Child Abuse and Neglect Essay -- Violence Against Children

The abuse of children is not new. It dates back to biblical times. During recent years, child abuse has had a rise in the public eye. According to the nationally known website Childabuse.com, there are four types of child abuse: physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect (Childabuse), each with its own unique set of characteristics, each affecting a child differently, and each noticeable, stoppable, and preventable. The first type of child abuse is physical abuse. Childabuse.com stated that, this type of abuse should be stopped as soon as possible, for it could result in death. It involves any type of physical discipline that causes visible injuries or wounds on a child. Any abuse that results in a severe injury needing medical care that could be life threatening, cause mental or physical impairment or chronic pain classified as physical child abuse (Childabuse). The second type of child abuse is sexual abuse. Sexual abuse is defined as acts of sexual harassment and sexual exploitation of minors. Sexual abuse has a wide range of behavior and may consist of many acts over a long period of time or a single incident. The nature of the crime, the shame of the victim, and the involvement of loved ones may make it harder for children to come forward and report abuse. A statistic from Medtwerm.com written by author John Mersch said that sexual abuse is the least reported form of child abuse, accounting for only 10% of all cases (Mersch). Child pornography, child prostitution, or the exposure of a child to sexual acts or things showing sexual acts may also be included in sexual abuse. The third type of child abuse is emotional abuse. Mersch says that emotional abuse involves verbal assaults, ignoring, or constant ... ...e factors to ensure the well being of children. Parents can also help stop and prevent child abuse in the community just by something as simple as keeping an eye out for the children in the neighborhood. Child abuse affects children of all ages, races, and backgrounds. Any child can be victimized. And the victimizer can be anyone. Male, female, parent, friend, and sometimes even another child. The best thing for a person to do to help solve the problem of child abuse is to keep an open eye out for signs. The sooner the abuse of a child is stopped, the better chance that the child has of living a normal, healthy, and happy life. Works Cited Child Abuse: Prevention through Education and Awareness.† Child Abuse. 2014. Article Originals, Inc., Web. 27 Oct 2014. Pyrek, Kelly. Forensic Nursing. Boca Raton, FL: CRC PRESS, 2006331. Print.