Child Abuse

Child Abuse: The Effects on Them in Later Years

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The Cycle of Abuse this thing is horrible

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**Introduction**

            There
are so many things that go on in this world that are astounding. This world can
be a very beautiful and amazing place in the right setting. Wonderful things
can take place, like a person caring for another, people volunteering in the
community, and loving families coming together. Some children aren't so lucky
to have grown up in a peaceful place. There are many things that go on in this
world that aren’t so beautiful. Things like murder, kidnapping, fighting, war,
and diseases. Child abuse is one of these many horrible things. Child abuse can
cause so many effects on children, and can cause them to act out. Child abuse
is, in a way, almost responsible for some of these horrible acts.

**Child**
Abuse: The Impact it has on the Child

When
I was little I had a best friend that I had known since we were babies. We
lived in the same tiny town and so we always seen each other and spent time
together. We grew up together, until about fourth grade when we each went to a
different town and didn't get to see each other much. When we were about three,
she would tell me she hated her grandma and she never wanted to stay at home.
She stayed at my house for a while, but over time, she would stop coming over.
When we were about six or seven Taylor, my friend, started to become withdrawn.
She never wanted any attention, she didn’t talk to anyone else but me, and she
missed a lot of school. A few days she would show up with bruises and each time
she did, she would state that she didn't know what happened or had some kind of
excuse.

One day I went
over to her house, which was a treat because I hardly ever seen her. Taylor and
I played with her easy bake oven and we dropped the cake mix on the floor. I
laughed but quickly stopped as her eyes got big and she rushed to get napkins
to clean it up. As we cleaned, her grandma walked in. She told me that it was
getting late so I better go home. The next day at school Taylor showed up with
more bruises and she finally told me that her grandma would hit her and punish
her and she didn't know what to do. She asked me to not to tell anyone, so I
kept quiet. I was scared for her. Eventually she moved in with another
relative, but that wasn't for another few years.

            The
impact this had on me is beyond anything I've ever experienced. I didn't get
abused first hand, but I felt the pain through Taylor, I had to watch as her
bruises developed and as her absences in class increased. She wasn't the same
girl she used to be, so outspoken and friendly, she became withdrawn and shy,
as if she wished she could become invisible.

*Consequences*
Child Abuse has on Most Children

Child maltreatment affects children now
and later, and it's not only physical, but can be psychological and behavioral
too. Some of the effects are: Improper brain development, impaired cognitive
(learning ability) and socio-emotional (social and emotional skills), lower
language development, blindness, cerebral palsy from head trauma, higher risk
for heart, lung and liver diseases, obesity, cancer, high blood pressure and
cholesterol, anxiety, smoking, alcoholism and drug abuse. Physical effects are
just as prominent and happen more than you would think: In 2011, approximately
1,570 children died from abuse and neglect across the country—a rate of 2.10
deaths per 100,000 children.Maltreatment
during infancy or early childhood can cause important regions of the brain to
form and function improperly with long-term consequences on cognitive,
language, and socio-emotional development, and mental health. For example, the
stress of chronic abuse may cause a "hyper arousal" response in
certain areas of the brain, which may result in hyperactivity and sleep
disturbances. Children may experience severe or fatal head trauma as a result
of abuse. Nonfatal consequences of abusive head trauma include varying degrees
of visual impairment (e.g., blindness), motor impairment (e.g., cerebral palsy)
and cognitive impairments. Children who experience maltreatment are also at
increased risk for adverse health effects and certain chronic diseases as
adults, including heart disease, cancer, chronic lung disease, liver disease,
obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high levels of C-reactive
protein. These effects create lifelong problems for these children, and
sometimes it can be even worse than anything physical. In one long-term study,
as many as 80 percent of young adults who had been abused met the diagnostic
criteria for at least one psychiatric disorder at age 21. These young adults
exhibited many problems, including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and
suicide attempts. In addition to physical and developmental problems, the
stress of chronic abuse may result in anxiety and may make victims more
vulnerable to problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder, conduct
disorder, and learning, attention, and memory difficulties. It’s sad how many
kids have to go through this. We need something to bring more attention to how
often child abuse happens, and the severe complications that arise from it. (Violence
prevention, 2014)

**What are the Causes and**
Symptoms of Abuse?

            How
can you tell if someone is getting abused? It's not always obvious and most
children won't come out and tell you that they are getting abused at home.
There are some signs and symptoms you can look out for that will help you
determine whether or not the child is getting abuse or not. A child who's being
abused may feel guilty, ashamed or confused. He or she may be afraid to tell
anyone about the abuse, especially if the abuser is a parent, other relative or
family friend. In fact, the child may have an apparent fear of parents, adult
caregivers or family friends. That's why it's vital to watch for red flags,
such as: withdrawal from friends or usual activities, changes in behavior — such
as aggression, anger, hostility or hyperactivity — or changes in school
performance, Depression, anxiety or a sudden loss of self-confidence, an
apparent lack of supervision, frequent absences from school or reluctance to
ride the school bus, reluctance to leave school activities, as if he or she
doesn't want to go home, attempts at running away, rebellious or defiant
behavior and attempts at suicide. Specific signs and symptoms depend on the
type of abuse. Keep in mind that warning signs are just that — warning signs.
The presence of warning signs doesn't necessarily mean that a child is being
abused. (Diseases conditions, 2015)

