A family despite the type is very crucial in the development of a child. For a child, the family represents a universe in which he/she exists in and a base on which they build upon their skills thus develop and become better persons in the society. The family members especially the parents play an important role in acting as pillars holding the family together thus influencing and creating the most suitable environments favoring their children’s growth and character development. Parents have one function to their children which is molding them in addition to providing them the best life. Abusing or neglecting children may push children into developing habits which are not good just like Sean.
In our case study, the form of abuse in the Cedeno’s family is emotional and physical abuse. Usually categorized as assault, physical abuse inflicts physical injuries to the child just like those that were visible on Sean. Considering the meeting with the worker from DCFS, Mrs. Cedeno tells the worker that it would be most appreciated if the issue at hand would be solved without involving her husband Mr. Cedeno. Having this in mind it can be clearly noted that Mr. Cedeno would react in a manner which is inappropriate. In addition, there is emotional abuse in the Cedeno’s family which can be clearly seen through Tamara.
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As children grow, their entire world is round their parents. It is through them that they develop trust, psychological and social development, love, nurturance, security, understanding, and support. Child abuse and neglect tend to violate trust which is usually at the center of children’s world thus the most appropriate tool required in cementing relationships which they have with the world. Parents are at the core of creating great relationships with their children which always impacts them in different ways thus giving them ways in which they create new friends with their peers and develop all round. In our case, the Cedeno’s children, Tamara and Sean, they suffer physical and emotional abuse which impacts them and their relations with the outside world. Tamara is described as an extremely shy girl (Brown, 2002). Shyness affects her psychological life as well as social life development, thus impacting the way she interacts with her peers in school and around the neighborhood which may even result in detachment from the world. Sean, on the other hand, he is physically abused in the name of punishment. As a result, he remains uncomfortable due to the inflicted pain and marks left on his body. To get himself cooled off, he directs his anger to the other children. He is described as a “bitter” and a “hitter” (Brown, 2002). Whatever he wanted is what he would get through bullying. For instance, it was noted that whenever Sean wanted something that belongs to another child in the Child Development Center i.e. a toy, he would hit or even bite at times (Brown, 2002). Because of the abuse that the Cedeno children are exposed to, they tend to develop unwanted characteristics such as shyness for Tamara and bullying behaviors for Sean. All the same, the abuse that Tamara and Sean are being exposed to would mean that they will fail to create meaningful relationships with the others around them, thus creating a weakly bond with the outside world (Kezelman & Stavropoulos, 2018).
Yes, the forms of abuse and neglect present in the Cedeno’s family have a certain impact when it comes to the preservation of the family. Considering the behaviors of Mr. Cedeno, the abuse toward the children is sure having a negative impact to the family preservation. It is clear that the family from Mrs. Cedeno to the children, Tamara and Sean, they are all afraid of Mr. Cedeno to an extent that they do not wish to get him involved in matters appertaining to the family. For instance, Mrs. Cedeno tends to be happy solving problems appertaining to the children when her husband is not involved (Brown, 2002). Whenever he is around, the calmness of the children can be clearly noticed. It is clear that the abuse and neglect of children coming from the father are having a negative impact on the preservation of the family since it is making the home appear as a prison hence no happiness.
There are a number of characteristics which are present in the abuser and abused in the family, the abuser being Mr. Benjamin Cedeno and the abused being his children Tamara and Sean and his wife just a little. Considering the way Mr. Cedeno behaves it can be said that he is abusive, ruthless and above all controlling. The abused, Tamara is weak and shy. His brother Sean, on the other hand, is weak and bully. And then Mrs. Cedeno, although she is not that much on the picture of abuse, she is gentle and quiet. The children suffer the consequences resulting from their father's temper and actions.
Having these characteristics in mind it can be easy to consider different forms of conducting an assessment in screening the abused children, Tamara and Sean and the abuser their father Mr. Cedeno. The children can be screened through the numerous screening assessment which would help in assessing them, thus discovering the height of the abuse and the extent of the damage. For example, the screening assessments that can be used include the Kempe Family Stress Inventory (KFI). This screening instrument can be helpful in predicting the child neglect and abuse outcomes (Nygren et, al. 2004). On the other hand, adults or the child abusers can be screened through medical checkups. According to research, it is has been found that adults who abusive to their children in one or the other suffer life-threatening conditions such as diseases of the heart and depression among others (Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, 2000). Adults like Mr. Cedeno require a comprehensive assessment and screening to ensure that they do not fall on the wrong side with their children. Due to the poor financial status of the family, it is no doubt that there are mental issues which may arise thus resulting in abuse across the family. It is therefore appropriate for Mr. Cedeno to be screened mentally to help hi controlling his anger issues and controlling habits.
