Zoya Tahir Shah & Umm-e-Iqra
The early recognition of child abuse in society tendencies and intervention at the point of recognition is the only way to avoid the liability of criminal prosecution.
These descriptions may help you identify abuse and all its forms. You will also find information about what you can do if you observe child abuse or if you are a parent dealing with problems that are straining your capacity to cope with the parenting experience.
If you think you are acting in an abusive way or are having a difficult time with your children or yourself as a parent. You may have identified a tendency to be abusive. These tendencies can include the following:
•Excessive and loud verbal confrontation.
•More corporal punishment than is needed.
•Sexual feelings or feelings of anger about children that you sense are wrong and that you have not acted out yet.
Tendencies can be treated more effectively than the frank abusive behaviour that can evolve from a tendency. You will want to seek help early to avoid the tendency evolving into a criminal act of abuse.
If you observe child abuse in others, you are obligated to report the abuse to the police or medical authorities.
Child abuse at a young age affect brain development and bring sudden changes in personality grooming of child .
It has been observed and reported by many independent organisations that minor of our society faced with the challenge of the looming threat of child abuse.
All of us know that abuse of a minor harms his or her personality. It can be physical, emotional, and sexual or neglect.
All have different characteristics with various repercussions not only for children but this evil engulf overall society.
In many case child abuse can be caused by family members and even parents, ecological causes or child problems.
Families with emotional deprivation, unaware of difference between discipline and abuse, and isolated from the community have been pinpointed in many researches.
Teenage or single parents also can harm their children because they lack experience in raising children. Ecological causes which are related to the environment surrounding the child.
For example, poverty, overcrowding, substance abuse, and problems in marriage.
Child causes include child disability and requirement of special needs.
Child abuse has great impact on child’s life, damaging a child’s, self-esteem, ability to have healthy relationships, and ability to function at home, and work and at school. Child abuse in one of the major issues that bring the attention of entire nation.
Several organizations formed because it is not just an individual or familial problem.
It takes different forms, physical or psychological maltreatment of children. According to the centers for disease control and prevention (CDC) define child abuse as”any acts or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or other caregiver that results in harm, potential for harm, or threat off harm to a child”
Forms of Child Abuse
Physical abuse that is one of the major parts of abuse can be defined as any non-accidental injury to a child. This includes hitting, kicking, slapping, shaking, burning, pinching, hair pulling, biting and choking. Next is emotional abuse or in other words attitude or behaviour which interferes with a child’s mental health or social development. This includes yelling, screaming, name-calling, negative comparisons to others or saying that they are “bad, no good and worthless” or “a mistake”. The third part is sexual abuse that means any sexual act between an adult and child. This can be considered as Pornography, exhibitionism, child prostitution, group sex, Oral se, or forced observation of sexual acts. And the last one is neglect. It means failure to provide for a child’s physical needs.
Child sexual abuse includes any activity that uses a child to create sexual gratification either in you or in others. Although the touching of children as a sign of affection and for hygiene is considered normal and necessary, there is a way to distinguish normal touching from child sexual abuse. The key is the intention by the perpetrator to be sexually aroused by the activity or the intention to create sexual arousal in others. The intent to use children in any way to create sexual arousal is illegal.
This is criminal behaviour that is aggressively prosecuted and severely punished by our legal system.
Emotional abuse is a pattern of behavior that impaired a child’s emotional development.
This may include constant criticism, threats or rejection as well as with holding love, support and love.
Emotional abuse can be difficult to pin down because there are no physical signs to look for.
Emotional abuse generally occurs when the yelling and anger go too far or when a parent constantly threatens or dismisses a child until a child’s feelings are broken.
Neglect is defined as a type of maltreatment that refers to the failure to provide needed ago appropriate age. Neglect can be physical and educational. Physical neglect included not providing adequate food or clothing appropriate medical care and proper weather protection such as protection from rain and heat from sun. While educational neglect included failure to provide appropriate schooling or special educational needs and allowing excessive truancies.
Prevention of child abuse
Child abuse is prevented, first, through awareness, then early detection and intervention.
Protecting children from abuse is the first and foremost concern of police and child protection authorities.
The Education of kids to recognize inappropriate behaviour (sexual and physical) and report possible abuse at its earliest stages to their parents or family will help children avoid Being abused, save families from dysfunctional interactions, identify real abusers almas immediately to law enforcement and help in the early identification of family members with abusive tendencies before a criminal act occurs.
To prevent abuse by changing the behaviour of the abuser (whether they are a loved one or a friend), tendencies to be abusive must be identified behaviour any actual abuse takes place.
Once a tendency is identified, the best hope for treating this serious mental disorder in behavioural counselling.
