Child Abuse PDF

Child Abuse Knowingly or unknowingly negatively affecting the child's health, physical and psychological development; These are actions that can be taken by an adult, the society in which the child lives, and the state (World Health Organization, WHO) Abuse: Doing what should not be don...

Child Abuse Knowingly or unknowingly negatively affecting the child's health, physical and psychological development; These are actions that can be taken by an adult, the society in which the child lives, and the state (World Health Organization, WHO) Abuse: Doing what should not be done Neglect: Not doing what should be done Abuse involves action, neglect involves inaction. Child Abuse Child abuse is the term used for acts of commission— things a parent or caretaker does to a child that are inappropriate. Child neglect is the term used for acts of omission— things a parent or a caretaker fails to do for a child when appropriate care would require that such things be done Child Abuse An act of commission: doing something wrong An act of omission: failing to do the right thing Types of Abuse Physical Abuse Emotional Abuse/Psychological Maltreatment Economical Abuse Sexual Abuse Media Abuse Physical Abuse: Any act by a caregiver that results in a nonaccidental physical injury to a child. Any non-accidental physical injury to the child, and can include striking, kicking, burning, or biting the child, or any action that results in physical impairment of the child. Physical Abuse: Jimmy, a 3-year-old, was playing with his puppy in his backyard when he tried to make the puppy stay near him by pulling roughly on the dog's tail. Jimmy's father saw the child vigorously pulling on the puppy's tail and yelled at him to stop. When Jimmy did not respond quickly, his father grabbed Jimmy's arm and pulled him away from the dog. The father then began pulling on Jimmy's ear— actually tearing the skin—to teach him a lesson about the appropriate way to treat a dog. Physical Abuse: Angela's baby, Maria, had colic from the day she was born. This meant that from 4:00 in the afternoon until 8:00 in the evening every day, Maria cried inconsolably. No matter what Angela did, she could not get Maria to stop crying. One evening, after 5-month-old Maria had been crying for 3 hours straight, Angela became so frustrated that she began shaking Maria. The shaking caused Maria to cry more loudly, which in turn caused Angela to shake the infant more vigorously. Angela shook Maria until the baby lost consciousness. Physical Abuse: Ryan and his brother, Matthew, were playing with their Power Rangers in Ryan’s bedroom when they got into a disagreement. Both boys began hitting each other and calling each other names. Their mother heard the commotion and came running into the room and separated the two boys. She then took each boy, pulled down his trousers, put him over her knee, and spanked him several times. Physical Abuse hitting with hands or objects slapping and punching kicking shaking throwing poisoning Physical Abuse burning and scalding biting and scratching breaking bones drowning Physical Abuse Physical Abuse Accidental bruises tend to be on areas of the body where the bone is close to the surface and on the parts of the body with which the child leads. As a general rule, bruises on the peripheral parts of the body are more likely to be accidental, and bruises at the central parts of the body are more likely to be the result of abuse. Physical Abuse How to Tell the Difference Between Abuse and Accidental Injuries? If an injury occurs frequently, it is less likely to be an accident. Accidental wounds/cuts occur in bony areas of the body; injuries in soft and protected areas are less likely to be an accident. If there are wounds/bruises that are in different stages of healing, the probability of an accident is low. Physical Abuse How to Tell the Difference Between Abuse and Accidental Injuries? If the injuries were caused by an object, the wounds may be painful and an accident is unlikely to occur. If there is an inconsistency between the explanations of the child and his/her family for the injury, abuse is suspected.  Physical Abuse Consequences of Physical Abuse: Bruises: Injury in which capillaries are damaged, allowing blood to seep into the surrounding tissue; generally caused by striking or pressing that does not break the skin. Fractures: The partial or complete breaking of bone or cartilage.  Physical Abuse Consequences of Physical Abuse: Head Injuries: Abusive head injury may be the result of shaken baby syndrome (SBS) or shaken impact syndrome (SIS). In these cases, an adult grasps a child by the arms or the trunk and shakes the child forcefully. This sharp shaking causes the brain to collide with the skull. In addition to the violent shaking, the child’s head may also make contact with a hard surface such as a wall or the floor.  Physical Abuse Consequences of Physical Abuse: Head Injuries: Shaken baby syndrome (SBS) a condition of severe internal bleeding, particularly around the brain or eyes, that is caused by violently shaking an infant or a young child.  