Child Abuse in Impoverished Communites
Introduction
With the entire world suffering from the consequences of children maltreatment and issues affecting the young generation we should all be responsible for the suffering of a single child since they will form our tomorrow society. Without them tomorrow is a dream or fantasy that will never come to be. This problem is really taking over and widely practiced in the developing countries in this world.
The existence of ignorance among many is really helping catapult this practice with a lot of support from those who do not value a child’s life and see it as a means to good life (Kiesbye 11). Take for instance, young children with the very bright future being in a position to do very hard tasks just to make ends meet. They end up even indulging themselves into acts that end in the increase of crime rate in the society and we always ask who is to be blamed for all this.
China being among the countries that this is so eminent just the other a day a ten year old girl gives birth to a 2.8kg bouncing baby. With all right senses the human being responsible for this act should not be even part and parcel of this society we live in. leave alone that, where the parents of this young innocent girl were when such an incident was happening yet the future of this child might have been a very bright one.
For us to be in the fore front of ensuring this does not happen, we have to understand the topic in question so as to come up with the right means of eradicating child abuse and that which is very effective. So, to begin with is what really does the word child abuse imply? Child abuse is the act of doing or deteriorating to do something that in return it results to harm to a child or might jeopardize a child’s life or welfare. It can be physical harm, sexual harassment or even emotional torture.
Child neglect
On the other hand, the main thing or the main reason that nothing is being done to fight with child abuse is the ignorance that we all have towards child welfare. It is so disturbing for a person in their full and right sense can take the responsibility of bearing the pain of carrying a child for nine months and end up giving birth with all the struggle and pain and yet does not care or give thought of the child’s welfare. Child neglect can then be elaborated as the act of not being their or responsible enough to provide for the needs of the child which in actual sense is an act of child abuse (McCoy54).
The greater percentage of the children who end up suffering from child abuse mostly are emotional suffering rather that physical form of abuse. With the strict humanitarian laws governing the world, it is so hard to find people indulging in physical abuse and for those who do so are never found out since they are very few although they don’t live long before they are exposed to justice. A child who has undergone abuse usually does suffer from depression and if not helped as early as possible they form the nuisance group in the society that is always out to do something mischievous (Kiesbye 171).
Causes of child abuse
Another factor we have to consider in eradicating this practice is focusing on the conservatives, the roots of which this practice thrives on. This way we may be able to deal with the situation at hand more effectively and easily. Some of the factors that we might think are not part and parcel of this may include parental situations. When parents start facing issues such as stress due to the economy, lack of the right skills and information about the welfare of children and responsibilities in life, and mostly support of all kinds, it turns out to be very overwhelming when it comes to children upbringing. Some of the great contributors to this abuse and neglect are as follows.
The lack of support from family members and the society and the social isolation that is in existence due to backgrounds and ethnic community clashes it really affects. It’s a very common thing that nowadays relatives live miles and miles away from each other and this means a new lifestyle with the new society, inter mingling and forming a new network connection which might be difficult and as for the children it may affect their development (Kiesbye 45). This might end up adding pressure to the family and might affect the children more than the parents.
The other factor is stress. The fact that in most developing countries there is a high percentage of unemployment, pressure from the financial sector and economy of the country, poverty and living under the influence of poverty, having to cope up with children with very challenging behaviors and understanding their gradual development in all aspects of life this might cause some diverse effects towards child abuse since nobody is monitoring them in any way (Healey, 62).
Drug abuse and other practices such as criminal activities affect so much. The fact that the parents themselves went through some struggle and one of them or all of them indulge in drug and substance abuse this eventually results to limitations of the parents ability to nurture the children in the right way and even protect them from any form of harm or danger. At such a level or a situation, most of these children grow with the mentality that life is as hard as a rock and for survival drugs and substance abuse is the way to go (Healey, 31).
Lastly is having or bearing a low self-esteem and having very high expectations for this life. There parents who lack the confidence and the ability to act as a parent and may be afraid or even ashamed of asking for advice or help from other people or even relatives. Apart from this they might be having very high expectations in their life and from the society and those around them and this in return puts a lot of pressure to both the parents and even the children (Kiesbye 30). This really puts life of and brings a very wrong picture about the society and life in general.
As for the community, there is still part and parcel of having child abuse live up to reality. When as a community we tolerate the existence of violence, then we end up destroying the young generation. We should also be aware in which community or society do children grow up in. some other community do employ the use of hard and harsh disciplinary action as a form of punishment and instilling good virtues of life. This by greatly do affect the child’s physical and emotional development and this is abused (Kiesbye, 24).
Signs and symptoms of child abuse
Some of the signs that might help one identify a child who has been abused in any way or has suffered from any type of abuse are as follows. This signs help us find ways in classifying the different type of children with different types of abuse and helps us In dealing with them and helping them grow over it. For example a good student who was performing very well in school might start performing poorly and change their character and behavior. They become so rude, very harsh, bully or even get involved in illegal activities such as drugs smuggling or even criminal activities (Kiesbye 76).
It is very true that those who suffer from child abuse live a very reckless life in that even they do not care any more about their health, safety and even their welfare. For example, they indulge in a very fierce fight with other adults out there which might end up in even blood shed yet even with this knowledge the parents cannot do anything to help.
