In an unhealthy family setting parents could be emotionally or physically abusive to their children or one another, neglect their children, or raise their children in an inhabitable location. Unfortunately, this can negatively affect a child’s development. For example, uninvolved parents show no interest in their children, and display indifference and rejecting behavior. They are emotionally detached from their children and often view their parenting role as merely providing the essentials – food, clothing, shelter (Feldman, 2014, p. 253). Children of uninvolved parents can often feel unloved, unwanted, and they ultimately become emotionally detached like their parents (Feldman, 2014, p. 254). As a result of uninvolved parenting, the cognitive, emotional, and psychology development of these children is significantly impeded. Child abuse can occur in any household, but it is more common in families living in stressful environments such as poverty and single parenthood. Physically abused children are anxious, resistant to control, suffer from headaches more frequently than other children, and also portray signs of developmental delay (Feldman, 2014, p. 255). While it is not always the case, children who suffer from abuse or neglect are predisposed to abuse or neglect their children. Unfortunately, these children have learned that violence is an acceptable form of punishment (Feldman, 2014, p. 255). Abuse is not…
The negative effects of the system on foster children prove how the system fails to improve the lives of the kids it pledges to help and how critical it is that the government make an effort to improve foster agencies. No one would argue against how much kids need responsible adults in their lives. Most children, especially foster children many of whom have suffered abuse and neglect, need someone to keep them responsible and in line until they are old enough to mature and develop their own moral code. Several studies found that foster children are at a higher risk of becoming high school dropouts, homeless, incarcerated, or addicted to drugs. In addition, reports link foster children with having 15% lower standardized test scores and…
Department of Health and Human Services (2017) found that in 2015 over 683,000 children were found to be victims of some form of abuse. Of those children, 75.3% experienced neglect, 17.2% experienced physical abuse, and 8.4% were sexually abused with some of children experiencing polyvictimization. Children of caregivers that abused drugs or alcohol, or that were inflicted by domestic violence were at a higher risk for maltreatment. It has been found that four or more adverse experiences during childhood greatly increases the likelihood of disorders such as anxiety, major depression, substance use, and antisocial behavior into adulthood (Tarocchi et al., 2013). Courtois (2008) highlights the characteristics encountered as these children reach…
Foster care is a protective intervention designed to provide out of home placement to children living in at-risk home environments. This study employs prospective longitudinal data (N = 189) to investigate the effects of foster care on the development of child behavior and psychological functioning taking into account baseline adaptation prior to placement and socioeconomic status at the time of placement. Comparisons were made among three groups: children who experienced foster care, those who were maltreated but remained in the home, and children who had not experienced foster care or maltreatment…
As a vulnerable population, abused children are at higher risk for suicide depression, aggression, delinquency, learning disorders, and dissociative disorders when compared to non-abused children (Weitzman, 2005). If not acknowledged and treated, abused children can have more serious mental problems as they age. For example, being an abusive relationship, suicidal ideations, substance abuse, and long term physical and mental illness. This paper will define the vulnerable population as it relates to abused children as well as demographic information on a national and state level. When caring for…
There are several reasons why children enter foster care such as abandonment, caregiver’s death, domestic violence, medical neglect, parent’s incarceration, physical abuse, sexual abuse, truancy, and voluntary placement. Sadly, many homes have more than one of the following issues and a child enters the foster care system for numerous reasons. Annually tens of thousands of children in the United States are placed in foster care. These children are often burdened by the unprecedented levels of domestic violence, physical, emotional, and mental abuse in their homes.…
In today’s society violence and abuse have become a huge problem. It can be mental or physical abuse. Abuse can happen in any kind of relationship: boyfriend/girlfriend, parent/child, or employer/employee. The one area of abuse caught my eye is foster parents abusing foster children. This past year I know of some personal cases where the foster parents abused the foster children and have even killed one. In the journal “Confidentiality Act to Shield Abuse in Foster Care” it states, “As Miguel’s brain swelled with blood, his foster parents waited more than four hours before they took him to the hospital. The child, whose body was covered in bruises, never regained consciousness. He died in the hospital before his biological family could be located” (Callahan). People like this is what is hurting the foster care system the most.…
