Child maltreatment, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is “all types of abuse and neglect of a child under the age of 18 by a parent, caregiver, or another person in a custodial role,” which includes physical, sexual, and emotional abuse ("Injury prevention”). Child maltreatment occurs in all types of households and affects millions of children. The types of abuse may be committed by either one or both of the parents. Biological parents made 80% of the perpetrators in child maltreatment (U.S. Department of Health, 2009). Child maltreatment has an impact on the victims throughout their lives.
In adolescence, child maltreatment changes the child in ways that may not have happened if they were not abused or neglected. The outlook on life for maltreated children tends to be more negative than other children (Trickett & al., 2011, p. 9). These children are also more likely to be “disliked, physically and verbally aggressive, withdrawn, and less pro-social” than other children (Trickett & al., 2011, p. 6). Peers of these children also notice the difference in their personalities and rate them as aggressive and less cooperative (Trickett & al., 2011, p. 6). Maltreatment is also shown to be a risk factor to delinquent behavior and drug use in adolescence (Trickett & al., 2011, p. 10).
Effects of child maltreatment are shown in adults. These effects may not be seen at first, but after time they become apparent. Psychiatric disorders are common with victims of child maltreatment. Over 75% of adults who were victims of child maltreatment have at least one disorder, and around half of the adults have three or more (Impact of child abuse). Along with psychiatric disorders, adults who were victims of child maltreatment have higher chances of having chronic pain, depression, eating disorders, sexual dysfunction, unintended pregnancy, or abusing their own children (Newton, 2001).
Child maltreatment causes harm to more than just the victim. The effects of the treatment to the child impacts the other children they interact with at school. There is also an impact on the victim’s spouse when they are an adult, whether it is abuse or marital issues. The impact the treatment has on the victim’s children is very unfortunate because many times the cycle of victimization continues. Understanding the effects of child maltreatment is a step to finding a way to help the victim cope and stop the abuse from taking over their life.
Reference
Impact of child abuse. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.asca.org.au/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=11
Injury prevention & control: violence prevention. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/childmaltreatment/.
Newton, C.j. (2001, April). Child abuse: an overview. Retrieved from http://www.findcounseling.com/journal/child-abuse/survivors-childhood-abuse.html
Trickett, P. , Negriff, S. , Ji, J. , & Peckins, M. (2011). Child maltreatment and adolescent development. Journal of Research on Adolescence (Blackwell Publishing Limited), 21(1), 3-20.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, (2009). Child maltreatment 2009 Washington, DC: Retrieved from http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/pubs/cm09/cm09.pdf.
Child maltreatment is a horrible problem that defiantly affects a large group of people. It is not only an issue the victim must deal with, but also those around them. All the points you brought up are valid, but I would like to add one of the biggest issues of child maltreatment is the cycle of violence it brings. When a person is victimized as a child proven that they are more likely to victimize their own children, thus continuing the cycle of violence.
ReplyDeleteWhen I thought of the term child maltreatment, I guess I thought too narrow mindedly and always thought of like child neglect and malnourishment. As child malnourishment fits into the idea of maltreatment, child maltreatment appears to be much more. Additionally, I did not realize “75%” of children who were victims of child maltreatment developed one or more problems. Also, I did not realize some of these issues were problems such as eating disorders and unintended pregnancy. I do believe those who were abused as a children grow up to have problems with their children and marriage.
ReplyDeleteKasondra S, I agree that victims of child maltreatment are more likely to continue the cycle of violence.
ReplyDeleteChild Please, I also did not realize that child maltreatment covered such a broad spectrum of abuse and neglect, but it does make sense that all of them could be studied together because they have many of the same impacts on a person.