Friday, May 8, 2009

Child Abuse & Child Help

Child abuse is a major topic because it can endanger or impair a child’s physical or emotional development. Every year there are 3 million reports made in the United States, but it is estimated that the actual number of incidents are 3 times larger than the reported amount (www.childhelp.org). We all know that being a kid should not be stressful; it should be fun and carefree. Unfortunately there are many kids that live in fear, neglect, and pain. Not only do they live like this but grow up feeling scared, helpless, or resentful. An important question as to why child abuse occurs is sometimes overlooked because we become more concerned about what has happened to the child. Now, it is effortless to say that child abuse is disgusting and immoral. However, in order to properly interpret and analyze what it is and why it takes place, we need to cast aside personal opinions because it has been discovered that many people who inflict these acts were victims of child abuse themselves or other types of maltreatment. An interesting statistic I found said that one third of abused and neglected children will later abuse their own kids and continue the awful cycle (www.childhelp.org).


It is obvious what types of effects child abuse has on a person. This type of abuse takes a big toll on a person mentally, emotionally, and physically. Many kids get bruises and scratches that can scar them forever; many lose their self-esteem because they are constantly being thrown around or looked down upon. Those abused as kids sometimes develop to be bad or aggressive adults. They can develop psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder. Others can develop problems such as alcohol or drug abuse or commit crimes. 36.7% of all women in prison and 14.4% of all men in prison in the U.S. were abused as children.
Child abuse is truly sad and affects so many people. Every year many kids die because of abuse but there can be a way to prevent it. Raising awareness is very important because it can educate people of how abused children can turn out to be. There are also several signs of child abuse that if seen, can be put to an end. Don’t wait around until something bad happens. Every kid deserves a chance to have a happy and normal lifestyle.

-Physical Signs of Child Abuse
1. Unexplained burns, cuts, bruises, or welts in the shape of an object
2. Bite marks
3. Anti-social behavior
4. Problems in school
5. Fear of adults
-Emotional Signs of Child Abuse
1. Apathy
2. Depression
3. Hostility or stress
4. Lack of concentration
5. Eating disorders
-Sexual Signs of Child Abuse
1. Inappropriate interest or knowledge of sexual acts
2. Nightmares and bed wetting
3. Drastic changes in appetite
4. Overcompliance or excessive aggression
5. Fear of a particular person or family member
-Signs of Neglect
1. Unsuitable clothing for weather
2. Dirty or unbathed
3. Extreme hunger
4. Apparent lack of supervision

- clare parilla

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4 comments:

  1. AnonymousMay 10, 2009 at 6:39 AM

    I think you were right to say that we should cast aside our personal opinions when we consider child abuse because the abusers could have been victims themselves and that's all they really have known. The image of kids should be seen as those who jump up and down screaming to go to DisneyLand. They should be the portrayed as young innocent people who have known nothing of the real world yet. They should be kept in their imaginative and fantastic world of theirs that all kids have. We shouldn't have to see kids on T.V because they have been abused. We shouldn't have to see young children anti-social and scared of going to help. That's not what the kid image is supposed to be.

    Great post clare.

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  2. AnonymousMay 11, 2009 at 12:59 PM

    Good post clare! Child abuse is definately one of the more serious types of abuse because children are so important in this world and they need to be cared for and protected. Like Erika said, they know nothing of the real world yet, especially when they are very young. I like that you listed all the signs of child abuse and specific kinds. That way everyone is aware of what the signs really are. Some are obvious, but some of them took my by surprise, such as lack of concentration or poor grades. I had no idea that those could be signs of abuse. Children are so important and they are just as much innocent, so it is up to us and the child's parents to care for them and provide positive influences. If the child is abused, how will the child view the world?

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  3. ErikMay 11, 2009 at 6:28 PM

    In my opinion this is probably the most important for of abuse one can pay attention to. Children are so helpless when they are younger, their parents feel they can push them around and because the kids are young they do not know what to do. You gave great points about the signs of an abused child an because I work with young children it is something I can look at to see if some act differently than others. Good Job clareee

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  4. AnonymousMay 11, 2009 at 7:28 PM

    I'm so glad someone wrote a post on this! Good job clare! We were currently just discussing this in Mrs. Mayors class on friday, and honestly it is sad to know that there are people who are out there willing to hurt an innocent child. It's hard to tell whether a child is being abused unless an adult is with that child often. So it's up to those adults to help pick up the signs and warn authories. I just hope this post helps people realize the effects abuse have on children

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