JasmineHines

Ms.Sanchez
EnglishIV
April2,2015
ChildAbuse
Child abuse has been happening all around the world to young children.It is very wrong and
needs to be addressed. Child abuse is defined as intentional acts that results in physical or
emotional that harming the children. Nowadays, we always hear about childabuseand thereare
many children being abused each year. There are many different forms of abuse and many
peopledonotrealizethem.Suchasphysical,emotional,neglectandsexualabuse.

Lloyd de Mause states that The history of childhood is a nightmare from which we have only
recently begun to awaken. Child abuse has taken place throughout history, it is only in
relatively recent times that it has been recognized as a problem. Infanticide was not only the
behavior earlier societies accepted that is now seen abusive to children. Far from being thought
of as abusive, behaviors, such as drowning, abandoning, beating, and sexually exploiting
children,wereconsideredlegitimateandnormaleverydayactions.

Child maltreatment is a devastating social problem in American society.In1990,over2million

cases of child abuse and neglect were reported to social service agencies. However tragic and
sensational, the counts of deaths and serious injuries provide limited insight into the pervasive
longterm social, behavioral, and cognitive consequences of child abuse and neglect. Reportsof

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child maltreatment alone also reveal little about the interactions among individuals, families,
communities,andsocietythatleadtosuchincidents.

Family Violencecanbefoundineverycountryintheworld,cuttingacrossgenderandallracial,
ethnic, religious and socioeconomicline.Thetermsalsoappliestothephysical,sexual,ormental
abuse or neglect of children in a family setting. Treating injuries and mental health problems is
expensivenotonlyforthefamily,butalsoforthenationasawhole.

Childrenwholiveinhomeswhereaparentorcaretakerisexperiencingabusearecommonly
referredtoaschildwitnessesorchildrenwhoarewitnessingdomesticviolence.Theterm
childrensexposuretodomesticviolenceprovidesamoreinclusivedenitionbecause
tencompassesthemultiplewayschildrenexperiencedomesticabuse.InthebookDomestic
Violenceonpage20thereaderstatesDuringthemedievalperiodinEurope(fromthefifth
centuries,menwereencouragedbythechurchtobethemoralguardiansofwomenandwere
permittedbylawtopunishthemwithviolenceforanyoffensescommitted.Theequaltreatment
ofwomenandtheabilitytoeducatethemselveswouldbenefitwomen,men,andsocietyasa
whole.Inresponse,feministsandotherwomensadvocatescreatedservicestoassistvictimsof
domesticviolence.Theyhelpedtoogetshelters,safehouses,andcrisishotlinesthroughoutthe
unitedstates.Byspeakingout,victimshavebroughttheissueofdomesticviolenceintotheopen.

Familyviolenceisalsoaprimeexampleofchildabuseandmanyotherabuses.However
includingstalking,sexualabuse,andincest.Familyviolencealsofollowsapatternofescalation,

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beginingasverbalabuseoremotionalabusewithintenttointimidateandisolate,andthen
progressingtophysicalabuse.Manyfemaleslettheirpartnerhavecompletecontrolovertheir
livesandwantgethelpbecausetheirtooscaredofwhatmighthappen.Hopingthatoneday
thingswillgetbetteruntilsomethingextremelybadhappens.Thereisnoclearcharacterportrait
ofavictimorperpentratoroffamilyviolence.Theymay,however,impairthejudgementofthe
abuser,allowinghimorhertoacceptanduseorintimidationasameansofcontrol.Itdoesnt
mattertheageorgender,ithappenstoeveryone.ForexampleErinMerrrynisthepseudonymof
acollegestudentwhowasmolestedbyhermalecousin.Themolestingoccuredwhenshewas
elevenyearsoldandlastedtwoyears.Shestayedsilentbecauseshewastooafraidofthe
repercussionsontheirclosefamilies,andshefearednoonewouldbelieveher.Eventuallyshe
toldhershockedparents,foreverchangingtherelationshipswiththeircousinsfamily.
Abusesagainstwomenweretypicallycarriedoutbytheirhusbands,partnersorfathersandsaid
hisfamilialconnectionwasonereasonwhynotmuchstatehelpwasanoffer.Therehasbeena
lackofjusticeandsomeoneshoulddosomethingaboutit.Evenwhentheattackerisnotrelated
tothevictim,justicewasnotforthcoming,Amnestysaid.Forexampleanemployershusband
hadforcedhertowatchaviolentvideotapebeforeforcinghertohavesex.Amedical
examinationsupportedheraligations.Yetshewastheonebroughttocourt,chargedwithslander
formakingtheaccusationandremainedinprisonuntilherfamilycouldraisethebondmoney.