*Symptoms*
of Physical Abuse

            There
are many different types of abuse, and which each type, there are different
signs and symptoms to look out for. Some Symptoms of physical abuse include:
unexplained injuries, such as bruises, fractures or burns; injuries that don't
match the given explanation; and untreated medical or dental problems.
(Diseases conditions, 2015)

*Sexual*
abuse signs and symptoms

Sexual abuse another type of abuse and
isn’t always as obvious as physical, because most of the harm happens where it
is not seen or inside the child. Warning signs include: sexual behavior
or knowledge that's inappropriate for the child's age, pregnancy or a sexually
transmitted infection, blood in the child's underwear, statements that he or
she was sexually abused, trouble walking or sitting, and abuse of other
children sexually. (Diseases conditions, 2015)

*Emotional*
abuse signs and symptoms

  Emotional abuse, like sexual, is hard to
detect because the abuse is inside the child’s head. Emotional abuse can be the
only abuse the child suffers from, but emotional abuse typically is associated
with and results from other types of abuse and neglect. Symptoms include:
delayed or inappropriate emotional development, loss of self-confidence or
self-esteem, social withdrawal, depression, headaches or stomachaches with no
medical cause, avoidance of certain situations, such as refusing to go to
school or ride the bus, and desperately seeks affection. (Diseases conditions,

*Neglect*
signs and symptoms

          Neglect is the most common abuse and
is often forgotten about. Warning signs of neglect include: poor growth or
weight gain, poor hygiene, lack of clothing or supplies to meet physical needs,
taking food or money without permission, eating a lot in one sitting or hiding
food for later, poor record of school attendance, lack of appropriate attention
for medical, dental or psychological problems, even though the parents have
been notified, emotional swings that are inappropriate or out of context to the
situation, and indifference. (Diseases conditions, 2015)

*Parental*
behavior

            Sometimes
a parent's demeanor or behavior sends red flags about child abuse. Warning
signs include a parent who: Shows little concern for the child, appears unable
to recognize physical or emotional distress in the child, denies that any
problems exist at home or school, or blames the child for the problems,
consistently blames, belittles or berates the child and describes the child
with negative terms, such as "worthless" or "evil", expects
the child to provide him or her with attention and care and seems jealous of
other family members getting attention from the child, uses harsh physical
discipline or asks teachers to do so, demands an inappropriate level of
physical or academic performance, severely limits the child's contact with
others, offers conflicting or unconvincing explanations for a child's injuries
or no explanation at all, although most child health experts condemn the use of
violence in any form, some people still use corporal punishment (such as
spanking) as a way to discipline their children. Corporal punishment has
limited effectiveness in deterring behavior and is associated with aggressive
behavior in the child. Any corporal punishment may leave emotional scars.

Parental behaviors that cause pain
or physical injury — even when done in the name of discipline — could be child
abuse. (Diseases conditions, 2015)

**Harm**
Reducing Techniques and Prevention

            Don’t
let fear or embarrassment prevent you from seeking help. In the United States
in 2012, child protective services agencies received an estimated 3.4 million
referrals involving approximately 6.3 million children. If you want to
report an incident of child abuse, contact your local department of human
services. A social worker will take a report over the telephone and investigate
the situation. Your name will not be released to the family. (Children's
Hospital, 2014)

            The
first step is to provide a safe environment to prevent further harm. The sooner
this happens, the better the child's chance for physical and emotional
recovery. This includes separating the child, as well as any other children in
the household, from the person suspected of abuse. Any physical injuries will
be treated, either in a hospital or at a doctor's office, depending on how
serious they are. Counseling is always recommended for abused or neglected
children. It usually focuses on: How they feel about themselves, their past
experiences, fears and concerns they may have about the present and future, and
for very young children, counseling may involve play therapy. (parenting, 2015)

**Conclusion**

            The
effects of child abuse can have long lasting effects and even start a cycle. It
is shown that children that are abused will more than likely grow up and abuse
their children. It's all they know on how to be a parent, it's what they were
shown on how to treat children. This cycle isn't always true and can be broken
however, the best way to prevent child abuse is to not start it, and if it is
started, you'll want to stop it early. The best way to stop it early is to
train everyone that deals with children to know what to look out for. They
should bring nurses in once every year to check the children and ask those
questions that would help see if they are getting abused. There are so many
ways to prevent child abuse, one only needs to be informed.

**Works**
cited

Center of Disease Control Found on
cdc.gov Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/childmaltreatment/

A Child Called It found on
books.google.com retrieved from: https://books.google.com/books?id=doyjAgAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=child+abuse&hl=en&sa=X&ei=DP8-VcyMIIaMsQSC34CgCA&ved=0CC8Q6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false

Cleveland Clinic found on
my.clevelandclinic.org retrieved from: http://my.clevelandclinic.org/childrens-hospital/Home/health-info/diseases-conditions/hic-child-abuse

Mayo Clinic found on mayoclinic.org
retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/child-abuse/basics/definition/con-20033789

Medline Plus found on nih.gov
retrieved from: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/childabuse.html

National Children Advocacy Center
found on nationalcac.org retrieved from: http://www.nationalcac.org/online-training/webinars-main-page.html

WebMD found on webmd.com retrieved
from: http://www.webmd.com/parenting/tc/child-maltreatment-topic-overview

World Health Organization found on
who.int retrieved from: http://www.who.int/violence\_injury\_prevention/violence/child/en/