometimes they hurt children.

Adults may hurt children because they:

Lose their tempers when they think about their own problems.

Don't know how to discipline a child.

Expect behavior that is unrealistic for a child's age or ability.

Have been abused by a parent or a partner.

Have financial problems.

Lose control when they use alcohol or other drugs.

What is child abuse?

This is an example of physical child abuse.

Teresa had just changed 18-month-old Dale's dirty diaper when he had another messy diaper; this made Teresa angry. She thought that putting him in hot water would punish him for the dirty diaper. When she put him in the tub, he cried loudly. Teresa slapped him to stop the crying and didn't notice the scald marks until after the bath was over.

Examples of physical child abuse

Shaking or shoving.

Slapping or hitting.

Beating with a belt, shoe or other object.

Burning a child with matches or cigarettes.

Scalding a child with water that is too hot.

Pulling a child's hair out.

Breaking a child's arm, leg, or other bones.

Not letting a child eat, drink or use the bathroom.

What is sexual child abuse?

This is an example of sexual child abuse.

Nine-year-old Susan's mother works at night. Her stepfather James is around when she goes to bed, so many evenings James lies down beside Susan. As she goes to sleep, he rubs her breasts and genital area.

Examples of sexual child abuse

Fondling a child's genitals.

Having intercourse with a child.

Having oral sex with a child.

Having sex in front of a child.

Having a child touch an older person's genitals.

Using a child in pornography.

Showing X-rated books or movies to a child.

What is child neglect?

This is an example of neglect.

John worked nights at the grocery store, but the family needed more money. Ellen looked for work, but the only job she could find required her to leave home at 3 a.m. The children, ages two and six, were alone for a few hours until John got home.

Examples of child neglect

Not meeting a child's need for food, clothing, shelter or safety.

Leaving a child unwatched.

Leaving a child in an unsafe place.

Not seeking necessary medical attention for a child.

Not having a child attend school.

Why do abuse and neglect happen?

Parents and caretakers don't always know that they are being abusive or neglectful. Few adults actually intend to hurt or neglect children.

Sometimes a caretaker just doesn't know a better way to discipline a child. Sometimes an adult is just too frustrated with life and takes it out on a child.

An adult is more likely to abuse or neglect a child:

If the caretaker was abused as a child.

If the caretaker is being abused by a spouse or partner.

If the caretaker uses alcohol or other drugs.

If the adult expects too much of a child.

If the child is the result of an unplanned pregnancy.

Some adults don't know how to correct a child without causing physical harm. An adult who has this problem can learn new ways to discipline without hurting a child.

Look for times when the child is behaving well. Praise that behavior.

Agree on a code word to use when things reach the boiling point. The code word signals that everyone needs some time to cool down before talking about the problem.

When a child misbehaves, give the child a "time-out", a few minutes alone to think about what happened.

Talk to the child about the misbehavior and its effects.

Sometimes, parents and caretakers need to learn to control their own anger. They need to identify the things that make them more likely to hurt the children in their care.

Caretakers who abuse or neglect a child might be:

Worried about not having enough money.

Having problems with spouses or partners.

Coping with a family member's illness or death.

Acting the way their parents acted.

Stressed from their jobs or other problems.

Expecting unrealistic behavior for example, thinking a five-year-old can handle the same tasks as a nine-year-old, and do them as well.

Often people who abuse or neglect children experience more than one of these situations at the same time.

Hurting a child or not filling a child's basic needs never makes things better. No matter what the problem, help is available.

Do you know a child who is abused or neglected?

Brenda's teacher saw signs of neglect.

In the preschool class, four-year-old Brenda always seemed tired. Brenda never brought food for snack time, and she looked hungrily at other children's sandwiches. Her classmates teased her because her hair was always dirty.

Paul saw signs of physical child abuse.

Paul lived next door to the Harris family, where someone always seemed to be yelling or crying. One night Paul heard glass break, then a man's shouting and a loud thump. Ten-year-old Keisha ran out the door a few seconds later, crying. Her face was swollen with the start of a black eye.

The effects of child abuse can last a lifetime. An abused or neglected child needs help right away. Is a child you know being abused or neglected?

Warning signs of abuse and neglect

Cuts and bruises.

Broken bones or internal injuries.

Constant hunger or thirst.

Lack of interest in surroundings.

Dirty hair or skin, frequent diaper rash.

Lack of supervision.

Pain, bruising, or bleeding in the genitals.

More knowledge about sex than is normal for the child's age.

Hard-to-believe stories about how accidents occurred.

What happens to abused and neglected children?

Abuse and neglect have harmful effects on children. At worst, a child could die. More often, abused or neglected children live with fear or pain.

Abused or neglected children often experience:

Frequent injuries.

Learning problems.

Fear or shyness.

Bad dreams.

Behavior problems.

Depression.

Fear of certain adults or places.

The effects don't end when the abuse or neglect stops. When abused or neglected children grow up, they are more likely to:

Abuse their own families.

Use violence to solve their problems.

Have trouble learning.

Have emotional difficulties.

Attempt suicide.

Use alcohol or other drugs.

Abuse and neglect are hard on the whole family. Some families need help in dealing with practical problems—for example, getting help to buy groceries or learning how to discipline a child without resorting to violence. In other cases, a child protection agency might move abused or neglected children away from their parents to a safe, temporary home. If abuse or neglect is severe, or if it continues, the children can be permanently moved away from their parents into a safe situation.

How can we end abuse and neglect?

Sometimes, people are afraid to report abuse or neglect because they don't want to break up a family. Sometimes, people are afraid to get involved in someone else's problem.

When you report suspected child abuse or neglect, you could be saving that child's life

The goal of stopping abuse and neglect is to keep children safe. Part of keeping children safe is finding help for the adults who have hurt them. Adults who have abused or neglected a child have many places to turn for help.

The child's doctor can explain children's needs at every age. He or she can recommend places to learn more about parenting and child care.

Local health and social service departments often have parenting classes. Social service workers also can help parents get assistance to ease their financial situations.

Hospitals and community centers often have classes on stress reduction, parenting, discipline, and nutrition.

Psychologists, counselors, and social workers can help parents and caregivers deal with problems like drug use, anger and previous experiences of abuse.

Religious groups often provide food, counseling, and other types of support for anyone in the community—not just their members.

If you see that a relative, neighbor or friend is under a lot of stress and might hurt children in their care, suggest that the person get help from one of these services. Stop the problem before it starts.

What should I do if I suspect a child is being hurt?

Report your suspicion to a local, county or state child protection agency. Call a crisis hotline or find the agency number in the blue government pages of a telephone directory.

Who must report abuse?

In every state, the following people are required by law to report suspected abuse:

Mental health professionals

Social workers

Day care workers

Law enforcement personnel

When you make a report, the agency will make a judgment about how serious the situation is. If necessary, a child protection worker will visit the family to see whether abuse or neglect has occurred and to determine what needs to be done. The goals of child protection are to:

Stop the abuse.

Give needed services to the family.

Help the family become safe and loving.

No child should have to live in fear of abuse or neglect.

Protect the children you love—help stop child abuse and neglect.

Bullying occurs among children from all walks of life and can take many forms e.g., teasing, physical assault, harassment based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religion and/or weight.

APA has a number of resources available.

