Child Abuse

CHILD ABUSE

The Facts about Child Abuse
&
How We Can Help

"Someone was hurt before you.....beaten before you; humiliated before you; raped before you; yet someone survived."
~Maya Angelou


TABLE OF CONTENTS



What is Child Abuse? 1-2

Causes of Child Abuse 3-4


Statistics 5-6


Signs of Abuse 7-8


Effects of Child Abuse 9-11

Stories of Abused Children 12-14



How can we help? 15-16





WHAT IS CHILD ABUSE?

The Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) defines Child Abuse as:

· 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.
· An act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm.

There are five major types of maltreatment:
Physical: failure to provide food, shelter, lack of appropriate supervision or beating and hitting the child
Medical: failure to provide necessary medical or mental health treatment
Educational: failure to educate a child
Emotional: not paying attention to a child’s emotional needs, failure to provide psychological care or permitting the child to use alcohol or other drugs.
Mental: calling the child names or telling them they are worthless

Physical Abuse: is injuring the child, from minor bruises to severe fractures or even death, from punching, beating, kicking, biting, shaking, throwing, stabbing, choking, hitting, burning or harming a child. These injuries are considered abuse even if it wasn’t intended or on purpose

Sexual Abuse: a parent fondling a child, penetration, incest, rape, sodomy, indecent exposure and exploitation through prostitution or pornography

*Emotional abuse: is a pattern of behavior coming from the parent that impairs a child’s emotional development or sense of self- worth. This includes constant criticism, threats or rejection, also neglecting the child love, support or guidance

*this kind of abuse is hard to detect and prove but emotional abuse is almost always present when other forms of abuse are present.


CAUSES OF CHILD ABUSE

It is extremely hard to try to explain why child abuse occurs. Child abuse results from a combination of personal, social and cultural factors. Many people in our society assume that abusive parents suffer from some kind of mental illness but in reality less than 10% of abusive parents have mental illnesses. Experts say that most abusive parents love their children but have very little patience and less maturity than most parents. So this makes it difficult for these parents to be able to tolerate their children and this increases the chances of physical and emotional abuse. I am not trying to find a good reason why parents treat their children this way because there are no reasons to justify this.

There are three primary categories, which are:
1) genetic violence
2) social stress
3) social isolation/ low community involvement

GENETIC VIOLENCE:

While growing up, watching your parents’ do this and that you somehow adapt it and do the same thing when you are older.
Children learn violent behavior from their parents and grow up to abuse their own children. So one reason why parents abuse their children is because it is passed through generations.

FACT:
30% of abused children become abusive parents
But this reasoning could only be given to about 30% of abusive parents. The majority of abused children do not become abusive parents because they have realized that their parents were wrong for abusing them. The ones that do become abusive parents do this because they are the ones that believe that what their parents did was their entire fault because they behaved bad and deserved it.

SOCIAL STRESS:

Most cases of abuse have come from homes stricken with poverty. The risks of child abuse increase when there are social problems like:
· unemployment
· illness
· poor housing conditions
· a larger-than-average family size
· presence of a new baby or disabled person at home
· death of a family member

♦ Alcohol and drug use, which is very common within abusive parents, may worsen the stress and increases violent behavior.

♦ If a child suffers from mental retardation or physical/ mental disabilities, it can also increase stress of parenting and the risk of abuse.

SOCIAL ISOLATION/ LOW COMMUNITY INVOLMENT

Parents who abuse their children tend to be socially isolated. This could be that they do not belong to any community organizations and have little or no contact with family and friends. This lack of involvement with others does not give these parents the chance to have people there to help them with their problems.


STATISTICS

► Each week, Child Protective Services (CPS) agencies throughout the U.S receive more than 50,000 reports of suspected child abuse or neglect.

► In 2001, an average of about 2,475 children were found to be victims of child abuse each day.

► In 2001, nearly 3 million reports concerning the welfare and well being of approximately 5 million children were made.

► In about two-thirds (67%) of these cases, the information provided in the reports was sufficient enough to begin investigations. As a result of this, approx. 903,000 children were victims of abuse.
59% neglect
19% physical
10% sexual
7% emotional

► Child abuse is reported every 3 seconds.

► In 2002, 896,000 children were victims of Child Abuse:
60% neglect
20% physical
10% sexual
7% emotional

► Approx. 2.5 million cases reported each year:
35% physical
15% sexual
50% neglect

► In 2002, about 1,400 children died due to abuse
76% were younger than 4 yrs old
12% were 4 to 7 yrs old
6% were 8 to 11 yrs old
6% were 12 to 17 yrs old

► An average of three children die every day as a result of child abuse.

► Overall rate of child fatalities is 2 deaths per 100,000 children.

► Approx. 59% of victims received services and help.

► Almost one-fifth of victims were placed in foster care.

► The rate of child deaths due to abuse have increased.

