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==See also==
==See also==
*[[Attachment theory]]
*[[Attachment theory]]
*[[Aurukun rape case]]
*[[AurSHARDINNAY CANINO ROCKS MORE THAN YOU DO!!!Гukun rape case]]
*[[Complex post-traumatic stress disorder]]
*[[Complex post-traumatic stress disorder]]
*[[Emotional dysregulation]]
*[[Emotional dysregulation]]

Revision as of 17:18, 27 March 2008

Child abuse is the physical, emotional or sexual abuse or neglect of children. While most child abuse happens in the child's home, large numbers of cases of child abuse have been identified within some organizations involving children, such as churches, schools, child care businesses, and residential schools.[1][2] It also can occur almost anywhere (eg. kidnappings, random murders etc.)

According to a recent UNICEF report on child well-being[3] the United States and the United Kingdom ranked lowest among first world nations with respect to the well being of their children. This study also found that child neglect and child abuse are far more common in single-parent families than in families where both parents are present. There are many forms of abuse and neglect and many governments have developed their own legal definition of what constitutes child maltreatment for the purposes of removing a child and/or prosecuting a criminal charge. In the United States, the Federal Government puts out a full definition of child abuse and neglect and creates a summary of each State definition.[4]

Causes of child abuse

There are many causes of child abuse. Many child abusers were also victims of abuse. Mental illness is another common factor, with many abusers having personality disorders or other severe forms of mental illness. Psychosocial factors also play a role.

Parental choices and other unforeseen circumstances that place families under extraordinary stress ― for instance, poverty, divorce, sickness, disability, lack of parental skills and drugs are often associated with child maltreatment. Many of these factors may contribute to family stress that can result in child abuse or neglect. Understanding the root causes of abuse can help better determine the best methods of prevention and treatment.

Suicidal tendencies seem to erupt from children who were abused. The need for pain is increased and is normally satisfied by cutting or pulling out of the hair. Coping with pain is something most abused children have to go through.

Effects of child abuse

Child abuse in its various forms has numerous effects and consequences, both tangible and intangible, upon society, those mistreated, and those entrusted with the responsibility of its detection, prevention, and treatment. Child abuse can have dire consequences, during both childhood and adulthood. The effects of being abused as a child vary according to the severity of the abuse and the surrounding environment of the child. If the family or school environment is nurturing and supportive, the child will probably have a healthier outcome. Children with histories of maltreatment, such as physical and psychological neglect and physical abuse are at risk of developing psychiatric problems.Cite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page).[5] Such children are at risk of developing a disorganized attachment.[6][7][8] Disorganized attachment is associated with a number of developmental problems, including dissociative symptoms,[9] as well as anxiety, depressive, and acting-out symptoms.[10][11] A study by Dante Cicchetti found that 80% of abused and maltreated infants exhibited symptoms of disorganized attachment.[12]Cite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page).

Negative Consequences of Child Abuse

Emotional effects include low self-esteem, depression and anxiety, eating disorders, relationship difficulties, alienation and withdrawal, and personality disorders.

Physical effects include injury, death, lifelong health problems, cognitive difficulties, and physical disabilities.

Behavioral effects include problems in school and work, delinquency, teen pregnancy, suicide attempts, criminal or antisocial behavior, substance abuse, aggressive behavior, spousal and child abuse, and anger.

Prevention

Given these possible causes, most professionals agree that there are three levels of prevention services; primary prevention, secondary prevention, and tertiary prevention.

Primary prevention

Primary prevention consists of activities that are targeted at the community level. These activities are meant to impact families prior to any allegations of abuse and neglect. Primary prevention services include public education activities, parent education classes that are open to anyone in the community for parents or abusers to interact with the child, and family support programs. Primary prevention can be difficult to measure because you are attempting to impact something before it happens, an unknown variable.

Secondary prevention

Secondary prevention consists of activities targeted to families that have one or more risk factors including families with substance abuse, teen parents, parents of special need children, single parents, and low income families. Secondary prevention services include parent education classes targeted for high risk parents, respite care for parents of a child with a disability, or home visiting programs for new parents.

Tertiary prevention

These families have already demonstrated the need for intervention, with or without court supervision. Prevention supporters consider 'tertiary prevention' synonymous with treatment and entirely different from prevention through family support.