Resolution on Bullying (PDF, 40KB)

Bullying topic page

Resilience Guide for Parents and Teachers

Where to go for help

Several organizations can provide information and advice about child abuse and neglect:

American Humane Association

Child Help USA

American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law

American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children

Child Welfare Information Gateway Children's Bureau/ACYF/ACF/HHS

Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma

National Organization for Victim Assistance

PreventChildAbuse.org

Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network

Additional resources

Children, Youth and Families Publications and Resources

Exploring the mental health effects of poverty, hunger, and homelessness on children and teens

Parents and caregivers are essential to children’s healthy development

Children, Youth, and Families

Resilience Guide For Parents & Teachers

Task Force and Working Group Reports

Policy Statements and Resolutions Related to Children, Youth and Families

Center for Psychology in Schools and Education

Essay on Child Abuse

Child abuse is any intentional harm or mistreatment of a child, including physical, sexual, emotional, and neglect. It can have serious consequences for a child’s physical and mental health, as well as their future development and relationships. Child abuse is a serious issue that affects a child’s well-being in many ways ( Steele et al., 2023). It can cause immediate and long-term harm to a child’s physical, emotional, and mental health. Some forms of child abuse, such as physical abuse, can result in physical injuries and long-term physical health problems. Sexual abuse can lead to emotional trauma, depression, and sexual health problems. Emotional abuse can cause low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression. Neglect can result in malnutrition, developmental delays, and behavioral problems.

Moreover, the effects of child abuse can persist into adulthood and affect future relationships, career choices, and overall quality of life (Seddighi et al., 2021). Children who have experienced abuse are also at higher risk of engaging in self-destructive behavior and becoming involved in the criminal justice system. It is important to understand that child abuse can happen to any child, regardless of their background, and can occur in any setting. It is also important to note that child abuse is committed by strangers and people known to the child, such as family members, caretakers, or teachers. It is crucial that child abuse is recognized, reported, and addressed promptly to prevent further harm and promote the child’s well-being.

Reasons for child abuse can vary and include: Substance abuse by a parent or caregiver can lead to impulsive and violent behavior towards a child. Mental health issues: Mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can increase the likelihood of child abuse. Poverty: Financial stress, unemployment, and lack of resources can lead to feelings of hopelessness and desperation, increasing the risk of child abuse. Family violence: Children who grow up in homes where violence is present are more likely to become victims of child abuse (Steele et al., 2023). Lack of knowledge and skills: Parents and caregivers who lack knowledge and skills on appropriate child-rearing practices are more likely to resort to physical or emotional abuse.

There are also cultural and societal factors that can contribute to child abuse. For example, in some cultures, physical punishment is accepted as a form of discipline, and this can increase the likelihood of physical abuse. Societal attitudes towards child-rearing, such as the belief that children should be seen and not heard, can also contribute to emotional abuse. Child abuse can also result from intergenerational cycles of abuse, where children who have been abused are more likely to abuse their children (Steele et al., 2023).

It is important to understand that child abuse is never the child’s fault and that abusive behavior is a choice made by the abuser or caregiver. Seeking help and support is crucial in breaking the cycle of abuse and promoting the child’s well-being. Support services such as counseling, support groups, and educational programs can help individuals overcome the reasons behind their abusive behavior and learn appropriate child-rearing practices (Christian et al., 2018).

Consequences of child abuse can include Physical health problems: Children who are physically abused may experience injuries, disabilities, and chronic health conditions. Mental health problems: Child abuse can lead to various mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Difficulty in relationships: Children who have been abused may struggle to trust others and form healthy relationships in the future. Poor academic performance: Children abused are more likely to struggle in school and have lower educational attainment (Lines et al., 2023). Increased risk of criminal behavior: Children who have been abused are more likely to engage in criminal behavior and substance abuse later in life.

Society must recognize the signs of child abuse and take steps to prevent it. This can involve providing support and resources to families in need and increasing public awareness about the issue. Child abuse can have severe and long-lasting effects on children’s physical, emotional, and psychological well-being. Everyone must play a role in identifying and reporting child abuse cases (Seddighi et al., 2021). This can involve being aware of the signs of abuse, such as bruises, injuries, changes in behavior, and difficulty concentrating.

Individuals can also take steps to prevent abuse by volunteering with organizations that support families and children and by spreading awareness about the issue through conversations and social media. It is also important for schools, healthcare providers, and law enforcement to have proper training in recognizing and reporting abuse (Lines et al., 2023). Governments can play a role in providing funding for resources and services that can help prevent and respond to abuse. Addressing child abuse requires a comprehensive and collaborative approach that involves everyone in society. Working together can create a safer and more supportive environment for children to grow and thrive.

Some other consequences of child abuse can be: Impact on brain development: Child abuse can affect the normal development of a child’s brain, leading to cognitive and behavioral issues. Low self-esteem: Children who are abused often have low self-esteem and negative self-image, which can affect their ability to develop healthy relationships and lead fulfilling lives (Christian et al., 2018). Difficulty in forming attachments: Children who are abused may have trouble forming attachments to others and struggle to develop healthy relationships in adulthood. Risk of substance abuse: Children who have been abused are more likely to turn to drugs and alcohol to cope with their experiences. Victimization: Children who have been abused are more likely to become victims of abuse or violence later in life, in intimate relationships, or other areas of their lives.

Child abuse can devastate children, including physical injuries, emotional trauma, and long-term developmental problems. To prevent child abuse, it is important to understand the various forms it can take, including physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect. Preventing child abuse requires a multi-faceted approach that involves education, community support, and the provision of resources for families (Zeanah & Humphreys, 2018). This includes providing access to mental health services and support for parents struggling to provide for their children. It also involves educating the public about the signs of child abuse and the importance of reporting any suspected cases to the appropriate authorities.

Schools and community organizations can also play a role in preventing child abuse by promoting safe and supportive environments for children. This can include educational programs for children and parents on healthy relationships, consent, and boundaries. In addition, community leaders and policymakers can work to create laws and policies that protect children from abuse and provide support for victims and their families. This may include funding for child protective services, strengthening penalties for child abuse, and improving access to resources for families in need. Overall, preventing child abuse requires a collective effort from all members of society (Caron et al., 2020). Working together can create a safer and more supportive environment for children and help break the cycle of violence.

Caron, F., Plancq, M. C., Tourneux., P., Gouron, R., & Klein, C. (2020). Was child abuse under-detected during the COVID-19 lockdown? Archives de pédiatrie, 27(7), 399-400.

Christian, C. W., Levin, A. V., ABUSE, C. O. C., Flaherty, E. G., Sirotnak, A. P., Budzak, A. E., … & Suh, D. W. (2018). The eye examination in the evaluation of child abuse. Pediatrics, 142(2).

Lines, L. E., Kakyo, T. A., Hutton, A., Mwashala, W. W., & Grant, J. M. (2023). How are responses to child abuse and neglect conceptualized in Australian policy? Children and Youth Services Review, 145, 106794.

Saini, S. M., Hoffmann, C. R., Pantelis, C., Everall, I. P., & Bousman, C. A. (2019). A systematic review and critical appraisal of child abuse measurement instruments. Psychiatry Research, pp. 272, 106–113.

Seddighi, H., Salmani, I., Javadi, M. H., & Seddighi, S. (2021). Child abuse in natural disasters and conflicts: A systematic review. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 22(1), 176-185.

Steele, B., Neelakantan, L., Jochim, J., Davies, L. M., Boyes, M., Franchino-Olsen, H., … & Meinck, F. (2023). Measuring violence against children: a COSMIN systematic review of the psychometric and administrative properties of adult retrospective self-report instruments on child abuse and neglect. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 15248380221145912.

Zeanah, C. H., & Humphreys, K. L. (2018). Child abuse and neglect. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 57(9), 637–644.

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Literary World Grapples With Alice Munro’s Legacy After Daughter’s Revelation of Abuse

Canadian Author Alice Munro attends a press conference at Trinity College, Dublin, in 2009.

T ributes flowed in from across the literary world after the death in May at age 92 of Nobel Prize-winning Canadian writer Alice Munro, who is credited with perfecting the contemporary short story . But Munro’s many admirers must now grapple with a darker aspect of her legacy that has just come to light.