They end up keeping off and minding their own business. In school and their education, they end up having a hard time in adapting and understanding a concept even if it might be easy. This is actually not at all related to any challenges that children suffer from (Healey, 39). They lack concentration and even interest in any school based activities and end up dropping out of school to do other activities that are at all not helpful or even helpful to them and the society at large.
They might not be willing to even get any help or supervision from the adults. They always have a mindset that they are well able on their own and nothing is hard for them to accomplish. They will never seek for advice or even involve any adult in their affairs. Since they are withdrawn from the normal lifestyle and routine of life they tend to treat everything with negligence and even less seriousness and attention it might deserve (Healey, 47). They always hate specific thing which in one way or other involve their participation or concentration or even lifestyle that to them is being spoiled or exploited in a way.
Effects of child abuse
One of the effects is the problem of attachments. Most of the infants that are born or exposed to any brutal abuse of any kind have a higher likely hood of them being so insecure about their life or disorganized in what they do and with their care giver or primary parent. This are said to be of great importance for a child to be so attached to their parents for development and those who feel insecure they end up becoming a source of danger or of harm to the society and themselves to (Healey, 72).
Research show that the effects of child abuse and neglection, by the society and their parents, all have an overall physical health issue which really eats up their percentage of recovery and if not looked at might damage the general face of the society. This means in one way or another they had been involved in a physical conflict which leaves a mark in their life that some do not get over it that fast.
One of the worst effects that might bring a great impact in their life is the trauma and the psychological problem. The trauma are all caused by preceding experience that they might have had when they were young those of child abuse and this might have great impact in their brain development and may also bring proliferation by a very high probability their chance to have psychological hitches (McCoy and Stefanie, 20). From the recent statistics given from the research, it clearly shows that analyzing those children with post-traumatic experience it does not really capture a full progress schedule of the chronic child abuse.
The other diverse effect is their ability to learn and develop as a human being. It is a clear fact that it is true that those children who do suffer from any child abuse or neglect have a hard time coping up and performing well in education. However much those scientists are looking for ways of improving such conditions which are not at all linked to any challenges, it might not be so effective. If the child suffered neglect or abuse at their early stages of life it can seriously influence and affect their development capabilities mostly in the most critical areas such as speech and language.
The other forms of effects which I wouldn’t elaborate so much on are mental health problems where these children might suffer from mental disabilities may be due to depression and anxiety deformations. There is drug and substance abuse which is practically where most of this children end up. Substantiation that is there shows that great proportions of any maltreatment are as results of effects brought by drugs and substance abuse.
We also have youth suicides which out of the research that has been carried out this abuse and neglect by parents and society double the probability of young citizens attempting to end their life. They also suffer from aggression; they become so violent and indulge themselves into criminal activities since they also look forward to inflicting pain in others out of what they went through (McCoy and Stefanie, 28).
Preventing child abuse
Some of the most known and proven effective means of struggling with the effects of child abuse and means of preventing and eradicating this child abuse and neglection are one has to train in parenting and implementing home visitation programs. This two have a focus on the upbringing of children, the relationship between parents and children and the environment of the family where a child can grow and develop safely (McCoy and Stefanie, 35). To start with, let us elaborate on the two ways and this doesn’t mean that there are no other ways of doing it, they are there it just depends which one is more effective.
Parental training is a new way or trend that the world is trying to help implement so as to help the new young families have any easy time in bringing up their children in the best way possible. This is the act of providing parents with the needed and fundamental information that is required in child development also the way of bonding with the child. They are also taught some of the ways in which they can rear the children and how they can manage any arising family conflict (McCoy and Stefanie, 43). This is a very effective method since they also get to hear from the experiences families that have made it in life and this also encourages them that this is possible and can be done. With the training marriage counselors as well as trained and skilled children officers can help in making such a program a success.
The other way is improvising of home visiting programs which may involve a regular visit by a nurse or any professional health care specialist at homes where there is a special need to do support with child care and where in one way or another there is an evidence of maltreatment. These types of visits may be helpful in improving the environment in which the young infant has to grow and strive in.some of the things that this visit might really help so much in are counseling at an individual or family based level, they might still corrected and receive further training on the topic at hand and still for referrals to specialist who might help in some of the other issues that might in one way or another affect the child upbringing (McCoy and Stefanie, 15).
Case study: China
As I conclude on the matter we can for example take a country like china and see how this society takes the issue of child abuse and neglect as. The research clearly shows evidence of a society that is greatly affected by child abuse. This in return it still gives various types of child abuse that has been a really headache for them and some of the methods they have used some of which are discussed earlier.
As for China, they are investing mostly in ensuring that the number of cases that are there are reduced or eliminated and they are not stopping at nothing until this becomes their lifestyle. Taking such an example it shows a nation committed to eradicate these treatments and we can all emulate them and make tomorrows generation count by our efforts today.
Works Cited
Healey, Justin. Child Abuse and Neglect.Balmain, N.S.W: Spinney Press, 2000. Print.
Kiesbye, Stefan. Child Abuse and Neglect. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2008. Print
McCoy, Monica L, and Stefanie M. Keen.Child Abuse and Neglect. New York: Psychology Press, 2009. Print.