Physical Abuse Consequences of Physical Abuse: Burns: injuries caused by fire, heat, or acid; first-degree burns cause red skin, second-degree burns result in blisters, and third-degree burns cause deep skin destruction. The most likely victims of abusive burns are infants and young children.  Physical Abuse Indicators of Physical Abuse: Unexplained injuries,wounds, bruises Unbelievable or inconsistent explanations of injuries Multiple bruises in various stages of healing Bruises located on faces, ears, necks,buttocks, chests, thighs, back of legs, and genitalia Physical Abuse Indicators of Physical Abuse: Bruises that resemble objects such as hand, fist, belt buckle or rope Injuries that are inconsistent with a child’s age/developmental level Burns Fear of going home Extreme apprehensiveness or vigilance Physical Abuse Indicators of Physical Abuse: Pronounced aggression or passivity Flinching easily or avoiding touch Abusive behavior or talk during play Unable to recall how injuries occured Account of injuries is inconsistent with the nature of injuries Fear of parent or caregiver Physical Abuse Indicators of Physical Abuse: Clothes that are not suitable for climatic conditions and are worn to hide the body Coming to school early, leaving school late Decline in school success Developmental disorders Difficulty regulating emotions and expressing oneself Psychological, Interpersonal, and Biological Characteristics of Adults Who Physically Abuse Children Emotional and behavioral difficulties: Self-expressed anger Depression Low frustration tolerance Low self-esteem Rigidity Anger control problems Psychological, Interpersonal, and Biological Characteristics of Adults Who Physically Abuse Children Emotional and behavioral difficulties: Deficits in empathy Anxiety Perceived life stress and personal distress Substance abuse/dependence Deficits in problem-solving skills Intellectual Impairment Psychological, Interpersonal, and Biological Characteristics of Adults Who Physically Abuse Children Family and interpersonal difficulties: Spousal disagreement, tension, abuse Parental history of abuse in childhood Maternal history of foster care placement Psychological, Interpersonal, and Biological Characteristics of Adults Who Physically Abuse Children Family and interpersonal difficulties: Deficits in positive interactions with children and other family members Verbal and physical conflict among family members, including domestic violence Deficits in family cohesion and expressiveness Isolation from friends and the community Psychological, Interpersonal, and Biological Characteristics of Adults Who Physically Abuse Children Parenting difficulties: Unrealistic expectations of children Disregard for children's needs/abilities Deficits in child management skills View of parenting role as stressful Psychological, Interpersonal, and Biological Characteristics of Adults Who Physically Abuse Children Parenting difficulties: Negative bias/perceptions regarding children Poor problem-solving ability with regard to child rearing Intrusive/inconsistent parenting Low levels of communication, stimulation, and interaction with children High rates of verbal and physical aggression toward children Psychological, Interpersonal, and Biological Characteristics of Adults Who Physically Abuse Children Biological factors: Reports of physical health problems and disabilities Physiological over-reactivity Neuropsychological deficits (e.g., problem solving, conceptual ability) Possible Effects Associated With Physical Child Abuse for Children and Adolescents and Adults  Emotional Abuse/Psychological Maltreatment: A mother locks her 3-year-old son in a dark attic as a method of punishment. A mother says to her daughter, “You are the stupidest, laziest kid on earth. I can’t believe you're my child. They must have switched babies on me at the hospital.” A father tells his daughter that he will kill her new puppy if she or the puppy misbehaves. A mother refuses to look at or touch her child. A father repeatedly states to one of his children, “I don't love you.” Emotional Abuse/Psychological Maltreatment: Any behavior that harms the child's emotional integrity and personality development. pretending to be emotionally absent, ignoring Not showing the love, attention and closeness they need Constantly criticizing and blaming without any sign of support or guidance making fun of, name-calling, humiliating Emotional Abuse/Psychological Maltreatment: Any behavior that harms the child's emotional integrity and personality development. pretending to be emotionally absent, ignoring Not showing the love, attention and closeness they need Constantly criticizing and blaming without any sign of support or guidance making fun of, name-calling, humiliating Emotional Abuse/Psychological Maltreatment: One of the most widely recognized frameworks is offered by the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (1995) in its Guidelines for the Psychosocial Evaluation of Suspected Psychological Maltreatment in Children and Adolescents. These