One main problem that often come out of traumatic experiences is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is seen throughout society and is characterized as re-experiencing the traumatic event through dreams, thoughts, sensations, or flashbacks. It also involves emotional numbing, avoidance of trauma provoking thoughts or activities, and a heightened sense of alertness or arousal. PTSD is most commonly seen when the maltreatment was received as a child. Childhood maltreatment comprises of sexual, physical, and emotional neglect that negatively affects a child’s development and their psychological or psychological health throughout their entire lifetime (Ramo-Fernández et al.). When abused at such an important developmental age such as childhood development those children when adults have a higher probability of abusing their own children and becoming involved in abusive relationships, in which they would re-experience their victimization (Ramo-Fernández et al.). A study was done to prove that when one is abused as a child they are more likely to become abusive as well. In 135 parents with a history of childhood maltreatment 6.7% abused their child within the first 13 months. This may not seem like a large amount but compared to the control group of non-abused parents only 0.4% abused their offspring (Ramo-Fernández et…
Every child deserves happiness and stability. Sometimes children are born into situations or families that are unable to provide these two things for them. When a family or parent is unable to provide for a child, the child ends up either with other relatives, homeless, or into the foster care system which is temporary placement for a minor to be given care by a certified caregiver of the state also known as a foster parent. According to Child Welfare Information Gateway, more than 250,000 children enter the foster care system every year and 60% of these children cannot return home. Since these child are entering different homes where someone who is not their own parent is supposed to be taking care of them, the child tend to have behavioral…
When children have become the victims of abuse and neglect, or if parents are unable to care for them, the children are placed in foster care. Placement in a foster home is intended to be temporary. Unfortunately .many children, once in the system, do not leave until they turn 18. Foster care often exposes children to severe stressors, causing behavioral, developmental and/or psychological difficulties. Though foster homes are supposed to help children in a time of need, there are many children who experience negative effects of living in foster homes. These effects on children along with lack of qualified foster families, growing caseloads, and lack of governmental support have all contributed to what…
Throughout the years, the numbers of those in foster care has been described as dynamic. While numbers may go down of those in foster care, the number of children of suffer either while in foster care, or after aging out has increased. (Scott, Woods). Because there are a significant number of children in the system, there is not enough time nor people to give the individual care and attention that is essential for each child. With the loss of the individual attention, there can be many detrimental consequences. Foster care can have negative impacts on the foster child’s life if not given enough attention, it can effect their mental health as well as the development of the child.…
The information about the kind of abuse in the foster family homes can help social workers and placement agencies put forth more or different training for the foster parents (especially if the foster child is a female). From a social work point of view it is important to understand why foster children behave the way they do and what is going on in their current environment. From a child’s point of view, foster care can be a scary place to be. Most of the time children are removed from their homes, schools, and friends. It can be confusing and stressful to lose everything they knew in an already unstable world and enter someone else’s house. Rules are different, the food is different, and they might have to share a room with someone that’s unfamiliar. This research opens our eyes to the trauma these children endure so that hopefully we can prevent future abuse in Foster…
Anxiety disorders involve disturbances in the capacity to regulate anxious states, and result from complex interactions among biological, genetic, familial, temperamental, development, and environmental factors (source). Anxiety disorders are the most common diagnosed disorders in adolescent populations, including the child welfare population, which this assignment will focus on (source). The prevalence rate for anxiety disorders in the child welfare population is between 9% and 20% (source). Youth in foster care are a frequently marginalized population that encounters extensive stressors both past and present. These stressors negatively affect their health and mental health care needs. The traumatic family histories and accumulated losses of many youth in foster care result in increased risk for mental health problems (source). Research demonstrates among youth in the child welfare system, 61% of 17 year olds have at least one lifetime mental health disorder (source). Youth existing foster care do not leave their psychological problems behind them and these problems can exacerbate by the change in…
The foster care social service system is designed to ameliorate adverse family and environmental conditions that may interfere with typical child development. Currently, the system provides both interim and longstanding out- of- home placement of children whose biological parents have been deemed unable to provide adequate care. The number of children being placed in the foster care system is increasing annually and unfortunately, most of these children have been the victims of repeated abuse and prolonged neglect. Thus, they have not experienced a nurturing, stable environment during the early years of life. Such experiences are critical in the short and long-term development of a child's brain and the ability to subsequently function soundly…
Childhood trauma effects children worldwide in different ways in regards of their mental status, attention, and memory. There have been astounding amount of evidence in regards of the effects of childhood trauma in regards to impairment in cognition. Children who experience sexual, physical, or psychological abuse research have indicated the child will demonstrate psychiatric symptoms, neurodevelopment deficiencies and physical health consequences (Szanto et al, ). According to Hovens () childhood trauma will put a child at higher risk for depression and anxiety.…