child abuse

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Child Abuse
The National Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), as revised in the year 2010 and sanctioned by the CAPTA Reauthorization enactment, characterizes child abuse as, any action undertaken by a guardian or a parent-directed to a child that might bring about death, physical or psychological damage. In short, these include sexual abuse, child labor, and physical harm among other things. Child abuse can also include the inability to care for a child or exposing a child to domestic violence.
Studies demonstrate that child abuse violations are mainly perpetrated by someone a child knows, for instance, a parent, a guardian or a relative. Not only is child abuse a public concern today, it has also gathered significant interest from the health circles. As far as health is concerned, child abuse can trigger a wide range of unfriendly effects on the victims. While children subjected to child abuse are not impacted in the same manner, a majority develop adverse characteristics as a result of the abuse (Perkins & Jones, p.555).
As highlighted in the previous paragraph, children subjected to child abuse are not impacted in the same manner. Furthermore, this is because different circumstances can influence how a child will react after being subjected to abuse. For example, a child who has a close relationship with distant family or friends can process psychological effects of child abuse because they often have someone to talk to and in this case, the source of abuse can easily be nullified.

On the contrary, a child with little ties with distance family and friends is more likely to be affected the most by the effects of child abuse (Perkins & Jones, p.550).
Indeed, factors that may intensify the impacts of child abuse include seclusion, socio-economic factors, dangerous neighborhoods, extended families, physical and mental disabilities (Dubowitz and Bennett, p.1899). Disregarding the dangers of negative results, some lucky few children subjected to abuse may come out unaffected because of their defensive variables that solidify their resilience. Consequently, factors that can increase a child’s perseverance and resilience towards the effects of child abuse include independence, high self-esteem, and availability of support (Haskett et al., p.812).
Child abuse can influence all areas of life and development which encompass physical, mental, cognitive, conduct and social life. Child abuse also leads to attachment problems. Children subjected to abuse will probably experience insecure or disordered attachment issues with their first parents or guardians. (Jordan and Sketchley, p.3) Cycles of child-parent connections are critical for a child’s first mental and social improvement. For youngsters with an uncertain connection, the parent or a caregiver who is expected to be the primary wellspring of security and insurance turns into a source of risk or harm, leaving a child in a conflicting situation. Without the protection and support of a principal parental figure, newborns and children may think that it is hard to have faith in others when in trouble, which can trigger progressive outbursts of nervousness or outrage.
Additionally, child abuse has deep-rooted connections to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Certainly, child abuse can lead to PTSD negatively affect the brain development in the process heightening the dangers of developing mental disorders. Studies have unearthed a solid connection between child abuse and PTSD (Cook et al., p. 398). Subjection to extreme child abuse can bring about trauma and anxiety disorders. PTSD can affect brain development and may impact on a child’s ability to coordinate intellectual activities, which may prompt reactions that result in stress.
Lastly, the most unfortunate and outrageous consequence of child abuse is death. World Health Organization (WHO) research/figures indicate that child abuse leads to over 100,000 children deaths on an annual basis directly and indirectly (Pinheiro, p.1). Most of these cases, unfortunately, go unpunished.
Work Cited
Cook, A., Spinazzola, J., Ford, J., Lanktree, C., Blaustein, M., Cloitre, M. et al. “Complex trauma in children and adolescents”. Psychiatric Annals, 35(5), 390–398.2005. Print
Dubowitz, H., & Bennett, S. “Physical abuse and neglect in children”. The Lancet, 369,1891–1899.2013.Print
Haskett, M. E., Nears, K., Ward, C. S., & McPherson, A. V. “Diversity in adjustment ofmaltreated children: Factors associated with resilient functioning”. Clinical PsychologyReview, 26(6), 796–812. 2014.Print
Jordan, B., & Sketchley, R. “A stitch in time saves nine. Preventing and responding to the abuse and neglect of infants” (Child Abuse Prevention Issues No. 30). 2013.Print
Perkins, D., & Jones, K. “Risk behaviors and resiliency within physically abusedadolescents”. Child Abuse & Neglect, 28, 547–563. 2013.Print
Pinheiro, P. “World Report on Violence against Children. New York: United NationsSecretary-General’s Study on Violence against Children.” UNICEF Organization Website, 2016. Retrieved 8 February 2018.www.unicef.org/violencestudy/reports.html