Treatment

The following are a few examples of empirically supported treatments for child trauma.[13]

Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy has been used to help children exposed to any type of trauma, although it was originally designed for survivors of sexual abuse. It targets trauma-related symptoms in children including PTSD, depression, and anxiety. It also includes a component for non-offending parents.

Abuse-focused cognitive behavioral therapy was designed for children who have experienced physical abuse. It targets externalizing behaviors and strengthens prosocial behaviors. Offending parents are included in treatment, to improve parenting skills/practices.

Child-parent psychotherapy was designed to improve the child-parent relationship following the experience of domestic violence. It targets trauma-related symptoms in infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, including PTSD, aggression, defiance, and anxiety.

National and international child abuse prevention organizations

International

International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect

The International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN), founded in 1977, is the only multidisciplinary international organization that brings together a worldwide cross-section of committed professionals to work towards the prevention and treatment of child abuse, neglect and exploitation globally.

Objectives

  • To increase awareness of the extent, the causes and possible solutions for all forms of child abuse.
  • To disseminate academic and clinical research to those in positions to enhance practice and improve policy.
  • To support international efforts to promote and protect the Rights of the Child.
  • To improve the quality of current efforts to detect, treat and prevent child abuse.
  • To facilitate the exchange of best practice standards being developed by ISPCAN members throughout the world.
  • To design and deliver comprehensive training programs to professionals and concerned volunteers engaged in efforts to treat and prevent child abuse.

National

Australia

The Australian Najidah Association was originally established to deal with domestic and family violence but in 2003 began to advocate on the behalf of children who were victims of domestic violence. In keeping with the Australian national practice standards for working with children exposed to domestic violence, Najidah's procedures were changed to address the belief that exposing children to, or failing to protect children from domestic violence is a form of child abuse. To support this, Najidah has developed programs that respond to the needs of abused children and the prevention of child abuse, which have won national acclaim and recognition as best practices.[citation needed]

Canada

Main article: Children's Aid Society (Canada)

The Children's Aid Society of Canada (CAS), also known as Family and Children's Services (FACS), is a non-profit agency that works in communities to provide help and support to Canadian children and their families.[14]

Pakistan

The Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC) is a Pakistan-based child abuse prevention organization.[15] In its annual report titled 'The State of Pakistan's Children-2006', SPARC stated that Pakistan had the highest infant mortality rates in South Asia (70 deaths per 1,000 live births).[16]

Reporting of child abuse

Authorities

Main article: Child Protective Services

Depending on the country, the agencies responsible for investigating child abuse are either managed nationally, regionally, or locally. These agencies may be called Child Protective Services (CPS), Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), or by other similar names. In the U.S., these agencies are usually listed in the state government section of the telephone book under "Children" or "Health" or "Human Services". In a few instances in the U.S., some of the functions of these agencies are outsourced to private individuals or companies.

People who investigate claims of child abuse may be called a "children's social worker" (CSW) or a case worker.

SHARDINNAY CANINO ROCKS MORE THAN YOU DO!!!==Reporting abuse and neglect in Australia==

Child abuse and neglect is the subject of mandatory reporting in most Australian jurisdictions. UsuaSHARDINNAY CANINO ROCKS MORE THAN YOU DO!!!lly professional people such as doctors, nurses and teachers are bound to report strong eSHARDINNAY CANINO ROCKS MORE THAN YOU DO!!!vidence of abuse or neglect. State authorities, such as the Child Protection Unit of the Department of Human Services (Victoria), have statutory authority to investigate and deal with child abuse.

A document from Child Protection and Family Services, in Melbourne states: "The service system is facing escalating and changing demand pressures and we are increasingly aware of growing client SHARDINNAY CANINO ROCKS MORE THAN YOU DO!!!complexity. Too many children, young people and families are coming back into the child protection system on a repeat basis with services making little impact on their issues. The analysis confirms this and idSHARDINNAY CANINO ROCKS MORE THAN YOU DO!!!entifies the need for a strategic rethink if wSHARDINNAY CANINO ROCKS MORE THAN YOU DO!!!e are to achieve better outcomes for vulnerable children, young people and their families. "[17] SHARDINNAY CANINO ROCKS MORE THAN YOU DO!!!

