...Child Sexual Abuse in the United States and its Long Term Effects David Andrade Liberty University SOCI-201 Robert D. Clark May 5, 2014 Abstract This will be a paper to demonstrate the staggering number of sexual abuse cases in the United States and its long term effects on children and adults. My interest in this topic is due to the fact that I have been sexually abused as a child and have been researching about the long term effects in people who do not come forward with this problem. Many people have been able to recover from the damaging effects of sexual abuse, however, many still suffer from past memories and present debilitations. This paper aims to expose 5 facts about sexual abuse in children as well as statistics, adverse effects, prevention strategies, how homosexuality can be traced back to child abuse, how to recognize if your child has been abused, and reasons why people abuse children. I will also share some of my personal experiences in order to help the reader understand the damaging effect that child sex abuse has on a child and how it evolves into worse acts if not treated quickly. Child Sexual Abuse in the United States and its Long Term Effects Child sexual abuse is a form of abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual purposes. These purposes can range from sexual activity regardless of outcome, exposure to pornographic materials, and even to produce child pornography. It is the one crime that can occur anywhere whether...
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...Causes and Effects of Child Abuse and Neglect I. INTRODUCTION A. Background Information 1. Child Abuse and Neglect (Hermes, A. (2014). Causes & Effects of Child Abuse. Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/229260-causes-effects-of-child-abuse) 2. Causes and Effects of Child Abuse (Hermes, A. (2014). Causes & Effects of Child Abuse. Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/229260-causes-effects-of-child-abuse) B. Thesis statement 1. How and why children are abused 2. Cause and Effects a. Abused vs. Not Abused 3. Long Term Consequences 4. What can be done to prevent child abuse 5. Programs Available I. BODY A. How and Why Children are Abused 1. General and Main Causes 2. Physical, Psychological, and Behavioral Effects a. Immaturity, Unrealistic, or Lack of Parenting Knowledge (Hermes, A. (2014). Causes & Effects of Child Abuse. Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/229260-causes-effects-of-child-abuse) b. Long Term Consequences (Department of Child Welfare. (2013). Long term consequences of child abuse and neglect. Retrieved from https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/long_term_consequences.pdf) 3. Main Causes, Consequences, and Prevention B. Prevention of Child Abuse ...
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...The Effects of Verbal Abuse Growing up in a household with a verbally abusive parent can have negative short term and long term effects on a child. Verbal abuse does not leave any direct physical scars on a child, but it leaves the child mentally and emotionally scarred forever. “In fact, current research shows that verbal abuse of children can be just as destructive emotionally as physical and sexual abuse and puts them in as much risk for depression and anxiety” (Health Day). Verbal abuse includes yelling, insulting, swearing, criticizing, threatening, name-calling, and ridiculing. A study of over 5,600 people between the ages of 15 and 54 showed that nearly 30% had been often or at one point verbally abused by their parent. The child of a verbally abusive parent suffers from both immediate and long term effects. Effects of verbal abuse can be very immediate and are difficult for any child to cope with. A child suffering from verbal abuse by a parent can have immediate distrust in its parent. The child will begin to fear the abuser and obtain the desire to flee from the abuser. It is possible that the child will begin to defy all authoritative figures as a sign of total distrust and as a symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder from the abuse by their own parent. The child may feel as though they are “walking on eggshells” around the abuser and may become stressed from constantly having to watch out for anything that might set of their verbally abusive parent. A loss...
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... What is child abuse? 3 Emotional abuse 3 Emotional neglect 3 Physical neglect 3 Physical abuse 3 Sexual abuse___________________________________________________________________________ 3 Causes of Child Abuse 4 Parental Profile 4 Age of the parents 4 Low self-confidence 4 Past history of abuse 4 Drug and alcohol problems 4 Mental health problems 4 Financial instability ____________________________________________________________________ 4 The Cinderella effect____________________________________________________________________ 4 Child characteristics 5 The short and long term impacts 5 The short term impacts that this issue may have on an abused child 5 The long term impacts that this issue may have on an abused child _____________________________ 5-6 Political Power, Economics and Human Rights 6 How abuse is linked to these issues________________________________________________________ 6-7 Possible solutions to child abuse 7 What can I do to make a difference? 8 Reference list 8 CHILD ABUSE What is child abuse? Child abuse is defined as the wilful and unjustifiable infliction of pain and suffering whereby the survival, safety, self-esteem, growth and development of a child are endangered. Child abuse can take many different forms. These do not only include sexual and physical abuse, but also emotional abuse and neglect. There are five main types of child abuse: Emotional abuse Emotional abuse is a constant...
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...as a child can stick with you for life. There are many things that you can never forget and abuse is one of them. Child abuse is my topic of choice because it has impacted me on various levels; in some cases, not mine in particular; it can mold you to be a person that you grow to dislike. Child abuse is determined by the state laws, but according to Child Welfare Information Gateway all states follow the minimum standards set by Federal law. "Federal legislation lays the groundwork for States by identifying a minimum set of acts or behaviors that define child abuse and neglect. The Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), (42 U.S.C.A. §5106g), as amended by the Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003 defines child abuse and neglect as, at minimum: • "Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation; or • An act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm. Most Federal and State child protection laws primarily refer to cases of harm to a child caused by parents or other caregivers; they generally do not include harm caused by other people, such as acquaintances or strangers."(Child Welfare Information Gateway) these are the minimum laws for child abuse. Child abuse is not specific to one thing. There are many different types of abuse which according to Child Welfare Information Gateway are physical abuse, neglect...
