...Impact of Childhood Sexual Abuse Shobila Kaligounder Marymount University Introduction As per UNICEF’s (2014) definition, sexual violence against children comprises any sexual activities imposed by an adult on a child against which the child is entitled to protection by criminal law. This includes: (a) The inducement or coercion of a child to engage in any unlawful or psychologically harmful sexual activity; (b) The use of children in commercial sexual exploitation; (c) The use of children in audio or visual images of child sexual abuse; and (d) Child prostitution, sexual slavery, sexual exploitation in travel and tourism, trafficking for purposes of sexual exploitation (within and between countries), sale of children for sexual purposes and forced marriage. Sexual activities are also considered as abuse when committed against a child by another child if the offender is significantly older than the victim or uses power, threat or other means of pressure. Consensual sexual activities between children are not considered as sexual abuse if the children are older than the age limit defined by the State Party. In spite of a clear definition for child sexual abuse violence in the lives of children is so real and as an international community we do very little to protect them. There is also a dearth of data to prove the prevalence of violence due to the hidden nature of the abuse and gives a false notion that it is a rare occurrence. Children are vulnerable to sexual victimization...
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...With both parents struggling with drug abuse, Savannah was a victim and started using drugs at the age of ten. Consistently, she was taking pills, smoking marijuana, and drinking. Struggling with depression, bulimia, anorexia, and her parents’ physical and verbal abuse was demanding. In 2009, she ran away from home. At 15 years old, when the cops found her, her eyes were sunken in, her skin was black and blue and littered with cuts; she did not recognize herself. When Savannah entered the juvenile hall, sobriety began. At 18, she now works as a project coordinator for a drug recovery center (“True Story: Savannah”). Though Savannah's story ends well, this is not common for kids living with addicted parents. Ordinarily, kids from drug addicted parents do not end up in recovery, and often struggle with physical and psychological problems. Studies reveal, “25 percent of American kids grow up in households where substance abuse is present” (“Guide for Children of Addicted Parents”). Therefore, substance abuse affects children in numerous ways, including impacts of drug addiction, abusive parents, and involvement in rehabilitation programs. Similarly, substance abuse affects...
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...become conditioned to committing violent behavior. Society today tries to make excuses for the things they have messed up in their life, people try to blame their genetics on how they do things, but they do not understand that the experience in their lives contorts their opinions and how they react to things, “In many cases serial killings, the behavior is influenced by past experiences and backgrounds…” (Pandey). People's minds are shifted whenever abuse and past experiences sway them. Flashback is a psychology term used to describe someone experiencing a traumatic event and an object or emotion felt during the event will trigger the feelings and events of that time. For an example, if you were in a traumatizing car crash, the loud of of something being crushed or metal being dropped will trigger and bring back all the emotions from the original event. Children who have been through...
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...THE EFFECTS ABORTION HAS ON A WOMEN'S HEALTH By: Jane Doe Abortion can affect a woman’s health in many ways, such as: Suicide attempts, depression, eating disorders, alcohol/drug abuse, sexual dysfunction, child abuse, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Studies show that 75 percent of women who have an abortion are more likely to die within a year than women who chose to carry throughout the term (El). Though, that may not seem like much but it does consist of many women who are unhappy with the decision that they chose to make. Sometimes it is not even the decision that the women wants to make, they do it because their boyfriend or husband do not want the child and they fear that if they would keep the child than it would only cause problems in their relationships. This then causes women to have more suicidal attempts because of their decision that they chose to make. The decision may not cause the mental affect until after a couple months down the road after the abortion has happened. “The first and most pivotal is the abortion itself, which in many cases is more traumatic than usual human experience. The second criterion is re-experience, which causes women to remember the specifics of the experience; this may even include hallucinations, and often are spurred on the anniversary of the event. The third criterion is Avoidance, which is spurred on by guilt. This means that the woman avoids all things that would remind her of the event....
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...Introduction: Understanding abuse is quite hard, most of the people that are abused have no clue about what is being done to them hence, to study abuse it is very important that we understand what abuse is and the ways in which someone can abuse another individual. People who are being abused first of all do not know if they are a victim of abuse, also the ones who are being abusive do not understand what they are doing is wrong and effects the victim’s life in several ways. People think that violence or domestic violence is only when someone physically hits someone else, but there are other ways of abuse as well. Abuse can be physical, psychological, emotional or even sexual. There are different ways to define abuse, it also has different contexts and different types. Abuse can be defined as...