guidelines list six categories of parental behaviors that constitute child psychological maltreatment: Emotional Abuse/Psychological Maltreatment: Spurning (e.g., verbal and nonverbal hostile rejecting/degrading behaviors) Terrorizing (e.g., caregiver behaviors that harm or threaten harm to a child or child’s loved ones or possessions) Exploiting/corrupting (e.g., encouraging inappropriate behaviors in a child) Emotional Abuse/Psychological Maltreatment: Denying emotional responsiveness (e.g., ignoring a child's needs or failing to express positive affect toward a child) Isolating (e.g., denying a child opportunities to interact/communicate with others) Mental health/medical/educational neglect (e.g., failing to provide for a child's needs in these areas)  Emotional Abuse/Psychological Maltreatment: Glaser (2002) proposed an alternative understanding of psychological maltreatment based on a conceptual framework of a child’s needs. Glaser stated that in order for a child to be psychologically healthy, their needs must be recognized and respected by those who care for them.  Emotional Abuse/Psychological Maltreatment: “Emotional unavailability, unresponsiveness, and neglect.” This first category is used to describe parents who are insensitive as well as those who are not available or responsive to their children. “Negative attributions and misattributions to child.” Attributions are the explanations we make for another person’s behavior. They can be positive, neutral, or negative.  Emotional Abuse/Psychological Maltreatment: "Developmentally inappropriate or inconsistent interactions with child.”This type of behavior is seen among parents who do not seem to know what sort of behavior is appropriate for children of a given age. As a result, they may have inappropriate expectations of their child. “Failure to recognize or acknowledge the child’s individuality and psychological boundaries.” This category captures parents who use their child to fulfill their own needs  Emotional Abuse/Psychological Maltreatment: “Failing to promote the child’s social adaptation.” A parent could maltreat a child through neglect by simply failing to provide age-appropriate experiences, or could deliberately missocialize the child by teaching the child to behave in ways that are inappropriate.  Emotional Abuse/Psychological Maltreatment: Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome (MPS): A rare form of child maltreatment in which the caretaker, usually the mother, fabricates, exaggerates, or induces symptoms of physical or psychological illness in a child. Factitious Disorder Imposed on Another: The term used by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders to describe the behaviors referred to as Munchausen by proxy syndrome. Emotional Abuse/Psychological Maltreatment: Indicators of Emotional Abuse/Psychological Maltreatment: Delay in physical, emotional and cognitive development Extreme behavior such as passivity or aggression Inability to behave age-appropriate Problems in peer relationships Low school success Economical Abuse: The term “child labour” is often defined as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development. It refers to work that: is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful to children; and/or interferes with their schooling by: depriving them of the opportunity to attend school; obliging them to leave school prematurely; or requiring them to attempt to combine school attendance with excessively long and heavy work. Economical Abuse Causes of Economical Abuse: Social, economic, cultural problems Inequal income distribution Poverty Migrations from village to city Illegal labor Lack of educational resources Media Abuse: These are publications made in a way that will negatively affect the child's health, physical, mental and moral development, by harming the basic principles of the child's privacy and the best interest of the child, and prioritizing profit. Children can be news sources as well as viewers. Sexual Abuse: Jamie, a 15-year-old, frequently served as babysitter for his neighbor, 4-year-old Naomi. Each time Jamie was left alone with Naomi, he had her stroke his exposed penis while they watched her favorite video. Sally, at 16 years old, was a self-proclaimed nymphomaniac. She had physical relationships (e.g., kissing, fondling, and sexual intercourse) with numerous boyfriends from school. One evening when Sally was home alone with her 45-year old stepfather, he asked her if she wanted to “mess around.” Sally willingly agreed to have sexual intercourse with him. Sexual Abuse: Dexter, a 30-year-old man, invited 7-year-old Jimmy to his house frequently for after-school snacks. After their snacks, Dexter asked Jimmy to undress and instructed him to assume various sexual poses while Dexter videotaped him. Dexter sold the videos for profit. Manuel and Maria frequently walked around nude at home in front of their 5-yearold son, Ernesto. Sexual Abuse: “Any sexual activity with a child where consent is not or cannot be given”. Contacts or interactions between a child