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...English 50 Cause and Effect Professor Morrison 11 May 2011 Long Term Effects of Physical Abuse There are many types of abuse that a child can be put through. Physical abuse makes up about 25 percent of the reported cases of abuse a year (http://www.childwelfare.gov). Some long term effects are physical health consequences, psychological consequences, and behavioral consequences. Physical health consequences caused by physical abuse are impaired brain development, poor physical health and shaken baby syndrome(sbs). Physical abuse has shown, in some cases, to cause important regions of the brain to fail to form properly (Perry, B.D 2002) Physical abuse has also been known to cause poor physical health such as sexually transmitted diseases. Shaken Baby Syndrome(SBS) is another physical health consequences due to the fact that it can cause blindness, learning disabilities in infants. Psychological consequences cause by physical abuse are poor mental and emotional health, cognitive difficulties, and social difficulties. Many of the young adults develop some type of psychiatric disorder early in life. As researchers stated, "These young adults exhibited many problems, including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and suicide attempts (Silverman, Reinherz, & Giaconia, 1996). Children that have been abused or neglected have been known to do poorly in school. Children that are abused or neglected often have difficulties in relationships later in life with other adults...
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...2012 What happens after a child is abused? Child abuse is defined as any form of physical, sexual, or emotional mistreatment or neglect of children and therefore resulting in a child suffering from various detrimental effects. Child abuse includes four major categories: physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse and neglect. Physical abuse is the most easily detected form of abuse and involves injuries located on the outside of a child’s body. A form of abuse that many people are unaware of is child neglect. However, in 2009 78.3% of child abuse comes from child neglect. This makes child neglect the most common form of abuse Child neglect occurs when a parent/guardian has failed at providing a child with the basic necessities of life, such as shelter, food, clothing, and supervision of an extended period. The consequences if child abuse varies according to the situation, individual, and the form of abuse suffered from. Some of the most common consequences of child abuse and neglect are physical, behavioral, and psychological (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2008). Victims of child abuse and neglect can suffer from one consequence or a combination of them all. First, physical consequence is one of the many consequences of child abuse. The physical consequences of child abuse can range from minor injuries (bruises or cuts) to near death experiences (broken bones, hemorrhage, or even death). According to the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being...
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...still hold a strong connection is “Forged By Fire” by Sharon M. Draper and “A Child Called It” by David Pelzer. Both text tackle the topic of domestic abuse among children. Child abuse is a heavy topic that is difficult for authors to write about due to its severity. Every year in The United States of...
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...| Child Abuse and Neglect | Daymar InstituteInstructor: Mona Hoyle | Lauren Kiddoo | 9/7/2014 | PSY202 – Principles of Psychology SU14FS – Section M1 | Lauren Kiddoo Kiddoo 1 Mona Hoyle PSY 202;Section M1 September 7, 2014 Development Across Life Span: Child Abuse and Neglect While studying the chapter in our book, Development Across Life Span, I found myself wondering what the impact of abuse and neglect had on children when they grew older. My goal for this paper is to discuss what abuse and neglect is and what psychological impact it may take on an individual when they become older. What kind of behaviors may manifest after years of abuse and/or neglect and what can be done to prevent future generations of children from experiencing trauma? WHAT IS CHILD ABUSE/NEGLECT? There are four (4) types of child abuse: emotional abuse, sexual abuse, physical abuse and neglect. The CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) defines child abuse as "child maltreatment as any act of series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or other caregiver that results in harm, potential for harm, or threat of harm to a child". Physical abuse is an act by a parent or caregiver in which non-accidental injury is inflicted, such as hitting, burning, drowning, shaking, suffocating or poisoning. Sexual abuse refers to sexual activity with a child where the child is being...
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...victims of child abuse or neglect in 2006 (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2008). While physical injuries may or may not be immediately visible, abuse and neglect can have consequences for children, families, and society that last lifetimes, if not generations. The impact of child abuse and neglect is often discussed in terms of physical, psychological, behavioral, and societal consequences. In reality, however, it is impossible to separate them completely. Physical consequences, such as damage to a child's growing brain, can have psychological implications such as cognitive delays or emotional difficulties. Psychological problems often manifest as high-risk behaviors. Depression and anxiety, for example, may make a person more likely to smoke, abuse alcohol or illicit drugs, or overeat. High-risk behaviors, in turn, can lead to long-term physical health problems such as sexually transmitted diseases, cancer, and obesity. This factsheet provides an overview of some of the most common physical, psychological, behavioral, and societal consequences of child abuse and neglect, while acknowledging that much crossover among categories exists. Factors Affecting the Consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect Physical Health Consequences Psychological Consequences Behavioral Consequences Societal Consequences Summary References The Federal Government has made a considerable investment in research regarding the causes and long-term consequences of child abuse and neglect...