In a heart-wrenching essay by Andrea Robin Skinner, Munro’s youngest daughter who is now 58 years old— published on Sunday in the Toronto Star alongside a reported companion piece by the paper —Skinner reveals that she was sexually abused by her stepfather, Munro’s second husband Gerald Fremlin, since she was 9, and that when she informed Munro of the abuse years later, the celebrated writer turned a blind eye and stood by her daughter’s abuser.

The revelation of what until now had been a long-held family secret has rocked readers and colleagues of Munro, whose works often explored themes of women’s lives, complex familial dynamics, sex, trauma, and secrecy.

According to Skinner, Fremlin, a cartographer who died in 2013, climbed into bed with her when she was 9 and touched her inappropriately. She also detailed how, throughout her childhood when the two were alone, Fremlin would crack lewd jokes, press her about her “sex life,” describe Munro’s “sexual needs” to her, and expose himself and occasionally masturbate in front of her.

“At the time, I didn’t know this was abuse. I thought I was doing a good job of preventing abuse by averting my eyes and ignoring his stories,” Skinner writes.

Skinner says she first revealed her abuse by Fremlin to Munro when she was 25, having been hesitant to open up about it earlier, fearing her mother’s reaction. “I have been afraid all my life that you would blame me for what happened,” Skinner wrote in a 1992 letter, parts of which she shared with the Star .

According to Skinner, what inspired her to finally disclose her torment to her mother was Munro’s reaction to a short story in which a girl died by suicide after being sexually abused by her stepfather. At the time, Munro questioned to Skinner why the girl in the story didn’t tell her mother.

But when Skinner revealed her own experience with Fremlin, Munro was shockingly unsympathetic: “As it turned out, in spite of her sympathy for a fictional character, my mother had no similar feelings for me.”

“She said that she had been ‘told too late,’ she loved him too much, and that our misogynistic culture was to blame if I expected her to deny her own needs, sacrifice for her children, and make up for the failings of men,” Skinner writes. “She was adamant that whatever had happened was between me and my stepfather. It had nothing to do with her.” Meanwhile, Fremlin denied wrongdoing and deflected blame onto Skinner.

Skinner says she and her family ultimately moved on, “acting as if nothing had happened,” until Skinner became pregnant in 2002. Skinner decided after the birth of her own twins to cut off contact with Fremlin—who she did not want near her children—as well as Munro, who Skinner says was more concerned about her own personal inconvenience by the move.

Skinner’s quiet estrangement continued until she read a 2004 New York Times story about Munro in which her mother heaped praise on Fremlin.

“I wanted to speak out. I wanted to tell the truth. That’s when I went to the police to report my abuse,” Skinner recalls. “For so long I’d been telling myself that holding my pain alone had at least helped my family, that I had done the moral thing, contributing to the greatest good for the greatest number. Now, I was claiming my right to a full life, taking the burden of abuse and handing it back to Fremlin.”

In 2005, Fremlin was charged with indecent assault and convicted without a trial after pleading guilty. He was sentenced to two years’ probation, a result Skinner says she was satisfied with because she wasn’t seeking for him to be punished nor did she believe he was still a threat to others given his old age.

“What I wanted was some record of the truth, some public proof that I hadn’t deserved what had happened to me,” Skinner writes in her essay. She had also hoped her story would “become part of the stories people tell about my mother. I never wanted to see another interview, biography or event that didn’t wrestle with the reality of what had happened to me, and with the fact that my mother, confronted with the truth of what had happened, chose to stay with, and protect, my abuser.”

But that’s not how things panned out. “My mother’s fame meant the silence continued,” Skinner writes. Munro retired in 2013 and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature a few months later.

“Many influential people came to know something of my story,” Skinner writes, “yet continued to support, and add to, a narrative they knew was false.”

“Everybody knew,” Skinner’s stepmother Carole Munro told the Star , recounting being asked by a journalist at a dinner party years ago about rumors related to Skinner—and affirming that they were true. (Robert Thacker, author of an acclaimed biography of Munro, told the Globe and Mail on Sunday that he was aware of the allegations of what happened to Skinner, who had reached out to him directly before his book was published in 2005, but he declined to mention it because he didn’t want to overstep in a sensitive family matter.)

Skinner’s story stayed out of the public eye. But now, with her essay sending shockwaves through the literary world, the narrative surrounding her mother is beginning to change.

“I know I’m not alone in feeling deeply unnerved by what feels like a seismic shift in our understanding of someone who was formative to me and others as a writer,” Pulitzer finalist Rebecca Makkai said in a series of posts on X reflecting on the recent news.

“Lots of people reflexively denying that Alice Munro could have knowingly spent her life with the pedophile who abused her daughter, or rushing to say they never liked her writing,” Canadian magazine writer and editor Michelle Cyca posted on X . “Harder to accept the truth that people who make transcendent art are capable of monstrous acts.”

“The Alice Munro news is so completely and tragically consistent with the world she evoked in her stories—all those young people betrayed and sabotaged by adults who were supposed to care for them,” American novelist and essayist Jess Row posted on X .

American novelist and essayist Brandon Taylor shared his gratitude toward Skinner. “I’m so in awe of her courage,” he said in a series of posts on X , adding that her account was “personally devastating in that I recognize so much of my own story and history in her experience.”

In a statement from Munro’s Books, which was founded by Jim and Alice Munro but has been independently owned since 2014, the company said it “unequivocally supports Andrea Robin Skinner as she publicly shares her story of her sexual abuse as a child.”

“Along with so many readers and writers, we will need time to absorb this news and the impact it may have on the legacy of Alice Munro, whose work and ties to the store we have previously celebrated,” the statement added.

In a co-published statement from the Munro family, Andrea and her three siblings—Andrew, Jenny, and Sheila—thanked the owners and staff of Munro’s Books for “acknowledging and honoring Andrea’s truth, and being very clear about their wish to end the legacy of silence.”

While Skinner says she never reconciled with her mother before Munro’s death, she has with her siblings—who reached out in 2014 to seek understanding and healing together and have supported her coming out publicly with what is sure to put their mother’s reputation in a much different light.

Skinner, for her part, has made clear that this is not about Alice Munro’s reputation. “I just really hope that this story isn’t about celebrities behaving badly,” she told the Star . While some will gravitate toward it simply “for the entertainment value,” she adds: “I want so much for my personal story to focus on patterns of silencing, the tendency to do that in families and societies.”

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Home — Essay Samples — Mental Effects Of Child Abuse

Mental Effects of Child Abuse

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Published: Mar 18, 2021

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Instructions Followed To The Letter
Deadlines Met At Every Stage
Unique And Plagiarism Free

Alice Munro doesn't get to tell this story

Janet Chwalibog

This June 25, 2009 file photo shows Canadian Author Alice Munro at a press conference at Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland. Munro has won the 2013 Nobel Prize in literature Thursday Oct. 10, 2013. (Peter Morrison/AP)

Within hours of The Toronto Star publishing Andrea Skinner’s op-ed in the Sunday edition, phones lit up across the United States. Entitled “ My stepfather sexually abused me when I was a child. My mother, Alice Munro, chose to stay with him ,” the piece chronicles Skinner’s horrific experience of sexual abuse, parental betrayal and the collusion to silence her story. Many have been asking what will become of Munro’s legacy.

Too few are asking what this piece means for Skinner, for the legacy she is creating, and for the millions of survivors who read it. Yes, there are millions of us. All over the world. From all ethnicities, races, genders, social strata. We are still here and we are still telling our stories.

We tell them in letters like the one Andrea Skinner wrote to her mother . We tell them in op-eds like the one published by Michele Goodwin . We tell them in memoirs like the ones Dorothy Alison published, or Roxane Gay or Grace Talusan . We tell them on stages like V (formerly Eve Ensler) did and on TV like Tig Notaro .

We tell them in international movements like the one Tarana Burke founded when she started #metoo in attempts of helping other young Black girls suffering childhood sexual abuse.

