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How to Help Parents Recognize the Signs of Possible Child Abuse
Did you know that in every 10 seconds there is a report of child abuse (Loyola University Health System [LUHS] Par. 1)? The US records around 1600 deaths of children due to abuse (LUHS Par. 1). Child abuse is fatal and includes physical violence, emotional mistreatment, sexual vand neglect. While children hardly report abuse due to fear and threats from abusers, there are signs which parents can see to hypothesize and, therefore seek more clarification about child abuse. All forms of child abuse leave lasting wounds, psychological or physical, which impairs abilities to perform different duties, senses of self and relationships with others and which serves as symptoms of abuse. I will explore ways through which parents can identify impaired abilities to perform duties, senses of self and relationships with others to assume child abuse.
Abused children have difficulties in performing appropriate duties to their age, both physical and psychological due to injured body and mind. Physical child abuses leave children with injuries and fractures, which might affect their ability to work, write and even carry out home duties (Cirik 109). Some of those injuries might be observable while others are not. However, in most cases, children will have no or unmatched explanations due to fear and threats from the abuser, for example, a relative. Psychological abuse, for example, neglect and threats aloes affect their abilities to perform regular duties because their mind is preoccupied. Such children will perform poorly in academics and even physical activities than usual without proper explanation.
Children who experience abuse lose the sense of self to show interest or lack of interest in everything without discrimination. Abuse on children makes them lose interest in their life which manifests in showing no specific likes and dislikes, although they in most cases, hates almost everything (Cirik 109). Such children will over comply, or, become too or less responsible. The extremist behaviours are a result of lack of love for one specific activity or object which indicates lost interest in life. Such children have no particular goals in life due to the feeling of lost hopes as they perceive threats from the abuse.
Abused children also lose their relationship with all or a specific group of people, for example, men or women. Child abuse makes them develop the perception that such a group of people who abuses them are naturally a threat (LUHS Par. 3). The children also perceive threat every time they see or come closer to any person from the category of the abuser, for example, men. Perception of threat and thoughts that such class of people are naturally dangerous makes children restrict themselves from the group. They will, for example, attend school very early and leave late as they fear to associate with, for example, the father or mother. They can also start associating with the opposite gender more.
In conclusion, it is good to remember that child abuse is fatal and can permanently impair children physical and mental abilities. Although children hardly report such cases, parents have a responsibility to assess harm and provide the necessary help. Parents can assume abuse since almost all symptoms of an injury is observable. Abused children will change their relationship with some people because of the perception that they are naturally dangerous for example, men in case of rape. The children also show the inability to preform usually as the abusers injure their body or mind. I recommend that parents be close to their children to identify any changes in behaviours and hence, seek justice as they support through the recovery process.
Works Cited
Cirik, Vildan. “Preventing child abuse and neglect.” New Trends and Issues Proceedings on Humanities and Social Sciences 4.2 (2017): 108-113.
Loyola University Health System [LUHS]. “Recognizing the Signs of Child Abuse and how to help Prevent it.” Sciencedaily.com., 2015. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/04/150407102036.htm. 10 Ju. 2018.