Child abuse and the effects on children

By: Anna S.

       We all have someone we consider a minor in our life, whether that’s a child, friend, sibling, or even yourself. One out of four children will experience abuse in their lifetime. Child abuse should be given more attention.

       In 1860 a medical expert named Auguste Ambroise researched 32 cases, 18 of which were fatal. Adeline Defert was returned at the age of eight to her parents and for nine years was whipped daily, hung by her thumbs and beaten with nailed plank, burnt with hot coals, and had wounds bathed in nitric acid. Agusta said, “When we consider the tender age of these poor defenceless beings, subjected daily and almost hourly to savage atrocities, unimaginable tortures and harsh privation, their lives one long martyrdom – and when we face the fact that their tormentors are the very mothers who gave them life, we are confronted with one of the most appalling problems that can disturb the soul of a moralist, or the conscience of justice." He said it best. This is one of the most appalling problems, and one of the hardest things to accept is happening in our world.

       Not all cases of abuse look like Adelines. What she mostly experienced is called physical abuse. Physical abuse is the intentional injury or trauma caused by body contacts to another person. Out of all kids who experience abuse, 18% of them experience physical abuse. Physical abuse usually has long lasting effects on the child's development and is the second most popular form of abuse. Everyday five children die from child abuse, most of those kids being under three years old. Physical abuse is probably one of the easiest kinds of abuse to spot. Random bruises or marks on a child's body can be a sign that there may be abuse happening at home. Most children are too afraid to say anything about it as they might be too afraid to “tell on” their caregivers. This is why when we are suspicious that something is happening to a child, asking them if they are safe at home could change their lives forever.

       The most common form of abuse is neglect. Out of all the kids who struggled with child abuse, 78% of them had to deal with neglect. Neglect is when the parent or caretaker of the child fails to provide for the child's basic needs; this usually results in the child's physical and/or mental health being put at tremendous risk. Basic needs like food, clothing, shelter, medical care, attention, love, and supervision are essential for a child to grow up in a healthy and happy home. If the guardians or caretakers of these children fail to meet these basic needs, it can result in major effects for the child's health. These effects can include behavioral and emotional difficulties, such as internalizing problems, heightened anxiety and emotional reactivity. 

       One of the not as popular forms of abuse is sexual abuse. Only about 9% of the kids who have been abused were sexually abused. Sexual abuse is when someone over 18 uses a minor (someone under 18) for sexual stimulations and/or sexual acts, or when a minor forces another minor to do sexual things. Sexual abuse is one of the less reported mostly because the person who was abused didn’t know it’s considered abuse. This can be because the person who assaulted them makes it seem like it is completely normal. The website Child Protect says, “1 out of 3 girls and 1 out of 5 boys will be sexually abused before they reach age 18.”

       In the U.S. alone 600,000 kids are abused each year; 1,820 end up passing away. So if you know someone who's being abused or see signs of someone being abused, speak up; you never know who’s life you could be saving.