Child maltreatment and abuse can be defined as exposure of children below the age of 18 years to different forms of violence, which include sexual and physical, and neglect. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), child maltreatment and violence is a global issue affecting all countries around the world with life-long consequences. The organization indicates that a significant number of children being exposed to environments of maltreatment and abuse often suffer from mental conditions and disorders. The main challenge in dealing with the issue is that a majority of countries lack data that would help in tracking the exact impact of the effect on society. The ultimate result that this is having is that a majority of states have failed in their bid to adopting effective prevention strategies that would enhance their capacities to deal with increasing cases of child maltreatment and abuse.
Background/Prevalence Data
In trying to understand the impacts associated with child maltreatment and abuse, WHO indicates that approximately between 20% and 25% of children below the age of 18 years find themselves being exposed to abuse and neglect. According to the American Society for Positive Care of Children (ASPCC), over 140,000 cases of child maltreatment and violence are reported within the United States annually. The issue is much higher in developing countries, taking into account that most of these countries have not put in place relevant policy frameworks that would allow them to deal with the rising cases of abuse and neglect among children and teenagers. The issue can also be seen from the perspective that approximately 25% of the children being exposed to the point die as a direct result, which reflects on the negative consequences associated with such cases.
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Literature Review
In trying to understand this issue, Kim (2019) indicates that child maltreatment remains as one of the important pressing issues in public health within the United States, which can be supported based on the significant number of cases reported to the Child Protective Services (CPS). Bütün Ayhan & Beyazit (2019) support this position indicating that child neglect is approximately ten times more common when compared to abuse; thus, highlighting the need for having to consider this as a public health concern. According to CPS, 37.4% of children below the age of 18 years have been exposed to at least one maltreatment investigation (Kim, 2019). From this perspective, what can be noted is that child maltreatment and abuse have been taking into great consideration as part of research on child growth and development.
DiLorenzo, Roller White, Morales, Paul, & Shaw (2013) examine some of the critical approaches that ought to be used in trying to build overall capacity to protect the children that are likely to be exposed to abuse or neglect indicating that these can be handled through community-based family support services. Specifically, these services are expected to create a front through which to examine the issue comprehensively to have to determine some of the key factors contributing to the high number of children being exposed to abuse and neglect. Evans, Falconer, Khan, & Ferris (2012), on the other hand, indicates the need for having to reflect on a process through which to create public awareness on the issue at hand and the impacts that it is having on the society. Public perception is part of the community-based approaches to dealing with the problems of child maltreatment and abuse.
The extent to which children are being exposed to abuse and neglect raises the need for having to establish a front through which to adopt multi-component interventions that go beyond the family setting towards examining this issue at the community level (Weber, Jud, & Landolt, 2016). Bartlett, Kotake, Fauth, & Easterbrooks (2017) highlight interventions that ought to be considered by the relevant government and non-government agencies that include support and education of parents, pre-school education, and childcare. The idea is having to establish a front through which the community will understand the nature of the issue at hand and its underlying impacts on the children. Technical and normative guidelines that would be provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) are a crucial part of the consideration in preventing such cases of child maltreatment and abuse (White, Hindley, & Jones, 2015). The guidelines are expected to create a clear understanding of how the issue can be handled in a manner that remains effective for all parties involved.
White, Hindley, & Jones (2015) also highlight the need for government agencies, mandated with the task of child services, must be at the forefront in providing technical support towards the adoption of evidence-based child maltreatment prevention programs within the community. That is a position that has been reiterated in different quotas taking into account that these programs would be used as a critical platform through which to determine the effectiveness of the prevention approaches adopted. By providing technical support, government agencies will be in a somewhat active position of having to ensure that all risk factors are identified and eliminated as one of the ways through which to minimize exposure of children to increased cases of maltreatment and abuse, which has a severe mental impact on the children (Paul & Eckenrode, 2015).
Importance
The topic is essential because it is within the mandate of the community at large to protect young and vulnerable children, most of who find themselves being exposed to maltreatment and abuse. It must also be noted that a significant number of these children often suffer in their adulthood as a direct outcome of their exposed to maltreatment and abuse. It is from this perspective that society ought to focus its attention on ensuring that it establishes a clear framework through which to ensure that prevention approaches are adopted for effective outcomes.
Social Work Implications
Social workers have an essential role to play when dealing with vulnerable children, especially those that have been exposed to maltreatment and abuse. Consequently, this means that the topic is of great importance to the field of social work, as it seeks to ensure that social workers remain at the forefront in their bid towards protecting the interests of the children. Additionally, the topic is of great importance to social workers, as it reflects on the fact that they are expected to work in unison with government and non-government agencies to allow for the adoption of active structures to prevent child maltreatment and abuse.
Conclusion
Child maltreatment and abuse can be defined as exposure of children below the age of 18 years to different forms of abuse and neglect. The World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that this is a global issue affecting all countries around the world with life-long consequences. Between 20% and 25% of children below the age of 18 years find themselves being exposed to abuse and neglect. Child Protective Services indicate that 37.4% of children below the age of 18 years have been exposed to at least one maltreatment investigation. The topic is of great importance to the field of social work, as it seeks to ensure that social workers remain at the forefront in their bid towards protecting the interests of the children.
References
Bartlett, J. D., Kotake, C., Fauth, R., & Easterbrooks, M. A. (2017). Intergenerational transmission of child abuse and neglect: Do maltreatment type, perpetrator, and substantiation status matter?. Child Abuse & Neglect , 63 , 84-94.
Bütün Ayhan, A., & Beyazit, U. (2019). A Study on the Mother Education Program for the Prevention of Child Neglect. Psychological Reports , 122 (6), 2178–2200.
DiLorenzo, P., Roller White, C., Morales, A., Paul, A., & Shaw, S. (2013). Innovative cross-system and community approach for the prevention of child maltreatment. Child welfare , 92 (2), 161-178.
Evans, W. D., Falconer, M. K., Khan, M., & Ferris, C. (2012). Efficacy of child abuse and neglect prevention messages in the Florida Winds of Change campaign. Journal of health communication , 17 (4), 413-431.
Kim, H. (2019). To prevent child maltreatment, home visiting programs are one part of a complete response. American Journal of Public Health, 109 (5), 653-655.
Paul, E., & Eckenrode, J. (2015). Childhood psychological maltreatment subtypes and adolescent depressive symptoms. Child abuse & neglect , 47 , 38-47.
Weber, S., Jud, A., & Landolt, M. A. (2016). Quality of life in maltreated children and adult survivors of child maltreatment: a systematic review. Quality of life research , 25 (2), 237-255.
White, O. G., Hindley, N., & Jones, D. P. (2015). Risk factors for child maltreatment recurrence: An updated systematic review. Medicine, Science and the Law , 55 (4), 259-277.
