Dysfunction in Family

Child abuse and neglect is a prevalent issue in the United States. Every year approximately one million infants, children and adolescents are victims of child abuse and neglect. Research has linked childhood experiences of abuse and neglect with some serious life-long developmental, social, emotional and other significant problems. This paper will address risk factors that are associated with abuse and neglect, who is at risk for being abused, as well as some traits of the abuser. This paper will incorporate child development across the lifespan, as well as some information about how abuse and neglect affects a child’s language, cognitive, social/emotional, motor and adaptive skills, as well as physical health. Effective parenting techniques and strategies for prevention and intervention will be shared.

Introduction
Child and abuse and neglect can have significant negative developmental impacts on children from infancy to adulthood. “Child maltreatment is a broad, all-encompassing term used to describe the many ways that children may be mistreated by adults in their lives. Child maltreatment can be defined as a behavior towards another person, which is outside the norms of conduct and entails a substantial risk of causing physical or emotional harm to the child. Maltreatment is divided into four main categories: sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional maltreatment and neglect

Effects of child abuse and neglectAll types of child abuse and neglect leave lasting scars. Some of these scars might be physical, but emotional scarring has long lasting effects throughout life, damaging a child’s sense of self, ability to have healthy relationships, and ability to function at home, at work and at school. Some effects include: * Lack of trust and relationship difficulties. If you can’t trust your parents, who can you trust? Abuse by a primary caregiver damages the most fundamental relationship as a child—that you will safely, reliably get your physical and