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One of America’s problems is child abuse. Sometimes you might not notice, but a kid can get abused at home and be too afraid to tell anyone.
Child abuse is a global concern in present-day society. Almost every day, we hear about a child suffering from different maltreatment on the news, the internet, etc. To a large extent, children exposed to abuse and mistreatment during their formative years tend to suffer from various conditions, including depression, drug addiction, learning disorders, and sexual behavior problems. Even though child abuse has severe consequences, the issue is often brushed aside and not given the attention it deserves.
According to a report, a child abuse case is made every ten seconds in the U.S.” One cannot fathom why anyone would intentionally hurt the innocent children of today’s society. Child abuse happens with kids of all ages, gender, and religions. Likewise, the world can be seen as a harsh place where child abuse occurs worldwide, even in the United States. Many factors contribute to this repulsive behavior. Physical, psychological, and sexual cruelty are effects of child abuse.
According to a study, the abuse can start before a kid is born if a mother uses illegal drugs, misuses prescription or nonprescription medications, or fails to seek health care during pregnancy.
This blog will discuss the growing number of child abuse cases in the U.S. Child abuse can be in many forms. Some are hard to detect, and their manifestations are not outright. Here are some of the familiar faces of child abuse that are commonly experienced in America.
Physical abuse. The most common form of child abuse. It is a painful, devastating event that occurs. It is “when a person uses an object or a part of their body to control a person’s actions.” There are numerous forms of physical force, such as strangling, hitting, slapping, kicking, and beating. Other types of harm include weapons or objects to injure the kid. Physical abuse often goes undetected since it is hard to distinguish it. Kids often get hurt, and parents or other adults make excuses for what happened. Usually, no further questions are asked, leaving the child helpless and alone.
Sexual abuse. It is an act with a child intended to gratify an adult sexually. Sexual abusers can be young or old, male or female, and usually are family members-incest or acquaintances that the child knows. They convince the child not to tell and that the act is okay. Sexual abuse by a stranger is rare.
Child neglect. It is committed through a failure to take action when necessary to ensure a child’s health and well-being. Negligence can cause an inability to succeed or learning problems. Neglect happens when parents or caregivers fail to provide appropriate shelter, clothing, protection from hazards, medical care, or schooling. Negligence causes potential or actual harm or both.
Emotional abuse. It is characterized by maltreatment that causes damage to psychological growth and development. It is also a pattern of behavior that attacks a child’s emotional development (E.Q.) and sense of self-worth. It includes actions, words, and indifference. Abusers constantly ignore, reject, dominate, criticize, and belittle the victims.
How is this child abuse prevented?
Parents and guardians do not sometimes realize the thin line between disciplining their children and abusing them. The verbal and physical abuse guidelines should be made known to draw the line between the two. While people have tried to help the victims of child abuse, they find that it is not easy helping the children who are abuse victims. Many children are afraid to tell someone they are being harmed and are confused about “telling on” the only person who raised them. Therefore, preventing child abuse has been a challenging task as well.