Nguyen 1

Kenny Nguyen

Malcolm Campbell

English 1102

November 3, 2018

Why Child Abuse is an Important Topic to Talk About Commented [1]: Maybe make a more original title or
one that is not so straightforward smh

Imagine coming home from a hard day at school and fearing every action you make.
Children everywhere suffer from abuse from their parents daily. Child abuse is still a huge issue
at this day and age. According to CPS agencies from Foundations for Youth, there were an
estimated 3.6 million referrals involving about 6.6 million children. This proves that we need to
focus more efforts into minimizing the frequency of child abuse. While child abuse is a sensitive
Commented [2]: I would suggest giving a real life story
of someone interviewed for having gone through this
Commented [3]: add more between these two
sentences. Like more description on the life that child
may experience
Commented [4]: Child protective services?
Commented [5]: As Hoa said, I would suggest defining
the acronym before using it in your paper. According to
Child Protective Services, CPS, .....

topic to talk about, we must address it in order to improve it. Find the solution for child abuse Commented [6]: Change this to, "Finding the
solution..."
involves finding the exact cause of the problem. Commented [7]: cmon now
Commented [8]: also this is a fragment
While child abuse can be physical, there can also be emotional abuse. Emotional abuse Commented [9]: what in the world is this
Commented [10]: good setup for problem-solution
can sometimes be more detrimental than physical abuse. Long-term effects may include paper.

depression and mental health issues. According to the World Health Organization, more than 300

million people are affected by depression worldwide. Depression is a long-term emotional

response to challenges in everyday life. Children across the world have been exposed to some Commented [11]: State the source to give you this
definition
sort of depression throughout their life. Even when the abuse stops, children usually suffer from Commented [12]: This is a great opportunity to give a
statistic on the increase of mental health issues in
youths
post trauma. This can change their personalities for the rest of their lives. While the effects of
Commented [13]: Speaking on Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder would be good here
child abuse can be major, there are ways to completely recover from this traumatic experience. It
Commented [14]: go more in depth of the impacts
after
starts with finding the source of the problem.
Commented [15]: You stated the problem, but you
retract that with the last sentence, saying that we still
need to search for the REAL problem.
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Different Types of Abuse

Not all situations of child abuse are the same. There are different types of abuse they

occur. Physical abuse occurs when the abuser physically injures a child. This can lead up to

bruises, broken bones, and even death. However, this type of abuse is the easiest to defect as Commented [16]: lmao

there could be scars and bruises showing on the skin. Sexual abuse is caused when there is any

sexual activity with a child. Emotional abuse is injuring the child mental state. This includes the

child’s self-esteem or their emotional well-being. According to Radford, l. at the Child abuse and Commented [17]: I would suggest giving examples of
different types of emotional abuse that people live
through
neglect in the UK today, 1 in 14 children have experienced emotional abuse by a parent or
Commented [18]: what is this for?
guardian. This type of abuse is the most common. Commented [19]: I think u cited this wrong
Commented [20]: lowercase
Other types of abuse include Neglect and medical abuse. Neglect is a failure to provide Commented [21]: good inclusion of external source
and tying up the explanation of abuse
the essential resources for a child to survive and grow. This includes food, shelter, supervision or Commented [22]: lowercase

education. Medical abuse means that someone accuses a child about an illness they don’t have. Commented [23]: fragment, i think

This puts the child at risk for injury as they are forced to receive unnecessary medical care. This Commented [24]: Something to note, it seems to me
you use the word "this" repeatedly in your writing. See
if you can look into some other ways to state what
is the least common type of child abuse. youre trying to say.

Commented [25]: weird blank space.

The Causes of Child Abuse

Child abuse does not happen out of anywhere. There are reasons as to why a person Commented [26]: maybe try "nowhere"?
Commented [27]: I would also suggest using the word
abuses the child. Parents who abuse their child have in most cases, been abused themselves as a nowhere

child. According to Health24, some key characteristics of these parents are low self-esteem, low

intelligence, hostility, drug or alcohol abuse. Substance abuse is becoming a major problem

within the topic of parents abusing their child. Drug or alcohol abuse is one of the major reasons

why there are dysfunctional families. Within dysfunctional families come violence and child
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abuse. Chris Prentiss from The Alcoholism and Addiction Cure said the “When people who Commented [28]: This doesn't really flow
Commented [29]: I would suggest changing this to say
believe themselves to be addicts or alcoholics come under great stress or trauma, they mentally "said that "when people..."

give themselves permission to drink or use drugs as a remedy.” This can a problem as alcohol Commented [30]: Check on it, but I think the period
should be on the outside of the quote
may exaggerate one’s anger and violent, accelerating the problem. Commented [31]: This is fine, period is inside.

A lack of knowledge in knowing how to raise a child may cause unrealistic expectations,

which may lead to major disapproval. Without knowing how to deal with problematic situations

with the child, there next plan of action is to conduct violent actions toward the child, leading to

child abuse.