and an adult when the child is being used for the sexual stimulation of the perpetrator or another person. Sexual abuse may also be committed by a person under the age of 18 when that person is either significantly older than the victim or when the perpetrator is in a position of power or control over another child. The National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect (NCCAN) Sexual Abuse: This definition, which is consistent with most current legal and research definitions of CSA, incorporates four key components that are generally regarded as essential in defining CSA. First, definitions of CSA are typically broad enough to include extrafamilial abuse as well as intrafamilial abuse (i.e., incest). Second, definitions of CSA often include sexual experiences with children that involve both physical contact and noncontact activities. Sexual Abuse: A third important component of CSA definitions emphasizes the adult's exploitation of his or her authority, knowledge, and power to achieve sexual ends. Implicit in this component is the assumption that children are incapable of providing informed consent to sexual interactions with adults for two reasons: (a) Because of their developmental status, children are not capable of fully understanding what they are consenting to and what the consequences of their consent might be, and (b) Children might not be in a position to decline involvement because of the adult's authority status. Sexual Abuse: The fourth and final component of CSA definitions addresses the age or maturational advantage of the perpetrator over the victim. Although many definitions limit abuse to situations involving an age discrepancy of five years or more between perpetrator and victim, others include children and adolescents as potential perpetrators if a situation involves the exploitation of a child by virtue of the perpetrator's size, age, sex, or status. Sexual Abuse: Non-contact: Sexy talk Exposure Voyeurism Sending sexually explicit messages Types of Abuse Non-contact Sexual Abuse: Sexy talk: includes statements the perpetrator makes to the child regarding the child's sexual attributes, what he or she would like to do to the child, and other sexual comments. Exposure: includes the perpetrator's showing the victim his/her intimate parts (breasts, penis, vagina, anus) and/or masturbating in front of the victim. Types of Abuse Non-contact Sexual Abuse: Voyeurism: includes instances when the perpetrator either covertly or overtly observes the victim in a state of undress or in activities that provide the perpetrator with sexual gratification. Sending sexually explicit messages Sexual Abuse Sexual Abuse: Contact Containing: Sexual touching: includes any touching of the intimate body parts. These are the breasts, vagina, penis, buttocks, anus, and perineal area. The perpetrator may fondle the victim, he may induce the victim to touch him, or the victim and perpetrator may engage in mutual fondling or masturbation. Frottage is sexual contact in which the perpetrator gains sexual gratification from rubbing his intimate parts against the victim's body or clothing. Sexual Abuse Sexual Abuse: Contact Containing: Oral sex Sexual penetration (anal, genital, finger, object) Interfemoral intercourse (placing the penis between the child's legs) Sexual Abuse Sexual Abuse: Contact Containing: Sexual exploitation: Sexual exploitation includes situations of sexual victimization where the person who is responsible for the exploitation may not have direct sexual contact with the child. Often this responsible person is involved for financial gain and not for sexual gratification. Sexual Abuse Sexual Abuse: Contact Containing: Sexual exploitation:Two types of sexual exploitation will be described. a. Child pornography involves taking pictures of children. These may be stills or movies or videotapes. They may be for the perpetrator's private use; he may trade the pornography, or he may sell it. b. Child prostitution:Both male and female children may become involved in prostitution. Regardless of the sex of the victim, the clients are almost always male. In the majority of cases ,the children are in late latency or adolescence. Sexual Abuse Indicators of Sexual Abuse: Difficulty walking and sitting Pain/swelling/redness/bleeding in the genital/lip/mouth/anal area Pain in urination Sexually transmitted disease diagnosis Physical complaints Sexual Abuse Indicators of Sexual Abuse: Excessive need for cleaning or neglect of cleaning Developing baby-immature behaviors Imitating adult sexual behavior Playing sexually explicit games with themselves, other children and their toys Sexual Abuse Indicators of Sexual Abuse: Demonstrating sexual knowledge that is above one's own development level through indirect speech, words, expressions and behavior School and discipline problems Lack of attention Tantrums Sexual Abuse Indicators of Sexual Abuse: Depression and anxiety Dissociative disorders (forgetfulness, excessive daydreaming, trance-like states) Sleep/eating disorders Self-harm/substance abuse/suicide attempts