how child abuse and neglect affects children

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Child Abuse

It is called child abuse or child abuse to any action (physical, sexual or emotional) or not accidental omission in the treatment of a minor by a parent or caregiver, which causes physical or psychological harm and threatening both physical and psychological.

Five basic types of child abuse are distinguished:

Physical abuse;

Sexual abuse;

Emotional abuse;

Physical neglect;

Emotional neglect.

Concept

The definition of abuse involves a social value in relation to what is dangerous or inappropriate for the child. And herein lies the great difficulty to precisely define it, as there is a lack of social consensus on what constitutes dangerous and unacceptable forms of parenting. It is difficult to establish the line of separation between what abuse is and what is not (...)

The definition of "abuse" should also take into account at least three criteria: first, consideration of an act or omission as "abuse" depends, in most cases, the age of the child; secondly, the psycho-physiological condition of the child may condition the consequences of the act or omission exerted on it, which can lead to a relativization of consideration as abuse; and, thirdly, we must also keep in mind that not necessarily all acts of abuse have to leave visible and immediate consequences in the least; This is especially important because the consequences of child abuse cases are often not the physical, but those affecting the development of children in the medium and long term.

Child abuse has been a conflict that has persisted since the peoples and civilizations of antiquity where the children used to perform sacrifices and rituals. However, according to this text, not so long ago that the company obtained control over the abuse of minors. In the United States an organization which is dedicated to helping homeless children and it was known as "Child Welfare Movement" was created. Also other organizations against child abuse as the New York Society for the Reform of juvenile offenders in 1825, whose purpose was to help abused and neglected children by their parents or relatives arose. Years later it was founded in the state of New York the "Society for Prevention of Cruelty of Children" which emerged as a source of inspiration to develop other organizations against child abuse in the United States and Europe. Although, according to the text, in 1874 was the first time a case involving abuse or child abuse when earned less than nine years native of New York was subjected to physical abuse. A charity worker helped the creature and herself went to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty animals where the worker, caseworker of the child stated: "the least deserve as much protection as a common dog "and with these testimonies they could win the case.

However, it is considered that, in general, the criteria to judge a situation as "abuse" must be based on the consequences for the child, both damage and unmet needs of this.

Abuse or physical abuse

It is defined as "any non-accidental action by parents or caregivers to cause physical injury or illness in the child or put him at serious risk of suffering."

Typical indicators of physical abuse are less bruising or bruises in different stages of healing and widespread way in different parts of the body; burns with defined shapes; the nose or jaw fractures, spiral or long bones; sprains or dislocations; wounds or scratches on the face and the back of the limbs and torso; signs of human bites; cuts or punctures; internal injuries (in the skull or brain, symptoms of asphyxiation ...).

Child abuse consists of several elements and emphasizes the two main ideas which are: the asymmetry of age and abuse of power. Asymmetry age refers to the age difference between the perpetrator and the victim while the abuse of power is a necessary factor for child abuse; since it implies fear and gets a dominant role in the social sphere. Abuse power obtained through experience and maturity of the offender. Therefore asymmetry age becomes a factor in child abuse; and that through age can decipher levels of experience, maturity and especially malice of the perpetrator.

Abandonment or neglect physical and cognitive

Negligence is identified as the failure to provide the basic needs of a child by their parents or persons responsible.

It is defined as a situation where the physical needs (food, clothing, hygiene, protection and monitoring in potentially dangerous situations, education and / or medical care) and basic cognitive child are not met temporarily or permanently by any member of the group that coexists with the child.

Neglect may be:

Physical (e.g., failure to provide necessary food or shelter, lack of adequate supervision.);

Medical (e.g., failure to provide medical treatment or mental health.);

Education (e.g., Lack of attention to the emotional needs of a child, failure to provide psychological care or allowing the child to use alcohol or drugs).

These situations do not always mean a child is neglected. Sometimes cultural values, the standard of care in the community, and poverty may be contributing factors, indicating that the family needs information or assistance. When a family fails to use information and resources, and the child's health or safety is at risk, since the intervention of the institution for the protection and welfare of the child may be required.

Child abuse within families is one of the contributing causes to the social problems that exist today; the latest product is the increase in the crime rate by youth. The abuse destroys the family, by breaking the bonds of trust and love that are the foundation of it himself. The use of violence by their parents and / or caregivers puts into question the reality of love of parents towards their children.

Child abuse can be detected in various ways especially when the legal guardian of the child stops taking responsibility for it. According to this article, there have been cases where severe under 10 years tend to cook themselves because parents have failed to bring food home and even situations where the child remains more than 24 hours without eating have occurred. According to this magazine, there are several types of child abuse such as sexual abuse (where there is direct contact between the aggressor and the victim), physical abuse (where injuries and physical attacks occur against the victim, there is not necessarily sexual abuse) , neglect (where parents or guardians discarded responsibilities for the child and yet abandon) and emotional abuse (where the aggressor harvest the fear and anguish of the victim) .11

Psychological Impact

Abusive situations reveal what is a serious relational dysfunction therefore affect the normal development of the child compliance tasks. This failure in implementing the goals of the child would be, broadly speaking, the impact of child abuse and what comes to mean when the definitions of abuse states that it threatens the development of the child's competence or physical development, psychological and emotional considered normal for the child.

The impact of mistreatment or abuse, being a contextualized phenomenon, can be cushioned, according to multiple variables: not only the most obvious, related to the type, duration or intensity of abuse, but also with the characteristics of the victim, resources and supports they have, and their own situations of vital evolution. According to Article (2003). "Enough indifference child abuse" child abuse is a conflict which, there are many controversies regarding the child; since it can have many problems in their personal development.