We also tell them in private, in every space where we exist: bedrooms, kitchens, prison cells, basements, classrooms, fast food restaurants, bars, gas stations. We tell them in poems and novels, in the streets at rallies, in therapists’ offices and psychiatric wards. We tell them in the most sacred of places and in the most profane.

Each time, the world is shocked.

I am not shocked.

I am on fire.

I want to give Andrea Skinner the biggest award that doesn’t exist: the award for crafting a life out of the horrors of sexual abuse and familial betrayal.

I want to gather all the victims and survivors in a single place and I want to give all of us, one by one, a standing ovation. For showing up. For refusing to shut up, even if the only person we tell is ourselves. For refusing to have good manners, to make other people comfortable, or to protect our abusers who are so often our parents or guardians.

I want to applaud every victim and survivor who refuses the lie that sexual violence didn’t happen, or that we caused it, or that it happened but we shouldn’t talk about it -- at least not here, in front of these people, or at work, or in public, or in a biography of a famous writer, or anywhere people might listen to us.

We do not only tell our stories once, or twice. Like Andrea Skinner, we tell people about the worst thing that happened to us over and over.

A 2013 white paper reviewing studies about the prevalence of child sexual abuse in the United States estimates “the child sexual abuse prevalence rate for girls is 10.7% to 17.4% and the rate for boys is 3.8% to 4.6%. These six studies suggest an overall full-childhood sexual abuse prevalence rate of 7.5% to 11.7%." (The studies do not report sexual abuse rates for transchildren as a distinct group.)

Survivors are not rare. We are here, in your midst. We are on the text chain, in the subway car, at the grocery store ringing up your purchases as you complain about cancel culture and another great author being brought down.

We do not only tell our stories once, or twice. Like Andrea Skinner, we tell people about the worst thing that happened to us over and over. Families don’t believe us, abusers threaten us, many blame us. In Skinner’s case, even after a guilty plea from her stepfather, her mother’s biographer Robert Thacker refused to publish the truth because “ it wasn’t that kind of book .”

So, I want more. I want us, the victims and survivors, to begin to draft legislation that will serve us. Then I want us to pass it.

Andrea Robin Skinner, the youngest of Alice Munro's daughters, was 25 when she told her mother about the abuse she'd suffered at the hands of her stepfather. (Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images)

I want survivors to buy media conglomerates and serve as editors.

I want survivors to own social media empires and to moderate them.

I want survivors to overturn statutes of limitations for victims of childhood sexual abuse. I want survivors to reform the Supreme Court of the United States.

I want us on the Supreme Court of the United States.

I want survivors to share this piece and tell us what you want. Tell us what laws you would change, how much money you need to pay for your abortion or your rent. Tell us who did what to you. And, be as graphic or vague as you like. You don’t owe anybody any part of your story.

Doing what Andrea Skinner did this week is not without cost. It does not come without pain and loss and years of work to recover from the horrendous violence she suffered and from her mother’s horrifying betrayal.

What it does come with is courage.

Let us meet it with the respect and honor it deserves, with the respect and honor that Andrea Skinner deserves.

Forget Alice Munro’s Nobel. Give Andrea Skinner the award.

Follow Cognoscenti on Facebook and Instagram .

Alice Munro's daughter says her mother did nothing to stop abusive stepfather
Alice Munro, Nobel Prize-winning short story author, dies at 92

Janet Chwalibog Cognoscenti contributor Janet Chwalibog is a writer and professor at Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Problem of Child Abuse Analytical Essay

To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
As a template for you assignment

Introduction

Contemporary issues, background definitions, problem statement, integrated literature review, synthesis and integration, problem resolution, social implications, capstone reflection, reference list.

Child abuse refers to emotional, bodily, mental, or sexual harassment of a child. Child abuse can be committed through oversight or commission by the child’s parents, caregivers, or guardians.

A research by Jaffee and Maikovich-Fong (2011) shows that child abuse can occur in different places, for example at home, school, organizations, or in communities where children live or visit.

Over the years, the four types of child abuse, namely bodily, emotional, sexual, and abandonment have occurred in varying rates in different parts of the world. The Child abuse maltreatment Report of 2010 as presented by Malcolm (2012) declares negligence the most prevalent form of child abuse across the world.

For instance, the rate of child negligence in 2010 in the United States (U.S) was 78.3% (Malcolm, 2012). Physical abuse followed at 17.6% in the same year.

The third type of abuse by prevalence was sexual abuse at 9.2% while the last form of child mistreatment by prevalence was emotional/psychological ill-treatment that stood at 8.1% (Malcolm, 2012).

In fact, statistical findings indicate that most of the people think of negligence whenever they hear of child abuse (Girgira, Tilahun & Bacha, 2014). Although various reasons have been established for the high rate of negligence as a form of child abuse, the leading cause of negligence is poverty (Girgira et al., 2014).

Different types of child abuse are inflicted on children via various ways. For example, bodily abuse takes the form of physical aggression. This aggression may be inflicted by parents, relatives, neighbors, or any other older person. In most cases, bodily abuse happens when the intention of the older person is to harm or inflict pain on a kid.

In some instances, child abuse may result in the death of the victim. However, in defense of physical child abuse, most of the aggressors hide under the guise of disciplining children. The prevalence of the physical form of child abuse has spurred a quick move in enacting laws against child abuse in most countries.

For example, by 2013, over 34 countries of the world had enacted laws against any form of corporal punishment of children (Girgira et al., 2014). Sexual abuse involves an adult or any other older person abusing a child for sexual satisfaction or stimulation.

In this case, children are involved in gratifying sexual desires of the aggressor or providing financial profits to the aggressor. Children are also forced to expose genitals. They are exposed to pornography and sexual intercourse with older persons. When adults sell children sexual services, they commit child abuse.

Today, 15-26% of mature men in the US confess to have been abused during their babyhood (Malcolm, 2012). The leading aggressors in sexual child abuse are friends at 60% followed by relatives at 10%, and strangers at 10% (Girgira et al., 2014; Blair, McFarlane, Nava, Gilroy & Maddoux, 2015).

Although emotional abuse is not as prevalent as other forms, it affects a considerable number of children. Emotional child abuse involves inflicting social and/or psychological defects on a child by being rude, arrogant, harsh, or yelling at a child. As a result, children may run away from home, abuse back, or isolate themselves.

Child abuse is associated with various negative implications. These effects may be objective, physiological, or psychosomatic. For instance, physical effects may manifest in the form of contusion or injuries, wrecked bones, soft tissue harm, or even death.

In adverse effects, physical child abuse can result in shaken baby disorder, messed up development of a kid’s brain, awful physical fitness, low telomerase, and illegal activities (Girgira et al., 2014). The negative effects of psychological child abuse result in psychiatric problems as a child matures.

In addition, emotional abuse may result in disorganized attachment style disorder, which is manifested through uncontrolled anxiety or depression. These expositions demonstrate the increased prevalence of child abuse across the world.

Hence, this study uses this basis to examine the effects of child abuse before presenting a reflection on the issue.

Currently, four major forms of child abuse are prevalent in the world. These include child abandonment, physical exploitation, sexual violence, and psychological or emotional abuse. The most common form of child abuse in America and in most parts of the world is child abuse (Blair et al., 2015).

Child abandonment is also the most familiar form of child abuse in most parts of the world (Blair et al., 2015). Various factors such as poverty, mothers’ education, culture, and peer pressure have promoted abandonment as the major form of child abuse. The former is the most common cause of neglect.

Parents neglect children by failing to provide financial, emotional, and physical support (Jaffee & Maikovich-Fong, 2011). Parents, guardians, and caregivers also neglect children by running away from them. Physical absence of parents or caregivers is also considered negligence.