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...Events[->13] Advertise · [->14] · About Us [->15] · [->16] Child abuse on the rise, study shows By Kathryn Crandall[->17] contributing reporter Tuesday, October 9, 2012 · Share[->18] Tweet Discuss According to a recent study, child abuse is on the rise. Yale School of Medicine professor of pediatrics John Leventhal and Julie Gaither GRD ’14 have determined that cases of child abuse may have increased in the past decade. The results of their study, which was published in the November issue of the journal “Pediatrics,” show a 4.9 percent escalation in child abuse cases from 1997 to 2009. These results conflict with the data from an earlier study conducted by University of New Hampshire sociology professor David Finkelhor, which indicated a 55 percent decrease in instances of physical abuse of children in the United States from 1992 to 2009. Alice Forrester, executive director of the Clifford W. Beers Clinic child and family advocacy center, said she was “not surprised” by Leventhal’s results. Given the current state of the economy, Forrester said, many families face economic pressures, which can lead to yelling and domestic violence. The studies completed by Leventhal and Finkelhor differ in several ways, most notably in their data collection techniques. Finkelhor considered “substantiated cases of physical abuse” -— cases which have undergone legal review by...
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...that of a violent mind than in the average mind can stem from a multitude of reason but the majority can be traced back to one time period in the individual's life, their childhood. Instances in childhood such as abuse and trauma whether stemming from parental cause or other factors deeply impact the impressionable children (Salvatore 1). Parents who expose kids to physical and verbal abuse and have a history of substance abuse cause trauma to an impressionable child's mind forming future violent and criminal tendencies Exposure to physical and verbal abuse...
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...Content The issue of child abuse and neglect is serious, controversial, and is escalating in today’s society. Many people are not aware, but child abuse is rampant in our society. Many child abuse and neglect cases go unreported because a person may not know the signs and symptoms of child abuse and neglect or perhaps the person or person may feel that this is an private issue and needs to be handle with in the home and no outsiders should be involved. Without the proper awareness of child abuse and neglect and the involvement of everyone this issue will continue to raise our eyebrows. In researching this topic, a title came up labeled "It shouldn't hurt to be a child". The title itself speaks volume when it comes to how our little children feel as it happens too often; it is little too late to for that young child who still have so much life ahead of them. Just goggling “child abuse cases” several came up whether it was a news article or a scholar article on child abuse prevention. This type of mistreatment towards our youth does have potential for youth to become juvenile delinquents. The problem is that the youth learns that behavior of child neglect and abuse is okay and acceptable because the one person they believe who loved them unconditional was this way toward them. It’s unfortunately that it may be too late before the youth realize this behavior should not be tolerate or acceptable and it set the child and family up for failure. The child behavior can lead to deviancy...
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...Child Sexual Abuse in the United States and Its Long Term Effects Abstract This will be a paper to demonstrate the staggering number of sexual abuse cases in the United States and its long term effects on children and adults. My interest in this topic is due to the fact that I have been sexually abused as a child and have been researching about the long term effects in people who do not come forward with this problem. Many people have been able to recover from the damaging effects of sexual abuse, however, many still suffer from past memories and present debilitations. This paper aims to expose 5 facts about sexual abuse in children as well as statistics, adverse effects, prevention strategies, how homosexuality can be traced back to child abuse, how to recognize if your child has been abused, and reasons why people abuse children. I will also share some of my personal experiences in order to help the reader understand the damaging effect that child sex abuse has on a child and how it evolves into worse acts if not treated quickly. Child Sexual Abuse in the United States and its Long Term Effects Child sexual abuse is a form of abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual purposes. These purposes can range from sexual activity regardless of outcome, exposure to pornographic materials, and even to produce child pornography. It is the one crime that can occur anywhere whether it be school, playgrounds, work, and home. In a way, children who are abused...
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...Historically, the symbolic definition of the ‘home’ represents a sanctuary and safe haven from the negative pressures and forces present in society. The ideology of home represents a sacred and consecrated institution which is responsible for providing individuals with refuge and safety. Often, the concept of home is broader than a physical dwelling, and encompasses an emotional characteristic, which often rids individuals of their worldly cares and reinforces their focus on the people and things they love. Since, it is widely regarded that humans, specifically children, are creatures of habit, the state of one’s home has been known to physiologically influence their behavior, emotions, and overall mental and physical health (Leichsenring, 2003). More specifically, the home provides a basis for enculturation, where it establishes the grounds for accepted norms and values within a social framework; dictating what is culturally permissible within this social setting. For children, the enculturation into the guidelines, rituals, expectations and social practices and assumptions present within the home, orients them, by providing a sense of acceptance, belonging and reality. Typically, the widespread assumptions of safety, protection and wellbeing for children are often associated with the dynamic between the family and home. However, recent revelations indicate that the home is increasingly becoming the grounds for the physical victimization of children. Children being vulnerable...