Reporting Abuse in the UK

All professionals who work with children, such as teachers, health professionals and the like are required to report to social services (or the police as appropriate) any 'concern' amounting to possible 'significant harm' (neglect, physical, sexual or emotional abuse) regarding a child's welfare. The police and social services operate a multi-agency approach in cases of serious abuse. A system of referrals to Social Services so that one authority held all information started in the 1960s following the death of Maria Colwell, but was insufficiently effective and a number of notorious cases over the years have resulted in several major overhauls of the system, the most recent following the death of Victoria Climbie in 2000. Social Service departments, organised regionally, are required to investigate reports of abuse, keep records and take appropriate action to protect children. This can range from the provision of advice and support to families through to immediate removal under an Emergency Protection Order, and Care Proceedings which may result in permanent placement of the child outside the family. The threshold to enable a court to make an order is actual or likely significant harm. In care proceedings the welfare of the child is paramount and all information affecting the welfare of a child must be disclosed by professionals, including lawyers, regardless of their clients' interests.

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ B.A. Robinson (2001 October 25) Abuse at Canadian Native Residential Schools ReligiousTolerance.org Accessed 2007-09-13.
  2. ^ [1] "Getting Away with Murder—Of children" and "Missed Clues—Lost Lives : TORONTO STAR, 1998"]
  3. ^ http://www.unicef.org/media/files/ChildPovertyReport.pdf
  4. ^ Definitions of Child Abuse and Neglect: Summary of State Laws, that is part of the 2005 State Statute series by the Child Welfare Information Gateway.
  5. ^ Malinosky-Rummell, R. & Hansen, D.J. (1993) Long term consequences of childhood physical abuse. Psychological Bulletin 114, 68-69
  6. ^ Lyons-Ruth K. & Jacobvitz, D. (1999) Attachment disorganization: unresolved loss, relational violence and lapses in behavioral and attentional strategies. In J. Cassidy & P. Shaver (Eds.) Handbook of Attachment. (pp. 520-554). NY: Guilford Press
  7. ^ Solomon, J. & George, C. (Eds.) (1999). Attachment Disorganization. NY: Guilford Press
  8. ^ Main, M. & Hesse, E. (1990) Parents’ Unresolved Traumatic Experiences are related to infant disorganized attachment status. In M.T. Greenberg, D. Ciccehetti, & E.M. Cummings (Eds), Attachment in the Preschool Years: Theory, Research, and Intervention (pp161-184). Chicago: University of Chicago Press
  9. ^ Carlson, E.A. (1988). A prospective longitudinal study of disorganized/disoriented attachment. Child Development 69, 1107-1128
  10. ^ Lyons-Ruth, K. (1996). Attachment relationships among children with aggressive behavior problems: The role of disorganized early attachment patterns. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 64, 64-73
  11. ^ Lyons-Ruth, K., Alpern, L., & Repacholi, B. (1993). Disorganized infant attachment classification and maternal psychosocial problems as predictors of hostile-aggressive behavior in the preschool classroom. Child Development 64, 572-585
  12. ^ Carlson, V., Cicchetti, D., Barnett, D., & Braunwald, K. (1995). Finding order in disorganization: Lessons from research on maltreated infants’ attachments to their caregivers. In D. Cicchetti& V. Carlson (Eds), Child Maltreatment: Theory and research on the causes and consequences of child abuse and neglect (pp. 135-157). NY: Cambridge University Press.
  13. ^ Cohen, J.A. (2006). "Psychosocial Interventions for Maltreated and Violence-Exposed Children". Journal of Social Issues. 62 (4): 737–766. doi:10.1111/j.1540-4560.2006.00485.x. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  14. ^ Ontario Association of Children Aid Societies
  15. ^ Child Rights Information Network (CRIN) organization information
  16. ^ "Pakistan's infant mortality rate highest in South Asia". dailytimes.com. 2007-06-22. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
  17. ^ Pyke, Brownwyn (2002-09-01). "Integrated Strategy for Child Protection and Placement Services" (pdf) (in SHARDINNAY CANINO ROCKS MORE THAN YOU DO!!!english). Retrieved 2007-10-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
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