Child Abuse Prevention and Control Essay

Child abuse is a serious and widespread problem throughout the world. It can take the form of sexual abuse, physical or psychological mistreatment , or child neglect. Can child abuse be prevented? Can the child abuser be rehabilitated? What can be done within your own home or community to prevent or control child abuse? Once discovered, child abuse can be addressed, but how does one report child abuse, and what are the legal requirements for reporting the abuse? Are you aware of the effect that the abuse has on other family members, or what the long term effects of child abuse can be? Learn how you can be part of the solution to the tragic problem of child abuse. Child abuse, regardless of what form it takes, is extremely damaging to the child, the family, and society. Approximately eighty percent of twenty-one year olds that have survived childhood abuse have at least one psychological disorder, and about thirty percent of abused or exploited children become abusers themselves as adults. Statistics tell us that five or more abused children die every day in America alone, not including the many abuse-related deaths that go unrecorded. Child abuse is a worldwide occurrence which crosses all boundaries. No financial, racial, religious, cultural or other situation has been found to preclude child abuse. Reporting child abuse United States, Guam, and Puerto Rico are among several areas of the world that have mandatory reporting laws. In these areas, any person who suspects or observes child abuse of any type must report the situation to the legal authorities. There are several professions in which the mandate to report is even more thoroughly enforced. Traditional authority positions such as school teacher, law enforcement, and physician are a few examples. The importance of reporting the abuse cannot be stressed enough. The younger the child is when the abuse is stopped, the better the chances of healing the psychological and/or physical damage inflicted. The longer the abuse is allowed to continue, the more damage is done, and healing becomes progressively more difficult. Studies show that children who simply witness abuse within the family are just as negatively affected as the subject of the abuse, further demonstrating the scope and gravity of this type of situation, and the importance of early intervention. Preventing child abuse The following are some ways that we can attempt to prevent the abuse before it even starts. If you are a parent, be sure you are able to de-stress in a healthy way instead of directing your frustrations toward your child. Physical activity, meditation, or involvement in a support group outside the home and away from the children are all excellent ways of positively redirecting anger or frustration. If you believe that you, or someone in your family is at risk of losing control or becoming abusive, do not ignore the issue or delay taking action. The person on the verge of losing control must get help before the abuse ever occurs. If you notice a parent clearly struggling under a lot of stress, try sympathizing, and perhaps offer to babysit, or even trade babysitting services to give the adults some ‘down time’. Donate, volunteer, or become otherwise actively involved in raising awareness about, or assisting, families and children in crisis. Controlling child abuse already occuring in the home It is no simple task to rehabilitate a child abuser. Generally, it is a long term process, involving not just the abuser, but the entire family unit. Each family member must be willing to cooperate in the rehabilitation program. Mental or psychological instability or illness, and/or substance abuse often contribute to the abusive behavior, complicating matters even more, and and making rehabilitation much more difficult. If the abuse violation is considered ‘low level’, the abuser may possibly be permitted to remain within the home while treatment takes place, as long as steady improvement is observed and no further abuse occurs. This is normally decided on a case by case basis. The definition of ‘low level’ varies according to local laws, but one example would be mild incidences of neglect, as opposed to actual physical or sexual abuse or exploitation, or more severe cases of neglect. Instances in which the abuse has become more serious usually require removal and temporary relocation of the child, or removal of the abuser, until such time as the offender is determined to be rehabilitated. Requirements vary depending on locale, but in all instances, there are specific conditions that must be satisfied before the family is reunited.