The Consequences Of Child Abuse

Carl Jung once said “I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become”. One can infer that this means people are in charge of their destiny, their choice regarding the events in their life defines who they are as a person. Individuals are consistently experiencing a plethora of events. These events are on a spectrum that ranges from traumatic to pleasant. Traumatic events that occur can be natural or man-made. Natural traumatic events include earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding, snow storms, and volcanic eruptions. Man-made events include war, torture, kidnappings, and abuse. Within the world, abuse is often inflicted on children. Child abuse is a social issue that inflicts lasting trauma and can lead to a plethora of issues. These issues
They watch the statistics on child abuse and have noticed some interesting facts. ChildHelp has noticed that over three million child abuse reports have been written in the last year (within the United States). This means that over six million children have been abused (Child Abuse Statistics). The children can be abused physically, mentally, and emotionally. Webster’s dictionary defines abuse as “bad or improper treatment; maltreatment” (“Abuse”). It can cause a multitude of issues in adolescents, some of which will continue into their adulthood. The effects of abuse can vary due to the circumstance, type, and length of the abuse. However, they can usually be categorized based on physical, behavioral, and psychological effects. The physical effects of abuse can include poor physical health, brain trauma, impaired brain development, and difficulty sleeping (Long Term Consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect, 2013). The behavioral effects can include substance abuse, risky sexual decision-making, criminal activity, and self-harm (Long Term Consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect, 2013). The psychological effects are the most detrimental. Some of the psychological effects include dissociation, anxiety, depression, flashbacks, eating disorders, and discomfort with physical tough (Long Term Consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect, 2013). The psychological effects can lead to
The best way to treat it, is to prevent it. Anyone witnessing abuse, not just child abuse, should step in and notify the authorities. Although people will try to help, there is still the possibility of negative side-effects do to the abuse done to the children that can affect their adulthood. There a number of ways to help, one of which is Animal-Assisted Therapy. One of the goals to this therapy is to help re-socialize the children. This is a goal that is incredibly important to help their future and avoid re-victimization, a side effect that continues the cycle of abuse. More patients should undergo this therapy due to the multitude of benefits. As Marty Becker (the resident veterinarian for Good Morning America) once said, “It is the intuitive power of animals that can help us heal hurts, lessen stress, feel needed, and express our caring