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...Many children suffer from different forms of child abuse such as physical, mental, and sexual abuse. The definition of child abuse according to (child help.org) “is when a parent or caregiver, fails to act, causes injury, death, emotional harm or risk of serious harm to a child”. There are two types of child abuse that takes place every day, physical and sexual abuse, but the major form of child abuse based on years of research and study is physical abuse. According to (childhelp.org) physical abuse is define as “when a parent or caregiver causes any non-accidental physical injury to a child. Physical abuse can have detrimental effects on children. “The effects of child physical abuse may last a lifetime and can include brain damage and hearing...
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...PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT Psychological Effects of Child Abuse and Neglect Freddy Cabrera General Psychology 1012 4 April 2012 Florida National College Abstract Child abuse and neglect is a growing issue that threatens the health of its victims not only physically but psychologically as well. Some of these psychological effects include difficulties during infancy, poor mental and emotional health, cognitive difficulties, and social difficulties. Psychological Effects of Child Abuse and Neglect The year is 2012 and in this day in age, society is still faced with issues such as child abuse and neglect. “An estimated 905,000 children were victims of child abuse or neglect in 2006” (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2008). Child abuse and neglect is a growing dilemma not only in the United States but also worldwide. Child abuse and neglect is an issue that must be studied to see the significant effects it has on its victims. These effects can be great, the most prominent being physical, psychological, and societal consequences. The following will focus on the psychological effects, and these can be summarized with difficulties during infancy, poor mental and emotional health, cognitive difficulties, and social difficulties. When taking a look at child abuse and neglect one must start at the earliest point in which such can occur. This first point is infancy. During infancy, the child is most vulnerable due to its dependency on the mother...
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...Child Sexual Abuse in the United States and Its Long Term Effects Abstract This will be a paper to demonstrate the staggering number of sexual abuse cases in the United States and its long term effects on children and adults. My interest in this topic is due to the fact that I have been sexually abused as a child and have been researching about the long term effects in people who do not come forward with this problem. Many people have been able to recover from the damaging effects of sexual abuse, however, many still suffer from past memories and present debilitations. This paper aims to expose 5 facts about sexual abuse in children as well as statistics, adverse effects, prevention strategies, how homosexuality can be traced back to child abuse, how to recognize if your child has been abused, and reasons why people abuse children. I will also share some of my personal experiences in order to help the reader understand the damaging effect that child sex abuse has on a child and how it evolves into worse acts if not treated quickly. Child Sexual Abuse in the United States and its Long Term Effects Child sexual abuse is a form of abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual purposes. These purposes can range from sexual activity regardless of outcome, exposure to pornographic materials, and even to produce child pornography. It is the one crime that can occur anywhere whether it be school, playgrounds, work, and home. In a way, children who are abused...
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...Altuism in Society Campaign and Presentation- Child Abuse Christina Perdue, Christina Shappard, Tabitha Lansing PSY/400 March 19, 2013 Dr. Monica Gauna Nature and History of Child Abuse Lloyd DeMause (1998) calls child abuse “humanity’s most powerful and most successful ritual.” Collections of historical records show that child abuse has been prevalent throughout all of documented history. Ancient rituals of the Bimin-Kuskusmin of New Guinea included the regular practice of infanticidal and incestuous activities. These activities included intercourse with caregivers and other sexual activities. These practices were also performed in India and other western countries. In India, the mother is expected to regularly masturbate both her male and female children. For the girls this is done to make them sleep and for the boys this is done to make them manly. Indian female children were often lent to male members of the family for sexual intercourse. It was rare for a female to reach puberty as a virgin. Indian families push for early marriage to help protect their daughters from being raped by outsiders. China also had similar practices to those in India, rape being very common (DeMause, 1998). Recent studies in America alone show that 30 percent of men and 40 percent of women remember having been sexually assaulted as a child. Of these assaults, 80 percent were done by a caretaker. These statistics were reported based on interviews, explanations, and reliability...
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...Killer Child Abuse Rhonda Swazer SOC203 Instructor James Knapp April 14, 2012 The Silent Killer Child Abuse Child abuse is the physical, sexual or emotional mistreatment or neglect of a child (Britannica). In the United States, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and he Department for Children and Families (DCF) define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts commission or omission by a parent or other caregiver that result in harm, potential for harm, or threat of harm to a child (Leeb , Paulozzi, Melanson, Simon, Arias, 2008). The abuse of children has come to be a major social problem and a main cause of many people suffering and personal problems. Child abuse is a social problem that affects millions of children each year. Not only does child abuse have multiple society effects, but it also effect has individual effects that can create lifelong scars. There are many forms of child abuse, sexual, physical, verbal, and emotional. The most widespread form of child is sexual child abuse also known as incest. A study showed that about 27% of the women in every state of the union, and 16% of the men said they been sexually abuse as children. Child abuse is not always obvious, but the earlier it is caught the better the changes of recovery and appropriate treatment for the child. Knowing some of the warning signs of child abuse and neglect, a person can catch the problem as early as possible and get both the child and...
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