2
According to the federal law, child abuse defines an act or failure to act which results in either death, sexual molestation, physical injury, or emotional harm to a minor. On the other hand, the state of Illinois describes the vice as, a maltreatment of an individual under the age of 18 by a guardian, parent, caregiver, or a person residing in the same household.
3
Family support approaches include parenting training, home visitations. And family preservation services. Health service approaches include personnel training and screening programs. Therapeutic strategies include services for victims, programs for kids who witness home violence, and services for recovering adults. Legal remedies include voluntary reporting, child protection, fatality review, and prosecution. Community-based efforts include school programs, educational campaigns, and national policies.
4
Nurses collaborate with other community workers to ensure people receive adequate healthcare and social services. They understand the needs of children and caregivers and share them with medical administrators. They also work closely with households to mobilize resources and to plan on services like home visits, fatality screening, anticipatory guidance, and evidence-based home screening.
5
The factors that increase a child’s vulnerability to abuse include age, sex, special characteristics, family size and composition, history of abuse, and family characteristics, to name a few. Thus, specific traits of children and the nature of families are the most significant contributors of abuse. Also, social-economic factors like poverty, unemployment, and age of parents are also notable determinants of child abuse.
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All forms of child maltreatment can have life-long consequences. Thus, detection strategies have to overcome various technical bottlenecks. Identification of child abuse includes assessing risk factors for the practice and screening for specific maltreatment injuries.
7
Signs and symptoms depend can vary on the type of abuse, and warning signs don’t necessarily define abuse. Victims of physical abuse typically depict symptoms like unexplained bruises and injuries that fail to match explanations.
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Signs of emotional abuse include deprived self-esteem, social withdrawal, loss of developmental skills, avoidance of particular situations, and an unusual need for affection.
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Parents who are likely to abuse their children often send red flags. The behavioral signs include, a minimal concern for a child’s wellbeing, excessive physical discipline, conflicting explanations for a child’s injuries, and inability to identify distress in a child.
10
The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services is responsible for handling cases of child abuse. Everyone can report issues of ongoing or previous injuries on children through the hotline (1.800.25. ABUSE). Notably, the state urges citizens to report such cases to police officers first before reaching children protection agencies.
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Mandated reporters in Illinois are required to inform the DCFS on any cases of child abuse in various areas. They grouped into various categories that include school staff, social service personnel, coroner, child care staff, and police officers.
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The state of Illinois provides various treatment resources for both victims of child abuse and caregivers. They include, special care programs, resident treatment programs, family-based services, and support groups.
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Some of the collaborative resources found in Illinois include Service integration, cross-problem interventions, and community-change interventions. All these strategies require collaboration from various institutions, authorities, and members of society.
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The Illinois Children Justice Task Force oversees various multi-disciplinary teams and plans and enforces principles. Other integrated institutions include child support services, medical protection teams, prosecution teams, and advocacy agencies. All partners have clear cut responsibilities that aid in the treatment and prevention of child abuse.
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In Illinois, every citizen is responsible for reporting child abuse cases provided they have credible evidence. State officials urge citizens to first report to police officers before seeking help from child protection agencies.
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According to the state of Illinois, child abuse is defined as maltreatment of minors, which could be inflicted by parents, guardians, caregivers, or persons residing in the same household. Also, abuse can be either, physical, emotional, or neglect.
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Sexual abuse victims in Illinois can access help from designated treatment centers located in different cities and regions. On the other hand, physical abuse victims can be aided in domestic violence and specialized day care centers
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A child’s age is a significant determiner of the type and degree of abuse, be it physical, sexual, or emotional. Most fatal cases of physical abuse are recorded on young infants, some of which lead to death. On the other hand, most sexual abuse cases are inflicted at the onset of puberty and during adolescence. Nonetheless, infants are also prone to be subjected to all types of abuse.
References
Archdiocese of Chicago. (2020). Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect in Illinois. Retrieved from Archdiocese of Chicago: https://protect.archchicago.org/making-a-report/reporting-child-abuse-and-neglect-in-illinois1
Ben Mathews, R. P., Dunne, M. P., Simunovic, M., & Marston, C. (2020). Improving measurement of child abuse and neglect: A systematic review and analysis of national prevalence studies. PLoS ONE, 15(1).
Child Welfare. (2020). Definitions of Child Abuse and Neglect in Federal Law. Retrieved from Child Welfare: https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/can/defining/federal/