Shalimar White
YVCC
Almost one in every hundred children gets abused in the United States, and it happens every day. Child abuse is when a child is physically, sexually, emotionally, and mentally abused. Sexual exploitation, neglect, abandonment, and maltreatment are also forms of abuse. Physical abuse includes but not limited to, throwing kicking, burning, or cutting a child. Striking them with a closed fist; shaking them when they are under the age of three, interfering with their breathing, threatening them with a deadly weapon, or doing any other act that is likely to give the child bodily harm and other minor to major injuries to their health, welfare, and safety. Sexual abuse is committing or allowing to be committed to any sexual offense against a child as defined in the criminal code and sexual exploitations when a child is prostituted, being filming in pornographic acts, or being a part of a live action of pornographic acts. Neglect and maltreatment is when the child is not provided with an adequate amount of food, shelter, clothing, supervision, or healthcare. Abandonment is when a child is deserted by their guardian, left without food, water, shelter, clothing, hygiene, and medical healthcare, or when the guardian is just not doing things they are supposed to do for a child, they relieve themselves from their duties.
We are all mandatory reporters. Meaning that any citizen that sees anything suspicious should report, or if you know of a child being abused and don’t report, you are just as guilty. Almost five children die every day as a result of child abuse. Child abuse is no doubt a hidden epidemic in our society today. Ninety percent of child sexual abuse victims know the perpetrators in some way; sixty-eight percent are abused by family members. Child abuse also happens no matter how rich or poor you are, doesn’t matter what color you are, and it doesn’t matter how smart or dumb you are. Thirty percent of women in prison