InthisstoryStraightTalkAboutChildAbuseittalksaboutayounggirlwhohasbeen
mistreatedbyherfatherbutshehasnocluewhy.Kellydoesntknowthatwhatshappeningto
heriswrong.Sheknowsitfeelsbad,butshedoesntknowthatsheneedshelptomakeitstop.

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Likemanyyoungpeoplewhoareabused,sheblamesherselforherdadsbehavior,andshe
thinksthatifsheisreallygood,shecanmakeitstop.Childabusecanmeanalotofdifferent
things.Itmeanshurtingachildeitherwithhandsorwithwords,ornotmakingsurethechild
goestoschool,hasenoughfoodtoeat,orasafeplacetosleep.Mostofthetimetheabuseris
someonethechildshouldbeabletotrustanddependon,suchasaparent,relative,babysitter,
teacher,orcoach.Abuseisntsomethingyoucanalwayssee.Theyareputtingthemselvesfirst,
oftenbytakingtheirfrustrationsoutonachild,orusingpowertocontrolthem.Roughtreatment
mayseemsonormalthatkidsmightnotunderstandthatwhatishappeningtothemisabuse.
Kellyisbeingabusedandmaybetooscaredorembarrassedtotellanyonewhatishappeningfor
feartheyortheirabuserswillgetintotrouble,orthattheywontbebelieved.

AnothergreatquotesaidbyKennyGuinn,Ibelievethebestservicetothechildistheservice
closesttolistentothem.Youshouldlistentoyourchildwhentheretellingyousomething.No
matterhowmuchyoudontwanttobelievethem,youshouldbecausenochildisjustgonecome
outandcomeupwithsuchbadthingstosay.Imsurethatnochildwouldlieaboutsomethingso
horrified.Thingslikethatruinyounggirlandboyslifeeverysingleday.

ThisisastoryaboutavictimofStephenWrightwhohasreunitedwithhisvictimoutofthe
blue,15yearslater,hehasbeentrackeddownandtheymetinaManchesterpub.Hisstorywas
oneofsexualencounterswitholdermen,someofthemfamousandwhosenameswereknownto
me.Therstisthathefearednamingtheabuserbecausetheyfeartheirpower,whichiseven
greaterwhenenhancedbytheirauthorityasadults,andbywealth,politicalinuenceorfame.

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Thesecondlessonisthattheyshouldstartbelievingchildren,whichrarelyhappens.Abusive
adultsknowthisanduseittokeepkidsquiet.Marktoldeveryonethathehadthreatenedone
personwhousedhim,sayinghewouldgotothepolice.Butheneverdid.Asaconfused
teenager,theywastoldthatnotonlywouldtheynotbebelieved,buteveryonewouldsayhe
knewwhathewasdoing.Abusershaveaknackofndingvulnerablepeopleininstitutionssuch
ashospitalsandschools.Somepeoplehavecomplainedabouttherigorouschecksputinplace
foreventhemostcasualcontactofadultswithchildren,butwehavetokeepyoungpeoplesafe.

Mostofuscantimaginewhatwouldmakeanadultuseviolenceagainstachild,andtheworse
thebehavioris,themoreunimaginableitseems.Buttheincidenceofparentsandother
caregiversconsciously,evenwilfully,commitingactstheharmtheverychildrentheyre
supposedtobenurturingisasadfactofhumansocietythatcutsacrossalllinesofethicityand
class.

Astheconclusion,preventisbetterthancure.Childabuseleadstomanybadeffectsnotonlyfor
childrenthatarebeingabusebutalsothepersonwhoabusethechildren.Weshouldpreventit
fromgettingworseasthechildrentodaywillbealeaderfortomorrow.

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