Child abuse

Child abuse is the targeting of children for violence. It can often take the shape of using children for sexual purposes.

• ...child abuse is coercive: the abuser preys upon a child’s moral and intellectual helplessness. The abuser gets all the self-satisfaction he or she wants and in the process leaves the child with a life-long emotional scar of having been exposed to the manipulative aspects of life well before having developed healthy defense mechanisms to cope with such psychological assaults. The abuser walks away smacking his lips, and the child is left as bones for the garbage. [1]

Causes of Child Abuse

It goes without saying that use of illegal drugs and alcoholism can cause an adult to abuse a child. Two-thirds of all reported cases of child abuse involve an abuser who used drugs or alcohol. However, less obvious factors are suspected to influence an adults propensity towards child abuse. Adults who were abused as children are much more likely to abuse children themselves.

Effects of Child Abuse

The effects of physical violence on children are significant.

Children who are targets of sexual abuse suffer profound developmental changes as they grow into adults. Women who were abused as children are 3.8 times more likely to smoke cigarettes and indulge in other dangerous and harmful habits than women who were not abused. Men who are abused as children are ten times more likely to attempt suicide.

Child Abuse Law

In the United States, every medical and mental health professional who discovers evidence of child abuse in the course of performing their duties is required by law to report the suspected abuse to authorities. These laws also apply to social workers and teachers. In some states, these laws extend to clergy and attorneys, and in only 18 states, the mandatory reporting laws extends to anybody who discovers evidence of child abuse.