CAUSES OF CHILD ABUSE.   Term Paper ID:26303 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Examines types, roles of alcohol abuse, socioeconomics, family dysfunction, gender.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Examines types, roles of alcohol abuse, socioeconomics, family dysfunction, gender. Paper Introduction: CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF CHILD ABUSE Introduction The thesis of this critical analysis of child abuse is that the frequency of child abuse behavior by adults varies in relation to specific environmental, family, and individual factors. The thesis is extended to include the following specific factors: (1) alcohol abuse, (2) low household income, and (3) family dysfunction. Review of the Relevant Literature American society is becoming increasingly sensitized to the phenomenon of child abuse. Politicians, social service professionals, criminal justice professionals, and other responsible parties are under increasing pressures to develop and implement policies that will both protect the public, provide assistan Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Comprehensive textbook ofpsychiatry/IX. Garbarino, J., & Kostelny, K. Some experts sayboys often don't report sexual abuse because the abusers usually are male,and boys-at a vulnerable time in their sexual development-worry about beinglabeled homosexual or wimpy" (Arbetter, 1995, p. J., & Foulds, D. Child Abuse & Neglect, 16(4), 455-464. In approximately 3 percent of the cases, the abuser is the mother, whilethe father is the abuser in about 2 percent of the cases, and theremaining 5 percent of cases of abuse are perpetrated by a variety ofpersons, such as baby-sitters, boy friends or live-in lovers of the mother,and so forth. (1992, July-August). The motives for assault on children usuallyinvolve power and frustration. Some recent studies report an increasingproportion (up to one-quarter of the total number of child sexual abusecases) of male abuse victims; however, these studies report no decrease inthe proportion of male abusers (Saywitz & Nathanson, 1993). The perpetrators of child abuse in the United States are typically (5 percent) those adults who are closest to the child (Kaplan & Sadock, 1995). Three millioncases of child abuse or neglect were reported in 1994. J., & Nathanson, R. Zayas, L. 1 ). Politicians, social service professionals, criminaljustice professionals, and other responsible parties are under increasingpressures to develop and implement policies that will both protect thepublic, provide assistance to victims, and provide help to the extentpossible to the perpetrators of child abuse (Mennen, 1994a). Among young children, boys are abused more often than girls, but "overage 12, girls bear the brunt. N. A variety of reasons underlie the social and psychological problemsexhibited by many children in contemporary society. One of these factorsis abuse perpetrated by someone in a position of trust or authority in thelife of a young person (Mennen, 1994a). Girls are also sexually abused more frequently. M., Prihoda, T. Children'stestimony and their perceptions of stress in and out of the courtroom.Child Abuse and Neglect, 17(5), 613-622. The remainder of the cases involved abuse, which includesphysical or emotional injury or sexual abuse (Arbetter, 1995). The cycle of abuse,hopelessness, depression, and the loss of self-esteem is associated withsuch outcomes as a failure to develop effective interpersonal skills,ineffective social integration, and dysfunctional families (Zayas, 1992). More than four-fifths of the reported cases of child sexual abuseinvolve a member of the child's family in the role of the abuser (Saywitz &Nathanson, 1993). (1993, Winter). Thepsychological and emotional effects on these children often includerepressed memories, guilt, feelings of inadequacy and failure, with anoverwhelming belief that whatever is wrong in the family is largely theirfault, and that responsibility for correction of the problem also largelyis theirs (Zayas, 1992). Approximately 9 percent of the reported cases of child sexual abusecases involve girls who are sexually abused by men. Hispanic families, as an example, are exposed tounusual social stresses along a continuum of emigration, migration,cultural adaptation, and economic uncertainty (Zayas, 1992). L., Parra, J. Sexual abuse in Latina girls.Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 16(4), 475-486. Kaplan, H. Hispanic children, more so than either Anglo or AfricanAmerican children, are likely to be abused by an extended family member(Huston, Parra, Prihoda, & Foulds, 1995). Journal of ChildSexual Abuse, 1(3), 119-124. Child problems among the poor tend to be associated withfamily as well as economic hardships because these two factors areinterrelated. Baltimore: The Williams & Wilkins Co. Daedalus, 122(1),57-84. What is known, however, is thatthe proportions of African-American and Hispanic child abuse victims arehigher than the proportion of African-Americans and Hispanics in the totalpopulation (Huston, Parra, Prihoda, & Foulds, 1995). Saywitz, K. The preponderance of these abusing family members areeither fathers or stepfathers. Child poverty andpublic policy: toward a comprehensive antipoverty agenda. K., & Danziger, S. Family violence: When we hurt the oneswe love. Children of divorced parents are more likely than were other childrento experience abuse. Heras, P., Gomez, M. The relationship of race/ethnicity to symptomsof childhood sexual abuse. The battered child is the most prevalent image of theabused child in the United States; however, psychological damage stemmingfrom sexual abuse frequently poses more serious risks for the child (Zayas,1992). Huston, R. Approximately one-half of these cases involved neglect, which means that adults are notproviding a safe environment with adequate shelter, clothing, food, andsanitation. Thus, family structure can be both the cause and theconsequence of poverty and economic hardship (Danziger & Danziger, 1993). I., & Sadock, B. Poverty also creates conditions that lead frequently to child abuseand neglect. Until the combination of these two factorsare effectively addressed in the thinking of both society and theindividual members of society, one can expect that assault generally andchild assault particularly will continue. Mennen, F. In a psychiatric context, abusers of children are typically unstable,immature, characterized by poor impulse control, and, in many instances,psychotic (Kaplan & Sadock, 1995). Child abuse is an increasingly serious problem in the United States.Disagreement does not exist with respect to the existence of the problem orwith respect to the identity of the perpetrators of the abuse of children.Disagreement does exist, however, with respect to the causal factorsleading to child abuse behavior. The presence of alcohol abuse withinfamily units creates further difficulties for children in the household.Such children often are required to deal with sexual, physical, andpsychological violence directed against either themselves or other familymembers by the alcoholic parent or parents (Zayas, 1992). Partial explanation is that adolescents areabused when they disobey their parents. E. Few standardized measures fit all culturalgroups (French, 1993). (1995, November). Conclusion The thesis of this critical analysis of child abuse was that thefrequency of child abuse behavior by adults varies in relation to specificenvironmental, family, and individual factors, and that those factors are(1) alcohol abuse, (2) low household income, and (3) family dysfunction.The analysis of the relevant literature supported this thesis. (1993, September-October). Child Abuse & Neglect, 19(1), 115-124. Danziger, S. (1995). Women kill most often through severe neglect, such as "the mother inMemphis who left two toddlers in the car ... (1994a). E. The most debilitating outcomes ofabuse experienced by a young person are a loss of self-esteem,hopelessness, and depression (Mennen, 1994b). (1995).Characteristics of childhood sexual abuse in a predominantly Mexican-American population. Alcoholism, low-income, and dysfunctionalfamily structures, however, are factors that appear to be strongly linkedto child abuse. 9). V., & Thomas, J. Child maltreatmentas a community problem. (1992, October). Journal of Social distress and the Homeless, 1(3-4), 291-3 9. J. in 9 -degree heat while shepartied with friends. No causal relationship has beenestablished between the variables ethnicity and socioeconomic status inrelation to the prevalence of child abuse. Socialworkers must be aware that child abuse is not only a symptom of individualor family trouble, but also is a symptom of community trouble (Garbarino &Kostelny, 1992). The thesis is extended toinclude the following specific factors: (1) alcohol abuse, (2) lowhousehold income, and (3) family dysfunction. H. Heras, Gomez, and Thomas (1992) emphasized the need for social workprofessionals dealing with child abuse to be exposed to cross-culturaleducation and psychology. M. (1992). Approximately 5 percent of child abuse cases occur in householdsreceiving public assistance, while the remaining 5 percent occur in higherincome households (Kaplan & Sadock, 1995). Mennen, F. Child Abuse & Neglect, 19(2), 165-176. The preponderance ofthe remaining 1 percent of the cases are boys abused by men, with arelatively small proportion of the total cases of child sexual abuseinvolving boys abused by women. References Arbetter, S. There are strong societal tendencies to blame victims for the abuseperpetrated against them. (1994b, November). Since parents are less likely togrant autonomy to girls, there are more instances of parent/daughterdispute. Review of the Relevant Literature American society is becoming increasingly sensitized to the phenomenonof child abuse. Childrearing, social stress, and childabuse. Critical Analysis of Child Abuse Introduction The thesis of this critical analysis of child abuse is that thefrequency of child abuse behavior by adults varies in relation to specificenvironmental, family, and individual factors. Temperatures in the car soared, and the childrendied" (Arbetter, 1995, p. Current Health 2, 22(3), 6-12. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.