Bywaters et al. (2016) define child abuse as any act that causes major harm to children whether emotional, sexual, or physical. This action may come from an adult or a child and includes neglect and lack of love and affection. Most children who are abused usually suffer from more than one form of abuse and this occurs over some time. The abuse is more prevalent as we scale down the social and economic landscape with children from low-income families being the most vulnerable to more forms of child abuse. Researchers on this subject conclude that various types of violence are widespread and victims of abuse are at risk of psychological problems later in life. Therefore, an analysis of the theory of child abuse, consequences of child abuse, its social and ethnic implications, and the application of child abuse to equality and social justice will be done.
Child Abuse Theory- Attachment Theory
The attachment theory holds that people develop behaviors depending on how they are nurtured by caregivers. As such, the type of bond that grows between a kid and their caregiver affects the child’s future relationships. The theory puts forth four types of bonding including the secure, preoccupied, dismissive, and fearful. Secure bonds are seen in steadily attached kids who freely discover their surroundings and are easily consoled. On the other hand, preoccupied bonds transpire among children with preoccupied attachments, hence, the child moves easily from their caregiver to a stranger when seeking for comfort, but will instantaneously resist the comfort. Also, the dismissive bond exists among kids who face dismissive attachments ending up displaying mistrust to their caregiver. Finally, the fearful bond is considered to be erratic and disordered behavior as the kid is unable to identify the behaviors that gain positive attention from their caregiver. Normally, secure attachments develop from a dependable and nurturing caregiver, while insecure attachments emanate from inconsistent, emotionally negligent and abusive caregiving. As such, abused infants and kids portray insecure attachment patterns.
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Effects of Child Abuse
Research on child abuse suggests that violence may have adverse effects on victims with both short and long term consequences. Sousa et al. (2018) conclude that such abuse is associated with a variety of psychological problems. These problems include depression, which is the leading cause of morbidity and fatality in adults. Other effects include fear, anxiety, dysfunctional behavior, alcohol and drug abuse, emotionally neediness, and suicidal ideation. In the long run, victims of child abuse cannot show affection to their children due to their past experiences, which impact their ability to be active parents, with some making the conscious decision not to become parents. Victims of this abuse create an emotional barrier caused by the trauma, which reduces their capacity to be loved or to express love healthily. They also suffer low self-esteem and have trust issues. Victims are also uncomfortable being visible, and are mostly secluded and shy, feel worthless, and suffer self-hatred.
Social and Ethnic Implications
Child abuse is highest among African-Americans in the U.S. for children between two and five years compared to its prevalence among other communities. The most commonly reported cases are those of neglect followed by physical abuse. Bywaters et al. (2016) posit that personal poverty is a well-known risk factor for child abuse. Most African Americans are impoverished, and they live in community housing projects with high poverty exposure, which leads to higher rates of abuse and neglect. The abuse forms a vicious cycle for its victims because once they grow up, they become the protagonists.
Single mothers expose their children to violence when they become addicted to alcohol and drugs to a point where they neglect their children as they indulge in their social life. Poverty among the black community is higher than that of the Hispanic, and a study showed a consistent correlation between poverty and abuse for both societies. Higher poverty levels mean more prevalence of cases of abused and neglected children. Impoverished children experience an increasing burden of poor homes, neglectful and harsh parents, and an environment that does not have adequate resources.
Child Abuse, Equality, and Social Justice
Social service personnel, government legislators and other children welfare groups make thousands of critical decisions every day about the future of victims of child abuse and their offenders. Adequate research and various social interventions such as counseling are applied, and their effectiveness gives guidance for the final decision on whether the victim will move to foster care or will continue staying in that household . The protection of children from violence is a fundamental human right, and the state has the responsibility to eliminate all forms of violence against children (Goodson & Bouffard, 2018).
`The government has the mandate to uphold children’s rights against discrimination and abuse by effectively and efficiently enacting laws that enforce these rights. Children experience injustices in their homes, schools, and communities with some traditional social norms discriminating against children who have suffered abuse. Time barriers blocking the reporting of injuries afflicted before three years hinder child abuse victims from seeking legal action. Most of the perpetrators of child abuse are close family members. Thus, many cases go unreported until the child becomes an adult.
Conclusion
Child abuse has adverse effects on humans which may lead to depression. Some abuse forms a vicious cycle where the victim becomes the perpetrator and on and on it continues, leaving behind a community of alcoholics and drug abuse addicts. The attachment theory shows that abused infants and kids portray insecure attachment patterns in future. It is the government’s responsibility to ensure children’s rights are efficiently and effectively guarded to protect them against all forms of abuse. High levels of insecurity fostered both in childhood and adulthood, as well as aggressive forms of conflict resolution, depression and socially and economically inactive members of the society, are as a result of child abuse. The most affected victims cannot fight back, and when they can, the law creates barriers, making the injured hurt twice over. The government should amend its legislation to allow for victims of child abuse to present their cases. Hopefully, this will enable them to blend back into society once they get that closure.
References
Bywaters, P., Bunting, L., Davidson, G., Hanratty, J., Mason, W., McCartan, C., & Steils, N. (2016). The relationship between poverty, child abuse and neglect . York [U.K.]: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
Goodson, A., & Bouffard, L. (2018). Social disorganization and gender equality as correlates of family violence and rape. Journal of Crime and Justice , 1-14. doi: 10.1080/0735648x.2018.1535995
Sousa, C., Mason, W., Herrenkohl, T., Prince, D., Herrenkohl, R., & Russo, M. (2018). Direct and indirect effects of child abuse and environmental stress: A life-course perspective on adversity and depressive symptoms. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry , 88 (2), 180-188. doi: 10.1037/ort0000283
