Child Abuse And Neglect Results In Devasting Effects
Thursday, December 25th, 2008
Four children die everyday from child abuse and neglect and a child abuse report is made every ten seconds. Abusers are sometimes so caught up in their own dramatic lives that they don’t even realize the irreparable harm they are inflicting upon a young life. Since children are so timid and unquestionably loyal to their parents, they often take the abuse and keep quiet about it. Yet the telltale bruises, scrapes and broken arms show the scars of physical abuse. Sexual and emotional abuse aren’t so obvious, so many cases go unreported.
There are several types of abuse and neglect perpetrated against children. Physical neglect involves the refusal of health care to treat a physical injury, medical condition or impairment, or a delay in health care. It also involves abandonment, which is the desertion of a child without supervision. Kicking a child out of the house, allowing the child to leave overnight without knowing his or her whereabouts and showing reckless disregard for the child’s safety, such as driving while drunk, are all causes of physical neglect. Providing inadequate clothing, food and shelter are common causes as well. With physical abuse, the child is intentionally slapped, kicked, punched, burned or injured in an attempt to control them.
Additionally, educational child abuse and neglect occurs when the child is missing from school at least 5 days each month, if the child is not registered for school, or if the child is refused remedial education to treat a diagnosed disorder or special educational need. Sometimes, it is recognized that the parents are trying to ensure their child gets proper education but the child is simply defiant, in which case, the child may need to attend a special boarding school for more individualized care.
There are many other devastating effects of child abuse and neglect in both the short and long term. Following a severe beating, kids exhibit bruises, burns, lacerations, broken bones and permanent disabilities. Often, parents avoid seeking medical care for fear of being “found out,” which may lead to the child’s death. Psychologists speculate that children who are exposed to consistent patterns of household violence develop neurological problems, either strengthened fear response connections along nerve pathways that lead the child to experience the world as hostile and threatening, or inactive regions of the brain that prompt the child to be overly aggressive and insensitive, or withdrawn and antisocial. Maltreatment, STDs, cancers, diseases, depression, eating disorders, substance abuse and impaired immune systems are more common among abused children. Children from abusive households are also 25% more likely to engage in risky behavior, like smoking, teenage pregnancy, delinquency, drug use and skipping school. The dangers are all evident. If you suspect a child has been victimized, then call one of the abuse hotlines today.