An Overview of Child Abuse and the Different
Categories that Comprise this Abuse
ABSTRACT:
Child abuse negatively affects many children’s lives and their health. This research focuses on the different forms and effects of child abuse. Studies and research show that children can be victims of child abuse other than physical abuse. Through this research, it is evident that there is much more to child abuse than just physical abuse. Some children experience more than one form of abuse and this can cause trauma and affect their health in their lifetime. This research will inform audiences of the different forms of child abuse and the effects that each has on children.
INTRODUCTION:
Child abuse has many different forms. It can include: emotional abuse, where children are called hurtful names by parents or other family members; sexual abuse, which includes molestation or rape; physical abuse, which includes being beat, bruised or injured. The fourth type is neglect where children have parents that do not pay attention or do not feed them. This issue is important because it affects many children and can negatively affect a child's health or lead to death. This research will discuss the different forms of abuse and their effects on a child.
AIM:
The goal of this research is to inform individuals about child abuse and the different forms that impact children.
METHOD:
This research offers a literature review on different categories of child abuse. The community chosen for this topic is nationwide. Four peer reviewed journals were searched on the topic of child abuse on the national level using the ProQuest and EBSCOhost databases.
RESULTS:
Research shows that emotional abuse can be referred to by different names such as mental cruelty, mental injury, and psychological abuse. Parents can abuse their children emotionally by blaming their child for things over which the child has no control, reject the child, and verbally express and nonverbally convey wishes that the child had never been born. Parents may take no interest in the child's activities or problems. Children who experience emotional abuse may show low self-esteem, be anxious, have difficulty forming relationships, and exhibit compulsive behavior patterns.
Sexual abuse includes different acts such as molestation, rape, sex crime, and sexual assault. Victims of sexual abuse can also experience unwanted kissing or touching. Effects of sexual abuse include an inability to have healthy relationships. Victims of sexual abuse also participate in acts of delinquency and make up a high percentage of runaways.
Neglect or abuse can be referred to by different names such as neglectful supervision, medical neglect, and physical neglect. Abandonment, a lack of parental responsibility, and failure to protect a child are also recognized forms of neglect and