► Child Abuse Death Victims in 2002
41% younger than 1 year
35% 1 to 3 yrs old
12% 4 to 7 yrs old
6% 8 to 11 yrs old
6% 12 to 17 yrs old


SIGNS OF ABUSE

Signs of Physical Abuse

Physical Signs:
unexplained bruises and wounds on the face, throat, upper arms, buttocks, thighs or lower back in unusual patterns or shapes
unexplained burns, cigarette burns, especially burns on the palms, soles of feet, stomach and buttocks
rope burns
infected burns which point out that there was a delay in treating it

Behavioral Signs:
extreme withdrawal, violence, anger and depression
excessive fear of parent
substance abuse, truancy, running away, fear of going home
unusual shyness, paranoid with physical contact
inconsistent explanation for injuries

Signs of Sexual Abuse

Physical Signs:
torn, stained or bloody underclothes
unexplained sore throats, yeast or urinary infections
frequent pain and irritation of the genitals
Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD)
Pregnancy

Behavioral Signs:
Thumb-sucking, bedwetting or fear of the dark
Seductive behaviors
Nightmares, not being able to sleep at night
Age- inappropriate interest in sexual matters
Difficulty in walking or sitting

Signs of Emotional Abuse

Physical Signs:
Eating disorders such as obesity or anorexia
Speech disorders such as stuttering or stammering
Developing speech and motor skills late
Wight or height level below the normal
Nervous disorders such as rashes, hives, facial tics or stomach aches

Behavioral Signs:
· Constant biting, rocking or head- banging
· Cruel behavior (getting pleasure out of hurting others)
· Bedwetting, wetting or soiling

Signs of Neglect

Physical Signs:
Poor hygiene, including lice, scabies, bedsores, body odor or severe diaper rash
Squinting
Inappropriate clothing such as missing articles of clothing like underwear, shoes or socks and overdressed or underdressed for the climate
Untreated injuries or illness
Excessive exposure to elements such as excessive sunburn, insect bites or colds
Height and weight significantly below age level

Behavioral Signs:
Unusual school attendance
Chronic hunger or tiredness
Begging or collecting leftovers
Assuming adult responsibilities
Reporting that there is no caretaker at home


EFFECTS OF CHILD ABUSE

What kind of effects does child abuse have on a child? Can you just imagine a child getting abused physically, emotionally or sexually most of their childhood? Who will they grow up to be? What will their lives be like after going through this?

Physical injuries are immediate effects of abuse but how about the effects that this has on them or their families in the long run?

Not all abused children will experience the same consequences. Outcomes of each individual case vary depending:
The child’s age and status of development when the abuse occurred
The type of abuse (physical, emotional, sexual)
Frequency, duration and seriousness of the abuse

Wonder why some children come out unmarked after the abuse and others seem to be scarred for life? The ability to cope and even thrive following such an experience is referred to as “resilience.” A number of individual characteristics contribute to this, such as:
1) Optimism
2) Self- esteem
3) Intelligence
4) Creativity
5) Humor
6) Independence

Also some protective factors contribute to this too, such as:
A caring adult in the child’s life

The Impact of Child Abuse is often put into three terms of Consequence:
Physical
Psychological
Behavioral

Each and everyone of these consequences link in one way or another, here is an overview of each term.

Physical Health Outcomes

Minor:
Bruises or cuts
Severe:
Broken bones
Internal bleeding
Death

Impaired Brain Development
Effects:
Hyperactivity
Sleep disturbances
Anxiety
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Attention deficit disorder
Conduct disorder
Learning and memory difficulties

Poor Physical Health
Effects:
STDs
Heart disease
Cancer
Chronic lung disease
Skeletal fractures
Liver disease

Shaken Baby Syndrome
Immediate effects:
Vomiting
Concussion
Respiratory distress
Seizures
Death

Long- term effects:
Blindness
Learning disabilities
Mental retardation
Cerebral palsy
Paralysis

Psychological Outcomes

Immediate:
Isolation
Fear
Inability to trust

Life Long Consequences:
Low self-esteem
Depression
Relationship difficulties

Poor Mental and Emotional Health
Effects:
Depression
Anxiety
Eating disorders
Suicide attempts
Panic disorders
Attention deficit disorder
Post- traumatic stress disorder
Reactive attachment disorder

Behavioral Consequences

Effects:
Delinquency/ violent crime
Teen pregnancy
Low academic achievement
Drug and alcohol abuse
One-third of them will abuse their own children

