Child abuse refers to the emotional, physical and sexual ill-treatment or negligence of children, and it is a social and public health issue affecting children globally. There are various forms of child abuse including physical ill-treatment, emotional maltreatment, sexual abuse, exploitation, negligence, and neglectful treatment. Child abuse is a major concern in the society because the effects of child abuse are lifelong. According to the Department for Children and Families (DCF), child abuse is any behavior that subjects a child to the threat of harm, potential harm or harms through omission or commission at home, schools, organizations, or communities (Ajilian, 2015).
Some of the effects of child abuse include poor mental health, poor physical health, relationship difficulties, poor concentration, and poor academic performance. Children who are abused undergo stress which interferes with their brain development. According to Ajilian (2015), when the stress is extreme, children are also likely to have impaired development of their immune and nervous systems. The effects of child abuse are also witnessed in a person’s adult years through depression, smoking, alcohol and drug abuse, obesity, becoming a perpetrator or victim of violence, unintended pregnancies and engaging in high-risk sexual behaviors. Other consequences of child abuse include sexually transmitted diseases, heart disease, cancer, and suicide.
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Various factors increase the likelihood of child abuse. First, parents and caregivers may have difficulty bonding with their child, or fail to nurture the child entirely or adequately. Also, parents and caregivers with drug abuse problems, financial difficulties, those involved in criminal activities, those with a history of ill-treatment and those without adequate knowledge, and those without proper knowledge on child awareness or those with unrealistic expectations from the children exacerbate this problem. Relationships between those around the child can also increase the chances of child abuse. Examples include lack of a support network, family violence, isolation, multiple caregivers within the family, or proximity to individuals suffering from mental, developmental or physical challenges (Ajilian, 2015). The community around children can also pose a risk to child abuse through social and gender inequality, inadequate housing and support services, access to drugs, and lack of adequate policies to protect children from child abuse. Additionally, societal and cultural values that support acts such as corporal punishment and a diminished child status, and poor socio-economic conditions can increase the threat of child abuse.
Various strategies can be used to reduce the risk of child abuse. Notably, such programs require the input of multiple sectors including, health, nutrition, education, and child welfare among others. The primary objectives of such problems are to encourage and offer support to parents and caregivers and teach them positive parenting. Such programs involve visits from nurses to parents and caregivers at their homes with the purpose of providing information, education, and support. Group parent education is also useful in enhancing child-rearing skills, educate on child development and to improve child management practices (Ajilian, 2015). Other interventions include a comprehensive support program offering training and support to parents and caregivers, childcare and pre-school education.
New parents should also be educated on proper childcare practices before discharge through hospital-based programs, as well as advise parents on tips to use when dealing with inconsolable babies. Other programs that can reduce the likelihood of sexual abuse can be administered in schools to educate children to say no, report incidences of child abuse to adults, to recognize sexually abusive touch, and body ownership. Ajilian (2015) suggests that these strategies are most useful when introduced to the child early enough. Raising awareness of various forms of child abuse, effects and risk factors reduces the cases of child abuse.
Reference
Ajilian Abbasi, M., Saeidi, M., Khademi, G., Hoseini, B. L., & Emami Moghadam, Z. (2015). Child Maltreatment in the World: A Review Article. International Journal of Pediatrics, 3 (1.1), 353-365.
