Child Abuse - Tragic and All Too Common

We are faced with so many terrible problems in the United States and around the world. Child abuse is an unforgivable and unimaginable act yet it happens more than we would like to think. In 2005 approximately 899,000 children were abused or neglected. That number does not take into account abuse not reported or confirmed. The vast majority of these children (62.8%) were neglected. We prefer to think when abuse happens that the perpetrators are strangers but they are more often than not the parents of the child (79.4%). The most surprising statistic to me is that women were the abuser 58% of the time, but women typically are with children more than men and are often the primary caregiver. Higher female abuse statistics are also related to the increase in single parent households in which women are raising children alone. The various stresses such as low income status often present in a mom-headed household is certainly a contributing factor and one that the United States could easily address through more support programs.

Abuse can be classified as neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and emotional abuse. Neglect is defined as failure to supply a child with basic items for well being such as food, shelter, education, and medical care. Physical abuse is causing physical injury to a child whether the injury was intended or not. Sexual abuse is any form of sexual conduct from fondling and penetration to allowing a child to view pornography. Emotional abuse is the hardest to prove and probably the most common. It is almost certainly present when any of the other forms of abuse are present. Emotional abuse involves actions that prevent the child from developing self-esteem such as insults and withholding love.

Recognizing the signs of abuse is obviously important to stopping abuse. It is often difficult to acknowledge the presence of abuse but we must sometimes step out on a limb and call the appropriate agency when the future of a child is at stake. We must think of the child, not the alleged abuser. Some signs to watch for include any sudden changes in behavior or academic performance, frequent injuries, medical problems left unresolved, and hanging around the school before and after school hours. You can also look for signs in the parent such as lack of interest or watch the interaction between the parent and the child noting whether they touch or look at one another.

The consequences of abuse are varied and serious. Children of abuse often have low self-esteem and are in danger of becoming abusers themselves. Many people in prison have been abused. We cannot know that they would not be in prison had they not been abused but it seems reasonable to me that we would see a decrease in prison populations if there was also a decrease in abuse. There is a clear need for additional programs in the United States to promote, among other things, parental understanding of the stages of development as well as other abuse prevention programs including financial and educational aid to low income homes.

References

"ACF Questions and Answers Support," Administration for Children & Families,
Abuse Stats, 11/12/07.

"ACF Questions and Answers Support," Administration for Children & Families,
Abuse Stats, 11/12/07.

"Recognizing Signs of Child Abuse and Neglect," Child Welfare Information Gateway,
http://www.childwelfare.gov/can/identifying/recog_signs.cfm, 11/12/07.