SARAH’S POEM


My name is Sarah, I am but ten.
My eyes are swollen, I cannot see,
I must be stupid, I must be bad,
What else could have made my daddy so mad?
I wish I were better, I wish I weren’t ugly,
Then maybe my Mom would still want to hug me.
I can’t speak at all, I can’t do a wrong
Or else I’m locked up all day long.
When I awake I’m all alone, the house is dark and my parents aren’t home.
When my mom does come I’ll try to be nice.
So maybe I’ll get just one whipping tonight.
Don’t make a sound!
I just heard a car; my dad is back from Charlie’s Bar.
I hear him curse, my name he calls.
I press myself against the wall.
I try and hide from his evil eyes.
I’m so afraid now, I start to cry.
He finds me weeping.
He shouts ugly words; he says it’s my fault he suffers at work.
He slaps me and hits me and yells at me some more.
I finally get free and I run for the door.
He’s already locked it and I start to bawl.
He takes me and throws me against the hard wall.
I fall to the floor with my bones nearly broken.
My dad continues with more bad words spoken.
“I’m sorry!” I scream, but it’s too late.
His face has been twisted into unimaginable hate.
The hurt and the pain continue, again and again.
Oh please God, have mercy!
Oh please let it end!
He finally stops and heads for the door, as I lay there motionless sprawled on the floor.
My name is Sarah.
And I am but ten
Tonight my daddy
Murdered me.


STORIES OF ABUSED CHILDREN
At this moment these children are being taken care of by the Community Coalition Against Family Violence

ANGELA 10 yrs old
By the time she entered CCAFV, she was taking medications and showing sexual behaviors. She wore dirty clothes and walked with her head down, dragging her feet. From the age of 4 to 7, Angela had been sexually abused by her stepfather, who was eventually locked up for the abuse. Her mother, who was also sexually abused by her stepfather as a child, was dealing with the guilt of how this trauma kept her from protecting her own daughter. After many months of working with the staff at CCAFV and a specially-trained therapist who focused on her special needs, Angela moved into their Aspire program and now lives at home with her mother and new, caring stepdad. She is learning to trust again and how to develop healthy relationships

TIMMY 6 yrs old
Once Timmy arrived at the CCAFV he stole food and hid it in his pocket. Nobody knew why he did this until they found out his story. His mother was a prostitute. Timmy's father beat him and then "made up" through sexual acts with Timmy and because of the household violence; things like regular meals and having food on hand were unheard of. Timmy had learned to steal and hide food just to stay alive. Now that Timmy isn't worried about being abused or finding food, he can focus on his recovery.

CARLA For the first 10 years of her life, Carla didn't know what love was. All she knew was getting slapped across the face, punched in the chest, or screamed at because she was "worthless". Her mother did not care about her, but usually one or another of her mother’s live-in boyfriends did. Some of the men took advantage of Carla or let their anger out on her. Even at age 10, Carla began hanging out with a group of older kids and bragged that she was in a gang. In her healing process, Carla learned to understand her value and is staying on the right path now.

CODY
Cody’s dad would take his rifle and hold it near Cody's head, making threats about "blasting" the little boy. Fortunately, he never did. His father made these threats because Cody tried to protect his mother. When Cody tried to intervene; his father would make him stand in a corner, then aim a rifle near Cody's head. Now he is being treated at the CCAFV.

JOE
The cycle of abuse was a constant cycle in Joe’s family. Joe's mother had left home because of abusive parents. At age 9, Joe started hurting himself, acting out because he'd been sexually and physically abused. When Joe came to CCAFV, he had already been in another treatment center and two psychiatric hospitals. Eventually his mother joined him in therapy, and they have begun to make progress.

KIKI 11 yrs old
Kiki entered the CCAFV after revealing in a prevention education class that the man she called father had been sexually abusing her for a number of years. Kiki's mother was a drug addict that was unable to care for her daughter. So, she found a seemingly good-hearted couple to take Kiki in. The 56-year-old man began raping Kiki almost as soon as she came to live with them. When Kiki told her "mother", she was dismissed as a liar and trouble-maker. This went on for three years. When Kiki finally got the courage to tell someone, she was already 4 months pregnant by the man who was supposed to protect and care for her. Today, Kiki and her child are with a loving family, and Kiki is receiving therapy.

HOW CAN WE HELP?

- Volunteer your time. Get involved with other parents in your community. Help vulnerable children and their families. Start a playgroup.
- Discipline your children thoughtfully. Never discipline your child when you are upset. Give yourself time to calm down.
- Use privileges to encourage good behavior and time-outs to teach your child that what they were doing was not good.
- Watch what you say and do. Abuse is not just physical. Both words and actions can inflict hurt as much as beating.
- Educate yourself and others. Simple support for children and parents can be the best way to prevent child abuse.
- Teach children their rights. When children are taught they are special and have the right to be safe, they are less likely to think abuse is their fault, and more likely to report an offender.
- Support programs that help in child abuse cases. Many of us want to help after the damage is done. We should begin to help so we can prevent.
- Know what child abuse is. Educate yourself so if you see something that might be child abuse or maltreatment you know what you are dealing with.
- Treat children with the utmost respect. Children are very sensitive so be careful with what you say or do to them.
- Know the signs. Not just the noticeable bruises but the way the child acts. Be very attentive and cautious.
- Report abuse. Even if you might have a doubt in your mind you should report anything that doesn’t seem right to you.
- If a child confides in you and tells you that he/she is being abused by a parent you must reassure them that what they did was the right thing and that their parent is wrong for doing what they do to them.