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...Specifically, we will be looking at childhood abuse and the ties to the abused children growing up to be domestic abusers. Understanding the ties between the two topics may give us a better understanding of the chances for children who are abused growing up to commit domestic violence acts. It will also give us a general idea as to how we may be able to help these children when they are younger as to prevent domestic violence in the future. According to "Child Welfare Information Gateway" (2010) The Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) (42 U.S.C.A. § 5106g), as amended by the CAPTA Reauthorization Act of 2010, defines child abuse and neglect as, at minimum: “Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker that 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." This definition of child abuse and neglect refers specifically to parents and other caregivers. A "child" under this definition means a person who is younger than age 18 or who is not an emancipated minor (para. 1). The basis for the background to this problem is the fact that there is a common belief in the cycle of violence and child abuse. It is said that there is not enough supporting research to back up the “cycle” theory. The main question that will be addressed is, was the person that was jailed for domestic violence abused as a child? Some issues that may emerge from...
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...Running Head: EXAMINING CHILD ABUSE & FOSTER CARE Examining Different Types of Child Abuse and the Effects of Foster Care Kelsey D. Hill Northeast Alabama Community College Abstract All children have the right to live in an environment free from abuse and neglect. According to Muda & Alwi (2012), “The safety of children is the paramount concern that must guide child protection efforts”. There are four main types of abuse: Physical, sexual, emotional, and neglect. Physical abuse and emotional abuse are similar and different in many ways. Physical abuse can be seen on the outside of a child, while emotional abuse is more of a mental abuse and can harm a child majorly. This paper examines abuse and factors that may help children who are abused. Examining Different Types of Child Abuse and the Effects of Foster Care There are several different types of abuse that undeniably occur in children. Physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect are the four main forms of abuse. Abuse can physically and mentally abuse a person permanently. A child’s development stage is the most crucial and needs serious attention from parents as well as teachers in order to assure their growth into healthy and mature adults (Noh & Wan, 2012). One of the factors that may hamper a child’s growth is child abuse. It could cause serious emotional effects to a child throughout their lifetime. Although some children would disagree, foster care and human resources could...
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...What differences are present between day and evening care? Day care is caring for children during the day until the early afternoon, while evening care is taking care of the kids overnight while their parents are working overtime. How do regulations differ for child-care facilities compared to family daycare homes? The caregiver might not be a professional child-care provider but possibly a good trusted friend, family member, or a next-door neighbor who provides full- or part-time care for a single family. However, a family daycare home may be eligible to become a licensed daycare home in some states if the operator decides that this would be beneficial What are the types of abuse and what do they include? Physical abuse is the most obvious...
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...Elder abuse is a type of abuse pushed upon a certain grouping of the population and in that regard can be compared to child abuse/couple violence. To fully comprehend and understand elder abuse, it demands in many ways its own sociological viewpoint, separate from the other types of abuse that specified parts of the population are subjected to. Some of the issues surrounding elder abuse that is reminiscent of the past studies of abuse, such as the difficulty in finding a universally accepted definition. Within the text it describes the lack of cohesion between agencies as the reason for the hold on new legislation protecting elders from this abuse. The definition provided by the American Psychological Association is as follows; “Elder abuse is the infliction of physical, emotional, or psychological harm on an older adult. Elder abuse can take the form of financial exploitation or intentional or unintentional neglect of an older adult by the caregiver” (Barnett, Miller-Perrin, Perrin 2011). This definition in comparison with other agencies is a little...
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...Child Abuse Child abuse has many forms; one of its most common forms is sexual abuse. This form is when an adult, either a loved one or a complete stranger, takes advantage of a weak child in order to satisfy his own sexual needs. It can be either physical or visual and that is by forcing him/her to watch pornography. Child sexual abuse has been scattering all over the world. Every day, cases of child sexual abuse are reported to authorities vastly. In North America, 20 to 30% of men and women were sexually abused as kids, (Whealin, 2007). Some people, all around the universe, do not know the effects of it and what it causes for the next generation. However, those effects can be prevented easily yet patiently. Those ways are awareness, rationalism, and therapy. First, awareness plays an essential role in preventing CSA. Parents, acting as abusers, must be aware of the fact that what they’re doing might not only affect the child’s personality, but also affect the way he/she will react in certain incidents in the future. The child, not knowing right from wrong, will perform the same actions his/her parents did and will cause trouble for both himself/herself and others. Eventually, the abused child will get into trouble such as rape and the most common which is teenage pregnancy, Ethiop (1998). With time, 60% of teens that have been sexually abused, became pregnant (Berglas, Brindis, and Cohen, pg.16). Most teens, whichever boys or girls have at least gotten pregnant or gotten...
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