The second most prevalent form of child abuse today is physical abuse. Parents, protectors, or older people inflict physical pain on children. In most cases, physical child abuse happens in the name of instilling discipline in children.

Any excessive physical infliction of pain on the body of a child intentionally is considered child abuse (McCullough & Shaffer, 2014). In this form of child abuse, parents or child keepers may physically beat the child using a tool or bare hands, kicks, brows, knocks, slaps, or pinches.

As a result, children may suffer bruises, burns, swellings, cuts, or even death. Cases of children dying because of physical abuse have been reported in the modern world. In fact, a considerable number of teachers have killed children through physical abuse in the name of instilling order.

Brows of death have also been reported where parents kill their children in the process of punishing them (Parton, 2013). Because of the wide prevalence of child abuse, various states in the US and across the world have enacted laws against corporal punishment of children.

Sexual violence is another prevalent form of child mistreatment.

Sexual child exploitation involves the deliberate involvement of children in sexual activities by older persons, including involving them in sexual intercourse, touching their sexual organs, and exposing them to pornographic contents at the gratification of the aggressors via some financial milestones.

In most cases, the aggressors of children sexual abuse are acquaintances, including family friends and people who become friends to the children through their peers, parents, or relatives (Sansen, Iffland & Neuner, 2014). The second most prevalent aggressors in cases of child sexual abuse today are strangers and relatives.

Emotional abuse is also prevalent where parents inflict emotional defects on children. Emotional exploitation is inflicted through criticism and mockery. Excessive emotional child abuse may result in depression, withdrawals, and criminal behavior in the future of the children.

The cost of child abuse is dire to both the children, healthcare organizations, parents, and the government. The impacts of child abuse vary based on the type of child abuse. Children bear the highest percentage of the cost of child abuse. As the victims of various forms of abuse, children experience the effects at first hand.

For example, neglected children may lack basic needs such as food, water, shelter, and education. In addition, they may lack parental warmth and guidance in their lives. In the same way, children who are physically abused suffer bodily pain and harm (Sansen et al., 2014).

For example, they may suffer cuts, wounds, bleeding, wrecked body bones, destroyed body organs, or even death. Such sufferings may take a short duration or may be lifetime. Children who fall victims of sexual abuse also suffer most.

Sexually abused children suffer from distress, sexually transmitted ailments, untimely pregnancies, scorn by peers, and timidity (McCullough & Shaffer, 2014). Cases of destroyed sex organs have been reported because of child sexual abuse.

For example, a child’s genitals may be physically injured, their uteruses may be destroyed, and their genitalia may be destroyed in the process of sexual exploitation. Through emotional abuse, children end up suffering the emotional consequence of the abuse.

In the end, psychologically abused children end up suffering from depression or becoming criminals in the future.

Institutions such as schools, churches, and hospitals also bear the cost of child abuse (Jaffee & Maikovich-Fong, 2011). Schools suffer when children are abused physically, emotionally, or sexually, since their (children) academic performance is highly affected by child abuse.

As a result, children cannot concentrate in class or socialize with others. In some instances, when the aggressor is a teacher, parents may sue the school or soil its name. Other institutions such as churches also suffer the cost of child abuse. For example, the church is entrenched the role of ensuring strong values in families.

Therefore, it is expected to reconcile the children with their parents or guardians. Hospitals also bear the cost of child abuse. For instance, physically, sexually, or emotionally abused children end up in hospitals (Jaffee & Maikovich-Fong, 2011).

As a result, doctors, psychiatrists, and hospital administrations are tasked with the role of ensuring that the health of the child is well (Widom, Czaja, Bentley, & Johnson, 2012). The government also bears the cost of child abuse. For instance, governments are expected to enact laws on child abuse in any form.

For example, laws on defilement have been enacted in countries such as the US to help in addressing the issue. Every government has a role of protecting its children from any form of abuse. The government also has the role of arresting the aggressors and prosecuting them for any form of child abuse.

Child abuse can be separated into three distinct types, namely physical abuse, sexual abuse, and emotional abuse. Physical abuse is any type of physically harmful action an adult parent or guardian commits against a minor child.

This form may include punching, hitting, slapping, kicking, beating, burning, shaking, or deliberately making a child physically ill (Berk, 2010). Sexual abuse involves any sexual contact between an adult, regardless of guardianship status, and a minor child.

This abuse ranges from sexual touching and exposing their bodies in public to sexual intercourse and commercial exploitation through prostitution or pornography (Berk, 2010). Emotional abuse typically involves an adult ignoring a child’s emotional and psychological needs (Herrenkohl, Hong, Klika, Herrenkohl, & Russo, 2013).

Abandonment can have consequences that are similar to abuse for child development. It is commonly divided into two types. Physical neglect is an adult parent or guardian neglecting a child’s physical needs for food, clothing, shelter, medical care, and cleanliness (Blair et al., 2015).

Other forms of abandonment include emotional rejection where a parent, guardian, or caregiver partially or completely detaches himself or herself from the emotional needs of a child. Social neglect occurs when parents or caregivers detach themselves from the social needs of the child.

Child abuse is considered a serious issue because it has long-term consequences for a child’s physical, mental, social, and cognitive wellbeing. These child exploitation issues form the foundation for this study that seeks to explore the effects of child abuse on the children, organizations, and the government.

Children are a responsibility of themselves, their parents, social and academic institutions, and the government. Parents and other caregivers take responsibility of caring for their children and explaining the most important living issues to them.

Following the close relationship that children have with their caregivers, they learn and trust them as guides in life. However, child abusers who may be parents, relatives, or strangers violate the trust that children have in them (Cronley, Jeong, Davis & Madden, 2015).

Each child should have the opportunity to have a safe upbringing. However, an unknown number of children continue experiencing serious traumas because of abuse and parental neglect (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014). Child maltreatment and neglect restrict a person’s life.

Child abuse has a number of effects on how people behave, develop their abilities, and/or comprehend their duties (Moylan, Herrenkohl, Sousa, Tajima, Herrenkohl, & Russo, 2010). It causes many behavioral problems.

Sousa et al. (2011) reveal how child abuse and other cases of domestic violence considerably influence children and their further development. They become less attached to their caregivers, demonstrate antisocial behavior when they are adolescents, and/or become bad examples to their children or people around them.

It is not easy to recover from child abuse and trauma (Lemoncelli, 2012). People need professional help and explanations regarding why child abuse may take place and the effects that may be observed (Sansen et al., 2014).

Research by Sansen et al. (2014) has noted that children, who experience maltreatment if left alone or untreated, can be at a heightened probability of having future issues concerning their behaviors and emotions.

The problem of child abuse remains crucial for analysis, as people must understand its effects on human behavior and the urgency in preventing abuse.

Various studies have been carried out in an effort to address the issue of child abuse. Literature on child abuse is common in psychology, human rights and law, and education. Therefore, this study will explore the available literature on child abuse with the aim of identifying the existing information gaps that need to be filled.

Various authors have explored the area of child abuse.

For instance, Gloud, Clarke, Heim, Harvey, Majer, and Nemeroff (2012) discuss two main types of child abuse effects, namely neurocognitive aspects such as problems with “visual memory, executive functioning, and spatial working memory” (p. 503), and emotional problems and stresses that may bother children through their whole lifespan.

Gloud et al.’s (2012) study aims at providing a practical perspective of how the problem of child abuse can be noticed and solved.

Although special stress-management professionals can provide counseling, it is hard to figure out how consequences such as anger or social misunderstanding can be totally removed and/or whether additional investigations are required to explain how the society can understand and address child abuse effects (Lemoncelli, 2012).

Treatment for child abuse varies considerably because people are eager to offer helpful ideas and unique approaches. Some researchers have found it effective to focus on one particular aspect. For example, Moylan et al. (2010) view behavioral changes as the main problem that has to be solved.