All the same, despite the numerous attempts to help the family there is still a number of issues which need to be addressed including the openness of the family. There is inadequate information which may prove helpful in helping the Cedeno’s to build a suitable and vibrant environment for their children. First and foremost, there is not enough information about what is happening in the family when there is no one else around the home but the family members only. Considering the controlling nature of Mr. Cedeno it is clear that more goes on which impair the children growth and development thus torturing them in numerous ways. Also, it can be seen that Mr. Cedeno makes the final decisions irrespective of the case. It is not clear what Mr. Cedeno does and how he punishes his children. His wife, Mrs. Cedeno tends to be afraid of him that she even wishes to take charge of the matters appertaining to the children without getting Mr. Cedeno involved. This fear is a clear sign that Mr. Cedeno is abusive. In the Cedeno’s house after being visited by the worker, it can be seen that the family reacted in a very chilling way after Mr. Cedeno entered the living room. Throughout the conversation, it was noted that all the talking was done mostly by him. The controlling aspect of Mr. Cedeno is sure a huge impact in fostering relations within the family, thus creating fear among Mrs. Cedeno and the Children. What is worse is that his wife Mrs. Cedeno tends to be afraid of reporting him about his abusiveness towards the children for the appropriate actions to be taken that she only talks about it with her colleagues and not the authority.
In the interaction with the Cedeno’s family, a number of assumptions about human and social behavior cannot be easily avoided. Some of these assumptions include social relationship importance and dignity right. As a DCFS worker, there is one significant underlying assumption which is human relationships significance. Life usually occurs in the society, taking interpersonal and societal factors on board. The Cedeno children due to the abuse that they are being exposed to, they may have difficulties when it comes to building a social relationship with the outside world. Therefore helping the family to embrace a day out together and have fun would help to build a better world for the children. Then there is dignity right assumption. Every single individual has a right to respect and independence. In the Cedeno’s family, this is not present since there is no independence. There is fear throughout the family, therefore, by offering sessions of counseling then it would be helpful in building dignity.
The Cedeno’s family has some strength, limitations, risks, and barriers present in the family. The strengths include both parents are cooperative and Mrs. Cedeno is more encouraged towards keeping her family together. Some weaknesses are that Mr. Cedeno is abusive and controlling. The risk at hand is that the family may end up splitting due to the abusiveness and the controlling nature of Mr. Cedeno. Having in mind that both parents are cooperative, it provides an avenue to ensure that the family never splits due to the weaknesses present. Having in mind the level of participation of Mrs. Cedeno in the family, she can be encouraged to advise Mr. Cedeno on how to handle their children, thus create a better environment for them.
Parents have one function to their children, which is molding them in addition to providing them the best life. Abusing or neglecting children may push children into developing habits which are not good just like Sean. If the family environment is not safe and comfortable for the children, then it would be a place of violence, deprivation, and pain. As a result, children would be the most affected just like Sean and Tamara. Parents being the most crucial aspect of the family they have to ensure that at all time they at their level best not to be harsh to their children. In case it is giving a punishment, then it should not be so severe such that it would end up attracting sympathy from the public.
Reference
Brown, V. A. (2002). Child Welfare: Case Studies . Pearson Education, Inc.
Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. (2000). Screening and Assessing Adults For Childhood Abuse and Neglect. In Substance Abuse Treatment for Persons with Child Abuse and Neglect Issues . Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series, No. 36. Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US);
Kezelman, C. & Stavropoulos, P. (2018). Talking About Trauma: Guide to Conversations and Screening for Health and Other Service Providers. Blue Knot Foundation . Retrieved from https://www.blueknot.org.au/Resources/General-Information/Impact-of-child-abuse
Nygren, P., Nelson, D. H., & Klein, J. (2004). Screening Children for Family Violence: A Review of the Evidence for the US Preventive Services Task Force. Annals of Family Medicine , 2 (2): 161–169. DOI: 10.1370/afm.113
