Child abuse

Scales of justice
Family law
 
Entering into marriage
Prenuptial agreement
Marriage
Common-law marriage
Same-sex marriage
Legal states similar
to marriage
Cohabitation · Civil union
Domestic partnership
Registered partnership
Putative marriage
Dissolution of marriage
Annulment · Divorce · Alimony
Issues affecting children
Paternity · Legitimacy
Adoption · Legal guardian
Ward · Emancipation of minors
Foster care
Child Protective Services
(United States)
Parental responsibility
Contact (including visitation)
Residence in English law
Custody · Child support
Related areas
Spousal abuse · Child abuse
Child abduction · Child marriage
Adultery · Bigamy · Incest
Conflict of laws
Marriage · Nullity · Divorce

Child abuse is the physical, psychological or sexual maltreatment of children. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines child maltreatment as any act or series of acts or commission or omission by a parent or other caregiver that results in harm, potential for harm, or threat of harm to a child.[1] Most child abuse happens in a child's home, with a smaller amount occurring in the organizations, schools or communities they interact with. There are four major categories of child abuse: neglect, physical abuse, psychological/emotional abuse, and sexual abuse.

Different jurisdictions have developed their own definitions of what constitutes child abuse is for the purposes of removing a child from their family and/or prosecuting a criminal charge. The mental health journal states that child abuse is defined 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.”

Contents

Type

Child abuse can take many forms:[2]

Prevalence

According to the (American) National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse, in 1997 neglect represented 54% of confirmed cases of child abuse, physical abuse 22%, sexual abuse 8%, emotional maltreatment 4%, and other forms of maltreatment 12%.[3] According to a UNICEF report on child well-being[4] in 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. Recently a study conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention found that 1 in 50 infants in the United States are victims of nonfatal neglect or abuse.[1] In the US, neglect is defined as the failure to meet the basic needs of children including housing, clothing, food and access to medical care. Researchers found over 91,000 cases of neglect over the course of one year (from October 2005- September 30, 2006) with their information coming from a database of cases verified by protective services agencies.[1]

Effects

Children with a history of neglect or physical abuse are at risk of developing psychiatric problems,[5][6] or a disorganized attachment style.[7][8][9] Disorganized attachment is associated with a number of developmental problems, including dissociative symptoms,[10] as well as anxiety, depressive, and acting-out symptoms.[11][12] A study by Dante Cicchetti found that 80% of abused and maltreated infants exhibited symptoms of disorganized attachment.[13][14]

The effects of child abuse vary, depending on its type. A 2006 study found that childhood emotional and sexual abuse were strongly related to adult depressive symptoms, while exposure to verbal abuse and witnessing of domestic violence had a moderately strong association, and physical abuse a moderate one. For depression, experiencing more than two kinds of abuse exerted synergetically stronger symptoms. Sexual abuse was particularly deleterious in its intrafamilial form, for symptoms of depression, anxiety, dissociation, and limbic irritability. Childhood verbal abuse had a stronger association with anger-hostility than any other type of abuse studied, and was second only to emotional abuse in its relationship with dissociative symptomsMore generally, in the case of 23 of the 27 illnesses listed in the questionnaire of a French INSEE survey, some statistically significant correlation were found between repeated illness and family traumas encountered by the child before the age of 18 years.[15] These relationships show that inequality in terms of illness and suffering is not only social. It has also its origins in the family, where it is associated with the degrees of lasting affective problems (lack of affection, parental discord, the prolonged absence of a parent, or a serious illness affecting either the mother or father) that individuals report having experienced in childhood.

Treatment

There are a number of treatments available to victims of child abuse.[16] Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, while developed to treat sexually abused children, is now used for victims of any kind of trauma. It targets trauma-related symptoms in children including Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), clinical depression, and anxiety. It also includes a component for non-offending parents. Several studies have found that sexually abused children undergoing TF-CBT improved more than children undergoing certain other therapies. Data on the effects of TF-CBT for children who experienced only non-sexual abuse was not available as of 2006.[16]

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. It is supported by one randomized study.[16]

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. It is supported by two studies of one sample.[16]

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Leeb RT; Paulozzi LJ; Melanson C; Simon TR & Arias I (2008-01-01). "Child Maltreatment Surveillance: Uniform Definitions for Public Health and Recommended Data Elements". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved on 2008-10-20.
  2. ↑ "Child Abuse and Neglect: Types, Signs, Symptoms, Help and Prevention". helpguide.org. Retrieved on 2008-10-20.
  3. ↑ "Child Abuse and Neglect Statistics". National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse (1998).
  4. ↑ Child Poverty in Respective: An Overview of Child Wellbeing in Rich Countries, UNICEF: Innocenti Research Center, Report Card 7
  5. ↑ Gauthier, L., Stollak, G., Messe, L., & Arnoff, J. (1996). "Recall of childhood neglect and physical abuse as differential predictors of current psychological functioning," Child Abuse and Neglect, 20, 549-559
  6. ↑ Malinosky-Rummell, R. & Hansen, D.J. (1993). "Long term consequences of childhood physical abuse," Psychological Bulletin, 114, 68-69
  7. ↑ 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
  8. ↑ Solomon, J. & George, C. (Eds.) (1999). Attachment Disorganization. NY: Guilford Press
  9. ↑ 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
  10. ↑ Carlson, E.A. (1988). "A prospective longitudinal study of disorganized/disoriented attachment," Child Development, 69, 1107-1128
  11. ↑ 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
  12. ↑ 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
  13. ↑ 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.
  14. ↑ Cicchetti, D., Cummings, E.M., Greenberg, M.T., & Marvin, R.S. (1990). An organizational perspective on attachment beyond infancy. In M. Greenberg, D. Cicchetti, & M. Cummings (Eds), Attachment in the Preschool Years (pp. 3-50). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
  15. ↑ "Study of Living Conditions 1986-1987" INSEE survey with a sample of 13&nsp154 individuals, cf.Menahem G.,Problèmes de l'enfance, statut social et santé des adultes, IRDES, biblio n° 1010, pp. 59-63, Paris.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 Cohen, J.A.; Mannarino, A.P.; Murray, L.K.; Igelman, R. (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. 

Further reading

External links