Cloitre, Cohen, and Koenen (2011) regard mistreatment as a distressing vice that has to be analyzed and prevented through physiological, objective, or communal interventions by either the victim or the immediate caregivers. Iwaniec (2006) explains that the encouragement of cognitive self-regulation can solve the effects of child abuse.

The results of hypnosis, one means of treatment, prove that trauma types vary and that each effect should be thoroughly analyzed and considered from a professional point of view (Degun-Mather, 2006).

By analyzing certain financial operations, Fang, Brown, Florence, and Mercy (2012) identify the economic burden that relates to child abuse. They report that more than $30,000 is spent on each child’s health care costs.

Considering that more than 600,000 American children are defined as maltreatment victims annually, the actual sums are enormous (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014). Adults should understand that they steal from themselves when they demonstrate poor treatment to their children by making them suffer.

It seems better to follow some preventive ideas and suggestions and regard their importance since they help to decrease the number of disabled children in a society (Stalker & McArthur, 2012).

Acts of child abuse either sexual, physical, neglect, or emotional may completely alter the way children interact with the world (Khaleque, 2015). The relationship that children have with people in their immediate environment is highly dependent on their early socialization.

Their additional self-esteem foundation struggles with obstacles such as attempts to get along with other people (Berk, 2010). Some experts try to compare several consequences at the same time and explain how psychological, societal, physical, and behavioral issues predetermine a future member of a society.

The prevalence of child abuse is a common phenomenon in most parts of the world (Suglia, Clark, Boynton-Jarrett, Kressin & Koenen, 2014). Even if people think that they are far from such troubles, it is necessary to remember that they may communicate, work, or interact with people who have suffered from child abuse once.

This claim reveals why people have to know more about the effects of child abuse, the possible ways to treat people with such problems, ideas on how to help them, or ways to negate the abuse of the past. Mistreated children are found in all parts of society.

However, many mistreated children whom government agencies investigate come from ephemeral families whose members have little or no education. Gloominess, low financial standing, little or no earnings, and shoddy accommodation characterize them (Khaleque, 2015).

Antisocial behavior is one of the outcomes of child abuse and parental neglect that may be disclosed in a variety of forms (Sousa et al., 2011).

In comparison with other studies and investigations that have been mentioned above, Sousa et al.’s (2011) research underlines the importance of social approaches and the role of society in general on children and their relations with their parents.

Children are fully dependent on parents, guardians, or primary caregivers until a point where they can be self-reliant in life (Lanier, Kohl, Raghavan & Auslander, 2015). However, due to incidents of abuse, some children opt to run away from abusive caregivers in the early years of their lives.

In fact, in some instances, abusive parents are forcefully separated from their children by law enforcers. Hence, a historical issue can help to comprehend the reason behind a current problem.

Although some scholars such as Corby, Shemmings, and Wilkins (2012) assert that it is not possible to eliminate the problem of child abuse, the world is currently witnessing increased interventions.

Such interventions include civic education, parental counseling, and enactment of anti-corporal punishment laws in various states, including the US (Malcolm, 2012). In 1870, animal protection was placed above children’s protection through the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Child labor laws were legislated in 1906. However, the laws did not give security from other forms of maltreatment. Some children could not even guess how they became the victims of child abuse. They believed that their parents’ maltreatment was something ordinary that could not be changed.

Although the reasons for parental neglect may vary, the effects of child abuse are all the same since they destroy a personality or at least provoke unpleasant changes. As soon as a person is changed because of being abused physically, sexually, emotionally, or psychologically at home, the world undergoes certain changes.

Previous studies on child abuse indicate that trauma that a child experiences early in life can considerably increase the risk of numerous psychological and emotional problems (Shapero, Black, Liu, Klugman, Bender, & Alloy, 2014). Such problems lead to depression, emotional disorders, and stresses, which are usually hard to control and treat.

In spite of the fact that about 10 million children suffer from domestic violence, abuse, and parental neglect, little research has been conducted to help to support children who are under the threat of child abuse (Stalker & McArthur, 2012; Moylan et al., 2010).

People do not deny the fact that they know much about child abuse, its reasons, and effects. However, they do not want to develop the steps that can prevent the cases and/or provide children with appropriate care and understanding.

The nature of the effects of child abuse, its consequences in a society, and the most appropriate preventive methods should be considered (Lanier et al., 2015).

Child abuse and parental neglect are the two main problems that the current paper has discussed to prove that their effects are worth attention and recognition so they can be solved and prevented to provide children with the treatment and support they require.

The current study is based on a variety of sources. The four peer-reviewed articles create a solid basis for research. They disclose such topics as the effects of child abuse on behavior problems (Moylan et al., 2010) and child abuse and its effects on cognitive development in adulthood (Gloud et al., 2012).

They also present the necessity to integrate gender, age, and socio-cultural factors in preventing child abuse at home (Stalker & McArthur, 2012) and the attention to the economic aspect of child maltreatment (Fang et al., 2012).

In countries such as the United States and Britain, people know a little about how child abuse disables children. Adults do not want to understand how crucial the effects of their neglect can be on their children.

They can observe that their children may become more socially isolated and depressed without connecting the change to any reason (Moylan et al., 2010). However, they can hardly realize how many changes take place inside the child. A child’s personality is sensitive.

Any kind of maltreatment or shortage of attention may create a gap in development and cause emotional disorders that can appear in several years or even decades (Gloud et al., 2012).

In addition, the effects of child abuse may be of a financial character because child maltreatment usually leads to criminal justice costs, child welfare costs, with about $25 billion of federal, state, and local funds spent annually, and special education costs because maltreated children are in need of special education programs (Fang et al., 2012).

Fang et al.’s (2012) study shows a projected total yearly fiscal load of $124 billion concerning child maltreatment in the United States. Such numbers and effects should keep people from being indifferent to the issue of child abuse and its prevention.

In general, child abuse is a topic for discussion in many countries since it has a long history and a variety of effects (Shapero et al., 2014). Children may not even guess that they are victims of their parents’ neglect. They cannot understand the reasons for their emotional or psychological problems.

They sometimes try to use the help of specialists to learn what happened. However, the nature of child abuse effects is unpredictable.

Many people do not fully know how many long-term and immediate effects of child abuse and parental neglect exist and how varied their nature is. Maltreatment of children may lead to a variety of problems, ranging from anxiety, smoking, or drug use to improper brain, language development, or cancer risks.

The paper confirms that people do not pay enough attention to the problem of child abuse. Children face many challenges while trying to overcome the results of parental neglect. Hence, long-term and short-term child abuse effects, including physical, psychological, cognitive, and economic problems, continue bothering many people.

Based on the extent to which the issue of child abuse has been manifested in many countries, including the US, this research proposes the need to implement campaigns on child abuse, its effects, and the expected bright future of kids who do not face abuse during their childhood (Suglia et al., 2014, p.12).

Child maltreatment is a leading problem whose solution requires the involvement of people from different spheres of life. The effects of the problem touch many people and not just the children who suffer from maltreatment and the neglectful and abusive parents.

The effects also reach medical workers who have to solve the cognitive, development, and other physical child abuse problems. The effects also touch caregivers who aim at providing children with the required portion of knowledge about the world and life.

Other people in the society who interact with the victims of abuse as either children or adults also experience the effects.

The solutions to the problems that are defined in this project have to be properly organized and based on credible information and results of the aforementioned observations. Child abuse touches millions of families (Cloitre et al., 2011).

Some children who face sexual or physical abuse have psychological problems because of parental neglect (Lemoncelli, 2012). The outcomes of child abuse usually depend on a variety of factors such as the age of a child, the type of relationship between a child and a perpetrator, and the type of maltreatment.

This observation reveals why the chosen problem of child abuse effects is deemed the most crucial issue in this project.

