Child Abuse

Child Abuse : Prevention is Better than Cure

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Child Abuse : Prevention is Better than Cure

INTRODUCTION

Even as the countries across the globe are highly concerned with the degeneration of the natural environment , the degeneration in the social environment is still led by child abuse , where even reports as old as 2002 speaks about 2 ,450 such instances occurring each day in United States only (Iannelli , 2007 . This figure certainly highlights the

br urgent need to unleash a concerted effort from all levels of the societies towards preventing a menace like child abuse . Today 's children would be tomorrow 's adults -who are supposed to carry the civilization forward - now if they become crippled with fear , horror and a wrong perception about their duties , then how would the sacred job of manifesting civilization be done ? Thus this essay probes about the types of child abuse and discusses about its impact on both its victim and the society , besides contemplating ways of its prevention and reaching its own conclusion

What is Child Abuse

The term "Child Abuse " covers a large gamut of behavioral processes where in some way or other a child or adolescent experiences ill-treatment of any degree from one or more of individuals who are either known to the victim or someone [ .] taken into confidence (Child , 2007

Types of Child Abuse

The types of child abuse can broadly be divided by four categories viz , Physical Abuse , Sexual Abuse , Emotional Abuse and Neglect However , all of these are bound to tell upon the little minds and all of them are capable of damaging the future life of the affected child or adoloscent

Physical Abuse

It is when a child or an adolescent becomes the victim of physical violence once or more . It includes all instances of voluntary forces applied on a child or adolescent to harm him /her physically - it is understandable then , that kicking , beating , pushing /shaking , burning biting or attacking with weapon - all these acts are considered as the carriers of child abuse . Incidentally , harming a child or adolescent physically in the name of customs is also considered as child abuse - for instance , the custom of female genital mutilation , still prevailing among the Sudanese people (Sudan , 2001 ) is considered as an instance of child abuse

Sexual Abuse

This abuse involves any conscious act towards using a child to obtain personal sexual experience or to do business by forcing the child as a provider of sexual pleasure to others . The range of sexual abuse thus covers acts like fondling , intercourse , sodomy exhibitionism /pornography or child prostitution

Emotional Abuse

Though in some way or other every child abuse is bound to create negative emotional impact on its victim , there are some broad categories to identify its direct applications - like terrifying a child by any means , placing a child at risk , intimidating a child , isolating a child from the society , exploiting or exerting power over a child...