Factors That Lead Up to Child Abuse

There are other situations that may cause child abuse. Situations such as unwanted

pregnancy and physical illness. Some children are more vulnerable to abuse. Some factors

include age, physical or mental state, and emotional development. The lower the age, the higher Commented [32]: I would suggest trying to find a way
to make this flow better
the chance of them being abused due to there size and maturity. Children who are “different” due

to a disability or are socially isolated are at higher risk of abuse. A child who does not have a

close relationship with family members and does not have friends may be susceptible to abuse

from strangers.

Life changing situations of the family can cause abuse. Situations such as marriage,

domestic violence, and unemployment. This situation increases the stress and tension of a family. Commented [33]: I think it would flow better if written
differently.
Families with these factors tend to have little social interaction and low responsiveness to

positive behavior.
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Another factor that may cause child abuse is the environment the child is in. While some

children conform and adjust to the cultures and societies they live in, some children are not

capable or comfortable in conforming. This can cause bullying and abuse. Commented [34]: Give some examples

Effects of Child Abuse

The effects of child abuse and range depending on the severity of the situation. Physical

effects are immediate and can be minor. Some examples are bruises and cuts. Sometimes the

effects and be major and permanent, such as broken bones or death. Physical effects, however,

are more noticeable and can be more easily reported. Mental or emotional effects and be long-

term and difficult to cure or overcome. According to Child Welfare, children abused and

neglected have shown to cause important regions of the brain to suffer from slower development.

This can affect the way the child learns and focus. These children have a persistent fear state and

cannot function properly. NSCAW researchers found that children with substantiated reports of

maltreatment were at risk for severe developmental and cognitive problems, including grade

repetition (ACF/OPRE, 2012b). Commented [35]: Look at this paragraph again. Some
short choppy sentences make it somewhat harder to
read at some points.
Childhood trauma from both physical and emotional abuse can cause personality

disorder, depression, anxiety, and other disorders. One study using ACE data found that roughly

54 percent of cases of depression and 58 percent of suicide attempts in women were connected to

adverse childhood experiences (Felitti & Anda, 2009). Children who suffer from neglect, are

more likely to develop antisocial traits and can follow with them until adulthood.

Are There Any Treatments and Ways to Prevent Child Abuse?

There are treatments help both the abuser and the child. It is important to make sure that

safely ensured for both sides. If the child shows sign of an injury, they should seek immediate
 Nguyen 5

medical help. Finding a treatment for a post-traumatic event is more difficult. Meeting a mental

health professional can help the child learn to trust a person again. The child can be taught about

normal behavior and relationships while boosting their self-esteem. While therapy can help the

child, it can also help the parent or abuser. They can find the source of the abuse and learn ways

to cope with frustrations. Learning healthy parenting strategies can help the parent raise a child

properly.

There are existing laws to prevent child abuse. The Child Abuse Prevention and

Treatment Act (CAPTA), passed by the federal government in 1974 was intended to help keep

children from all forms of abuse. Part of the law is mandatory reporting which mandates

professionals or individuals to report any suspicion of abuse. This includes anyone who works

closely with children as their job or profession. They are required to alert the police or authorities

any suspicion of abuse.

Finding when a child is being abused may be difficult depending on the type of abuse

they suffer from. Some signs of emotional abuse could be a child who is unhappy or always

scared. They may behave aggressively, antisocial and find it hard to make friends. A child who is

neglected may show signs of nervousness, aggression, and anger. Physical signs maybe

malnutrition, bruises, burns, and cuts.

Child abuse may be a difficult topic to talk about but staying informed can help find a

child who suffers from it. Knowing the cause and effects of child abuse can help pinpoint the

abuser and the child suffering from abuse. Not only will we be solving the problem now, but also

finding a better future for children who are being abused. Commented [36]: Good ending. Really wraps up your
paper in a good way.
Commented [37]: Paper is well-paced, and easy to
understand
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Works Cited

“Child Abuse Protection Laws.” Darkness to Light, www.d2l.org/get-help/reporting/protection-

laws/.

“Child Abuse Statistics.” Childhelp, www.childhelp.org/child-abuse-statistics/.

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“Child Abuse.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 5 Oct.

2018, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/child-abuse/diagnosis-treatment/drc-

20370867.

“Depression.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, www.who.int/news-

room/fact-sheets/detail/depression.

“Effects Of Abuse.” Mental Help Effects of Abuse Comments,

www.mentalhelp.net/articles/effects-of-abuse/.

“Effects of Child Abuse and Neglect for Adult Survivors.” Child Family Community Australia,

21 Jan. 2014, aifs.gov.au/cfca/publications/effects-child-abuse-and-neglect-adult-survivors.

“Special Feature: Family Violence | NCJRS.” National Criminal Justice Reference Service,

NCJRS, www.ncjrs.gov/family-violence/.

“What Causes Child Abuse?” Health24, 20 Jan. 2011, www.health24.com/Mental-Health/What-

causes-child-abuse-20120721.

“{{Meta.og.title}}.” Pregnancy Birth and Baby, www.pregnancybirthbaby.org.au/recognising-

signs-of-abuse-in-children. Commented [38]: It like you are missing some parts of

your citation. Try to use a site like easybib.com