In general, the evaluation of the behavior of the children who suffer from abuse and parental neglect shows that the effects are long-term and short-term (Sousa et al., 2011; Yang, 2015). Parents do not always recognize how hazardous their ill-treatment can be concerning the future of their kids.

Parents sometimes do not ask for professional help since they are afraid of criminal consequences. This situation leads to a considerable rise in the financial costs of child abuse (Fang et al., 2012). Professional help and therapy are obligatory for children who are the victims of maltreatment and abuse.

As this research confirms, the effects of child abuse are far-reaching and that they need to be addressed proactively to save and secure the future of the affected children (Cloitre et al., 2011).

Completed researches by Fang et al., (2012) and Moylan et al., (2010) have provided several ideas of how the chosen problem of child abuse should be evaluated together with several methods that can be implemented to solve it.

Because the effects of child abuse and parental neglect are a social issue, it (the issue) has to be solved within a particular society. The problem-solution process should begin with the identification of a community in which a child abuse campaign can be done as a way of creating awareness to the society.

The goal of the campaign is to present to the community the dangers that are associated with child abuse and the strategies that all stakeholders can adopt to secure the kids’ lives. It is necessary to prove that child abuse is a vital problem and that the issue of parental neglect and maltreatment needs more answers and explanations.

It is not enough to use the current statistics and base the project on the fact that more than half a million American children are the victims of their parents’ maltreatment.

The solution of the problem under consideration should be based on the following steps:

The identification of the reasons for child abuse and parental neglect.
The classification of child abuse effects and their possible extent.
The identification of preventive methods that can be used for each type of abuse.
The formation of a description of a diagnosis and the identification of treatment for children who suffer from abuse.
The development of ideas to involve more people to protect children who are not able to cope with the challenges of abuse and neglect.

The social implications of the chosen problem are crucial. First, the project serves as a powerful proof that child abuse is a problem that needs discussion and attention. Secondly, it should be proven that a society as a whole is the body that takes responsibility for its children.

If children suffer from the inability to overcome abuse and neglect, the society should find the most effective methods to improve the situation. Finally, the development of special programs and the creation of special organizations that are directed to the treatment of abused children should be promoted.

For example, the National Child Traumatic Stress Network aims to identify the standards of care for abused children. Many organizations use hypnosis with children who survive traumas from their parents’ maltreatment (Degun-Mather, 2006). Although these methods are effective, they only reduce the cases of child abuse by improving parent–children relations.

The current project should help to define the effects of child abuse and contribute to the prevention of maltreatment, taking into consideration the evaluation of a child’s condition, health, and the effects of abuse. Fang et al. (2012) identify short-term and long-term healthcare costs.

Sousa et al. (2011) address the societal tribulations, while Moylan et al. (2010) focus on behavioral tribulations. Each investigation addresses a specific aspect of why child abuse should be prevented. However, the researchers do not recommend the best strategy that can be applied to address the vice.

Such insufficient information on the issue is part of the main limitations of this paper. However, the social implications of the project that is under analysis confirm the possibility of changing the situation when certain measures are taken as discussed above.

A number of considerable marks characterize the problems that people face during their childhood. Children cannot even guess that parental neglect may define their future qualities and abilities. Some children cannot even recognize a case of child abuse.

Parents or caregivers of the affected children do not find it necessary to visit some experts for help (Stalker & McArthur, 2012). The identification of such problems and inabilities serve as the basis for the project about child abuse and its effects.

Children may suffer from emotional, physical, sexual, and other forms of abuse (Cloitre, 2011). Each type of abuse has its own effects on a child. Hence, it is not only necessary but also crucial to know how to help children who survive abuse and treat them properly.

The capstone project under analysis is an opportunity to persuade parents to make wise decisions to treat their children, learn the effects that can be observed after the cases of child abuse, and know how to prevent any further maltreatment.

The projects by Degun-Mather (2006) about the benefits of hypnosis, Fang et al. (2012) about the economic challenges that are caused by child abuse, and Moylan et al. (2010) about the peculiarities of domestic violence are crucial in this study.

They explain how it is better to identify the effects of child abuse and the possible impact of the menace on the society, children, and their parents.

Berk, E. (2010). Development through the lifespan . Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Blair, F., McFarlane, J., Nava, A., Gilroy, H., & Maddoux, J. (2015). Child Witness to Domestic Abuse: Baseline Data Analysis for a Seven-Year Prospective Study. Pediatric Nursing, 41 (1), 23-29.

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Cronley, C., Jeong, S., Davis, B., & Madden, E. (2015). Effects of Homelessness and Child Maltreatment on the Likelihood of Engaging in Property and Violent Crime During Adulthood. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 25 (3), 192-203.

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The Causes and Effects of Child Abuse
Human Trafficking and the Trauma It Leaves Behind
Abuse and Maltreatment of School-Aged Children
Children's Psychological Research Design and Tools
Reporting Decisions in Child Maltreatment: A Mixed Methodology Approach
Effects of Child Abuse
Effects of Child Abuse and Neglect
Internship: Shadowing a Substance Abuse Counselor
Child Abuse Issues and Its Effects
Child Abuse and Capstone Project
Chicago (A-D)
Chicago (N-B)

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Weeks After Alice Munro’s Death, Daughter Tells of Dark Family Secret

Andrea Skinner said in The Toronto Star that her stepfather sexually abused her at age 9, and that her mother stayed with him after she learned of it.

Alice Munro looks at the camera with a half smile.

By Elizabeth A. Harris

Andrea Robin Skinner, a daughter of the Canadian Nobel laureate Alice Munro, said her stepfather sexually abused her as a child — and that her mother knew about it, and chose to stay with him anyway.

Skinner, who is now an adult, detailed these accusations in an essay in The Toronto Star on Sunday. According to a separate article in The Toronto Star, Skinner went to the Ontario police, and in 2005, her stepfather, Gerald Fremlin, was charged with indecent assault against her. He pleaded guilty.

By then, he was 80 years old. He got a suspended sentence and probation for two years. Munro stayed with him until he died in 2013.

Because of her mother’s fame, Skinner wrote, “the silence continued.” Munro died on May 13 at 92.

“What I wanted was some record of the truth, some public proof that I hadn’t deserved what had happened to me,” Skinner wrote of going to the police in 2005, about 30 years after the abuse began.

“I also wanted this story, my story, to become part of the stories people tell about my mother,” Skinner continued. “I never wanted to see another interview, biography or event that didn’t wrestle with the reality of what had happened to me, and with the fact that my mother, confronted with the truth of what had happened, chose to stay with, and protect, my abuser.”

Attempts to reach Skinner on Sunday were unsuccessful.

Skinner wrote that the abuse began in 1976, when she was 9 years old and went to visit Fremlin, then in his 50s, and her mother, who was in her 40s. She said he climbed into the bed where she was sleeping and sexually assaulted her. Skinner said she told her stepmother, who then told Skinner’s father. Her father did not confront Munro.

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Alice Munro's daughter says her mom supported abusive stepfather

Munro's youngest daughter said she never reconciled with her mother.

Woman smiling at the Nobel Prize ceremony.

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WARNING: This article contains details of abuse and may affect those who have experienced sexual violence or know someone affected by it.

The youngest daughter of celebrated Canadian author Alice Munro has opened up about the sexual abuse she experienced by her stepfather and the deep hurt she felt when her mother chose to support her husband instead of her child.

In a first-person essay published in the Toronto Star on Sunday, Andrea Robin Skinner described how the Nobel Prize-winning short story writer remained in her marriage to second husband Gerald Fremlin even after she learned of the abuse.

In the Star piece, Skinner said she opted to tell her story so Canadians could have a more nuanced picture of the Nobel Laureate, who was revered as a literary icon long before her death in May.

