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What is Child Abuse?
What are the consequences of child abuse?Apart from the physical injuries such as bruises, welts, lacerations and fractures, child abuse has both immediate and long-term consequences for children. Child abuse may lead to failure to thrive, cognitive impairment, delays in reaching developmental milestones, poor school performance, highly aggressive behaviours, and poor relationships. There is evidence to suggest that children who have been abused are also at greater risk of self harm and suicide, substance abuse, criminal activity, and mental health disorders later in life. Furthermore, there is an increased likelihood of the cycle of violence continuing, with abuse towards their own children or spouse. Who abuses children?There is no one common group of persons more commonly classified as perpetrators of child abuse. An above average income or a good education is no guarantee against abuse. Neither does it follow that disadvantaged families are more disposed to abuse their children. The causes are multiple, encompassing the individual personality of the abuser as well as their health, social, economic and environmental situation. Physical abuse often happens in a moment of anger. It is very rarely a premeditated event. Often the anger is misplaced to the child from some other stress in the abusers life. Most people who abuse children do not see themselves as abusers or what they do as abusive. Most people who abuse children wrongly argue that it was for the child's own good or that it was a helpful learning part of the child's upbringing. What are the warning signs?Caring for young babies is demanding and requires a great deal of skill and patience. A real challenge is that babies can't talk and are unable to tell parents what they need. Instead, babies communicate by crying. Constant crying, particularly at night, can be stressful. Parents who are tired themselves may feel overwhelmed and not know how to soothe their baby. Sadly, crying is one of the main triggers for shaking or otherwise assaulting an infant. It is important to understand that all parents feel uncertain and frustrated at times, but this is no excuse to rough handle a baby. There are services that can assist parents who are having difficulty settling babies or dealing with the demands of caring for a young child. A good place to start is your local child health clinic, where trained staff can provide you with useful information and practical tips on parenting young infants. What is shaken baby syndrome?Shaken baby syndrome is a type of inflicted traumatic brain injury that happens when a baby is violently shaken. A baby has weak neck muscles and a large, heavy head. Shaking makes the fragile brain bounce back and forth inside the skull and causes bruising, swelling, and bleeding, which can lead to permanent, severe brain damage or death. Injuries may not be immediately noticeable. Symptoms of shaken baby syndrome include:
Shaken baby injuries usually occur in children younger than 2 years old, but may be seen in children up to the age of 5. What is domestic and family violence?Domestic and family violence is any of the following acts that a person commits against another person if a domestic relationship exists between the 2 persons and includes wilful injury; wilful damage to the other person's property; intimidation or harassment of the other person; indecent behaviour to the other person without consent or a threat to commit an act mentioned. The person committing the domestic violence need not personally commit the act or threaten to commit it. How does domestic violence affect children?Children need warm, caring and safe environments. Environments where there is violence, uncertainty and fear are not safe and these are bad environments for children to grow up in. Ongoing and abusive parental conflict actually has a worse effect on a child's development and adjustment than separation and divorce. Children who have witnessed domestic and family violence will be affected in different ways, influenced by the age of the child, their gender, and the frequency and intensity of the violence. Witnessing domestic and family violence includes both seeing and hearing the violence occurring. Some of the ways children can react to domestic and family violence include:
There is also the possibility of long-term negative effects. Often these children grow into adults and take the same path as their parents and become either victims or perpetrators of domestic and family violence themselves. What is neglect?Neglect is the failure to provide a child with the basic necessities of life-food, clothing, shelter, emotional security, medical and dental care, and adequate supervision needed for the child's optimal growth and development.
Last Updated: 1 August 2007 |
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