The Long Lasting Effects of Child Abuse on the Abused

The Long Lasting Effects of Child Maltreatment on a Child
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ABSTRACT

This paper reviews child abuse and child maltreatment (both terms are used interchangeably in the text) that overviews the effects that child maltreatment may have on abused children when they reach adolescent and adult ages gathered from research that was gathered offline through books and personal experience and through online sources. Common abbreviations in the text are CDC which is Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and CPS which refers to Child Protective Services.

The Long Lasting Effects of Child Maltreatment on a Child Child maltreatment is often overlooked in all societies throughout the world. All around the world, children have been and/or are being physically, sexually, or emotionally abused. In some cultures, child abuse is considered politically correct because it is seen as a form of discipline that establishes parental authority. Though many Americans may frown down upon the idea of child maltreatment, there are other countries such as China, Japan, Singapore, Vietnam and Korea where it is socially acceptable. These cultural differences are part of what has enabled child maltreatment to go unnoticed for so long. Since there are many variations of definitions of child maltreatment, and different views on the topic throughout the world, I will focus mainly on child maltreatment within the United States. The issue with child maltreatment is able to continue because either the perpetrator does not realize the gravity of what he/she is doing or because it goes unreported. Even if someone is aware that child abuse is occurring in a home, he/she may experience internal issues with intervening because in more cases than not they have some sort of relationship with the abuser. Even if the abuse does get reported to Child Protective Services (CPS), the situation dissolves and the child is no longer being abused, the child can still develop traumatic effects that may follow him/her into adulthood. Children who are exposed to this type of violence are more at risk than those who are not exposed to it to develop issues such as behavioral issues, emotional issues, and psychological issues.
Defining Terms To better understand the term child maltreatment or child abuse, it must first be defined. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) define child abuse to be “any act or series of acts of commission (child abuse) or omission (child neglect) by a parent or other caregiver (e.g., clergy, coach, teacher) that results in the harm, potential for harm, or threat of harm to a child” . To have a mainstream definition for child abuse and maltreatment is important. The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act defined child abuse and neglect as so: “Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation” or; “An act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm”. These two definitions may vary because of wording, but they are very similar and restate one another in different terms. There are four major types of child abuse/maltreatment: Physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional/psychological abuse, and neglect. (Refer to Appendix A for more information on the different types of abuse).
Consequences
Some possible consequences that come from child abuse range from behavioral problems such as delinquency in the abused child during their adolescence to post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). There are limitations on the accuracy of this research due to the fact that the amount of child abuse that actually occurs goes under reported. Children who have been abused may experience certain types of difficulties during their adolescence. Studies have found abused and neglected children to be at least 25 percent more likely to experience problems such as delinquency, teen pregnancy, low academic achievement, drug use, and mental health problems Other studies suggest that abused or neglected children are more likely to engage in sexual risk-taking as they reach adolescence, thereby increasing their chances of contracting a sexually transmitted disease . Though these studies do not guarantee that all abused children will experience such deviances throughout their adolescence and adulthood, many will. A study sponsored by the National Institute of Justice followed cases from childhood to adulthood and compared the arrest records of those who were cases of maltreatment with a group who were not recorded as maltreated. Its findings showed that being abused or neglected as a child increased the likelihood of arrest as a juvenile by 53 percent and as a young adult by 38 percent. Substance abuse is another factor that can play a role in cases of child abuse. “My father was abused by his mother as a child, and in turn he also developed characteristics of an abuser once he had a family. Whenever my father went on his rampages, and physical escapades, he was always intoxicated . Parental substance abuse is reported to be a contributing factor for between one- and two-thirds of maltreated children in the child welfare system. There is no one set in stone type of behavior for those who are abused, and it’s not guaranteed that they will exhibit any type of odd behavior, but for those who do develop problems due to child abuse can exhibit behaviors such as: Low self-esteem, depression and anxiety, PTSD, suicide attempts, etc. .

Conclusion and Further Research More extensive research on this topic needs to be done in order for scientists, sociologists, and researchers to develop a better sense of understanding as to why certain individuals who are abused exhibit these types of behaviors, but why do not all abused children develop these behaviors. What needs to be discovered is why there is a difference between those who develop certain behavioral, mental, and emotional issues to those who do not develop these same issue but are also abused as children. Also, there are different variations of the definition child abuse, and that needs to be better defined, so that when anyone who refers to child abuse is using the same definition, or else there will be an inconsistency in the results found through future research. But to this day, I am able to draw a conclusion with the facts that I have gathered, that in most cases of child abuse (not all), the child will grow up to develop some type of issue such as mental, behavioral, or psychological due to the events that occurred to the child when he or she was abused.

Works Cited
Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2008). Definitions of Child Abuse and Neglect in Federal Law. Retrieved from Child Welfare Information Gateway: https://www.childwelfare.gov/can/defining/federal.cfm
Child Welfare Information Gateway, G. J. (2003). A Coordinated Response to Child Abuse and Neglect: The Foundation for Practice.
Lau, A. S. (2006). Parent-toChild Aggression Among Asian American Parents: Culture, Context, and Vulnerability (Vol. 68). Seattle: Blackwell Publishing Inc. Retrieved FEB 2, 2013, from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2006.00327.x/abstract
Rebecca T. Leeb, P. L. (2008). Injury Center: Violence Prevention. Retrieved from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/childmaltreatment/definitions.html
Tracy, N. (2012, OCT 17). Types of Child Abuse. Retrieved from Healthy Place: http://www.healthyplace.com/abuse/child-abuse-information/types-child-abuse/

Appendix A
Table 1
Four Major Types of Child Abuse/Maltreatment
Types of Child Abuse
Examples
Physical Child Abuse
Beating, slapping, or hitting.
Pushing, shaking, kicking, or throwing.
Pinching, biting, choking or hair-pulling.
Burning with cigarettes, scalding water, or other hot objects.
Severe physical punishment, etc.
Sexual Abuse
Fondling.
Violations of bodily privacy.
Exposing children to adult sexuality.
Commercial exploitation.
Emotional/Psychological Abuse
Rejection, scorning, terrorizing, isolating, corrupting or exploiting.
Absence of emotional response.
Neglect
Not providing one or more of the following:
Physical- food, shelter or supervision.
Medical- medical or mental health treatment.
Educational – such as a failure to educate the child or attend to special needs.
Emotional – such as failure to provide psychological care or permitting the child to use alcohol or other drugs.

Cited: Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2008). Definitions of Child Abuse and Neglect in Federal Law. Retrieved from Child Welfare Information Gateway: https://www.childwelfare.gov/can/defining/federal.cfm Child Welfare Information Gateway, G Tracy, N. (2012, OCT 17). Types of Child Abuse. Retrieved from Healthy Place: http://www.healthyplace.com/abuse/child-abuse-information/types-child-abuse/ Appendix A