OBITUARY Alice Munro, Canadian author who mastered the short story, dead at 92
Canadian authors remember Alice Munro and her literary legacy

"I ... wanted this story — my story — to become part of the stories people tell about my mother," she wrote. "I never wanted to see another interview, biography or event that didn't wrestle with the reality of what had happened to me and with the fact that my mother, confronted with the truth of what had happened, chose to stay with and protect my abuser."

Skinner wrote in the Star that the abuse began in 1976 when she was nine and visiting her mother in Ontario for the summer after she spent most of the year in British Columbia with her father. She wrote that Fremlin climbed into the bed where she was sleeping and initiated sexual contact while Munro was out of the house.

On the final day of her visit, she said Fremlin began asking for details about her sex life and sharing aspects of his own while driving her to the airport.

Skinner said she initially told her father and stepbrother what had happened, but neither she nor her father informed Munro right away.

She said Fremlin continued to expose himself to her and proposition her for sex until he lost interest when she reached her teens.

Skinner said she experienced "private pain" for many years due to Fremlin's predatory behaviour, suffering from bulimia, insomnia and migraines, and dropping out of an international development program at the University of Toronto.

Photograph of an elderly woman sitting in an armchair

Daughter says she received no sympathy from Munro

In her 20s, Skinner wrote Munro a letter detailing Fremlin's abuse, but she said she received no sympathy from her mother.

"I ... was overwhelmed by her sense of injury to herself," Skinner wrote in the Star. "She believed my father had made us keep the secret in order to humiliate her. She then told me about other children Fremlin had 'friendships' with, emphasizing her own sense that she, personally, had been betrayed. Did she realize she was speaking to a victim and that I was her child? If she did, I couldn't feel it."

She reported the abuse to police in 2005 and Fremlin ultimately pleaded guilty to a charge of indecent assault.

But, Munro remained with Fremlin until he died in 2013. Munro said she had been "told too late" about the abuse, that she loved him too much to leave him and that she couldn't be expected to "deny her own needs," Skinner wrote in the Star.

Alice Munro’s daughter speaks out about sexual abuse by stepfather

She said the abuse she suffered remained an open secret in the Munro family for years and, for a time, led to estrangement from her entire family.

Now, as a meditation and mindfulness teacher, Skinner said she has reconciled with her siblings but never with her mother.

Bookstore supports daughter

Munro's Books, a bookstore Alice Munro founded in Victoria with her first husband, James, posted a statement on its website supporting Skinner. The bookstore has been independently owned since 2014.

"Munro's Books unequivocally supports Andrea Robin Skinner as she publicly shares her story of her sexual abuse as a child," the store said. "Learning the details of Andrea's experience has been heartbreaking."

The bookstore also released a statement on its website from Andrea, her siblings Jenny and Sheila, and her step-brother Andrew.

"By acknowledging and honouring Andrea's truth, and being very clear about their wish to end the legacy of silence, the current store owners have become part of our family's healing," they said. "We wholly support the owners and staff."

For anyone who has been sexually assaulted, there is support available through crisis lines and local support services via the Ending Violence Association of Canada database . If you're in immediate danger or fear for your safety or that of others around you, please call 911.

With files from CBC News and Isaac Phan Nay

Book News & Features

Alice munro's daughter says her mother did nothing to stop abusive stepfather.

Jaclyn Diaz

Author Alice Munro in 2009. Her daughter has come forward with allegations her stepfather abused her as a child and that Munro was aware and stayed with him until his death.

Author Alice Munro in 2009. Her daughter, Andrea Skinner, has come forward with allegations her stepfather abused her as a child and that Munro was aware and stayed with him until his death. Peter Muhly/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

The daughter of renowned Canadian author Alice Munro has revealed that she suffered sexual abuse at the hands of her stepfather and that her mother, a Nobel Prize winner, turned a blind eye to it.

In an op-ed published Sunday in the Toronto Star, Andrea Skinner wrote that Munro’s husband at the time, Gerald Fremlin, started abusing her in 1976 when she was 9 years old.

She wrote that she was visiting her mother that summer at her home in Clinton, Ontario, when, while Munro was away, Fremlin “climbed into the bed where I was sleeping and sexually assaulted me.”

Canadian author Alice Munro as she receives a Man Booker International award at Trinity College Dublin, in Dublin, Ireland, on June 25, 2009.

Alice Munro, Nobel Prize-winning short story author, dies at 92

Munro died earlier this summer at the age of 92. The author was best known for her short stories , often placing her characters in rural Ontario — where Munro grew up. She was called the "master of the contemporary short story" by the Swedish Academy that awarded her the Nobel in 2013.

Since Skinner's op-ed was published, the literary world has expressed shock and sorrow, with authors publicly grappling with the formative work of Munro with the impact of her daughter's allegations.

Rebecca Makkai, a Pulitzer Prize finalist for The Great Believers , posted on X of Munro and the allegations, "I love her work so much that I don’t want to lose it, but am also horrified to see the meanings of many favorite (foundational, to me) stories shift under us."

Skinner said she is coming forward now because she wants her story “to become part of the stories people tell about my mother. I never wanted to see another interview, biography or event that didn’t wrestle with the reality of what had happened to me, and with the fact that my mother, confronted with the truth of what had happened, chose to stay with, and protect, my abuser.”

Munro's books are displayed at Swedish Academy on October 10, 2013 at the Royal Swedish Academy in Stockholm, Sweden. Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP via Getty Images

The Swedish Academy, which awarded Munro a Nobel Prize in 2013, called her a "master of the contemporary short story." Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Skinner said the abuse continued for years, with Fremlin often exposing himself to Skinner, telling the young girl about her mother's sexual needs and the “little girls in the neighborhood” that he told her he liked.

Skinner confided in her stepmother, who told James Munro, Skinner's father. James Munro did not confront his ex-wife about the abuse, and the assault continued with no adult intervention, Skinner wrote.

The abuse, and the heavy secret and silence she was forced to keep, took a drastic toll on Skinner, who developed debilitating migraines and bulimia as an adult. When she was 25, she wrote a letter to Munro, finally coming forward about the abuse.

Munro told her she felt betrayed and likened the abuse to an affair, a response that devastated Skinner, she wrote.

Canadian Alice Munro Wins Nobel's Literature Prize

In response, Fremlin wrote letters to Munro and the family, threatening to kill Skinner if she ever went to the police. He blamed Skinner for the abuse and described her as a child as a "home wrecker." He also threatened to expose photos he took of Skinner when she was a girl.

Munro went back to Fremlin and stayed with him until he died in 2013, Skinner wrote. Munro allegedly said “that she had been ‘told too late,’ she loved him too much, and that our misogynistic culture was to blame if I expected her to deny her own needs, sacrifice for her children, and make up for the failings of men. She was adamant that whatever had happened was between me and my stepfather. It had nothing to do with her," Skinner wrote in her essay.

In 2005, Skinner could stay quiet no longer. She reported Fremlin, who was 80 at the time, to police in Ontario, using letters he sent to the family as evidence. He pleaded guilty to one count of indecent assault and received a suspended sentence and probation for two years.

Skinner said she never reconciled with her mother, but has since rebuilt a relationship with her siblings.

Munro's Books, the company that Alice and James Munro started together when they were married, issued a statement of support for Skinner. The company has been independently owned since 2014 and wasn't speaking on behalf of the family.

The company said, "Learning the details of Andrea’s experience has been heartbreaking for all of us here at Munro’s Books. Along with so many readers and writers, we will need time to absorb this news and the impact it may have on the legacy of Alice Munro, whose work and ties to the store we have previously celebrated. It is important to respect Andrea’s choices over how her story is shared more widely."

The statement continued, "This story is Andrea’s to tell, and we will not be commenting further at this time."

Correction July 8, 2024

A previous version of this story misspelled Rebecca Makkai's last name.

Alice Munro

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