Child Abuse Issues
Introduction
Child abuse is defined as the physical and/or psychological maltreatment of children. There are four forms of child abuse: physical abuse; psychological abuse; sexual abuse, and neglect. [1] The effects of child abuse and neglect can inhibit a child's ability to think and act like a child, and can therefore lead to the onset of psychological, physiological and/or immunological abnormalities. [2]
Effects of Child Abuse
According to the Centers For Disease Control (CDC), child abuse can lead to the following problems:
- Children who experience maltreatment are at increased risk for adverse health effects and behaviors as adults—including smoking, alcoholism, drug abuse, eating disorders, severe obesity, depression, suicide, sexual promiscuity, and certain chronic diseases (Felitti et al. 1998; Runyan et al. 2002).
- Maltreatment during infancy or early childhood can cause important regions of the brain to form improperly, leading to physical, mental, and emotional problems such as sleep disturbances, panic disorder, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (DHHS 2001).
- About 25% to 30% of infant victims with SBS die from their injuries. Nonfatal consequences of SBS include varying degrees of visual impairment (e.g., blindness), motor impairment (e.g. cerebral palsy) and cognitive impairments (National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome 2005).
- Victims of child maltreatment who were physically assaulted by caregivers are twice as likely to be physically assaulted as adults (Tjaden et al. 2000).
- Direct costs (judicial, law enforcement, and health system responses to child maltreatment) are estimated at $24 billion each year. The indirect costs (long-term economic consequences of child maltreatment) exceed an estimated $69 billion annually (Fromm 2001).
Statistics
Governmental departments such as the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) and Administration for Children and Families (ACF) are responsible for collecting information on child abuse in Australia and USA respectively. According to the ACF's most recent report, Child Maltreatment 2007, 56.5% of child abuse and neglect was perpetrated by women (down 1.3% from the number reported in the 2004 version of the study) and 42.4% were men -- the sex of the other 1.1% of perpetrators was unknown to researchers. Women under 30-years accounted for 45.0% of female perpetrators (an increase of 0.6% from the 2004 version of the study), compared to 34.5% for men aged 30 or less (an increase of 0.4% from the 2004 version). A more detailed analysis of the report is available on the official ACF Website. [3]Quick Facts:
Child Maltreatment 2007, ACF.- 56.5% of perpetrators were female.
- The majority of female perpetrators were younger than 30-years-of-age (45.0%)
- The median age for female perpetrators was 30, compared to 33 for male perpetrators.
- 57.8% of perpetrators were female.
- The majority of female perpetrators were younger than 30-years-of-age (44.4%)
- The median age for female perpetrators was 31, compared to 34 for male perpetrators.
Quick Facts:
Child Protection, 2001-02, AIHW.- Over 38% of abused children lived in single-mother households.
Quick Facts:
Child Protection, 2001-02, AIHW.- 73% of the perpetrators in parent-on-child cases were mothers.
- At a ratio greater than 17:1, mothers outnumbered fathers as the main perpetrators of neglect.
- Mothers committed almost 68%, around 53% and more than 94% of emotional and psychological abuse committed by parents, physical abuse and, neglect.
- Fathers committed 85% of sexual crimes agaisnt children.
Child Abuse -- Maltreatment:
Child Abuse - Perpetrators of Maltreatment (Age Groups):
Child Abuse - Perpetrators of Child Fatalities (Age Groups):
Other Information:
- 57% of child fatalities were male.
- Over three-quarters of child fatalities were under the age of 4.
- Three-quarters of perpetrators of maltreatment were parents.
Further Reading:
- Child Maltreatment 1997: Reports From the States to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System Study Produced Statistics
- United States of America Department of Health & Human Services Statistics Who typically abuses children?
Bibliography:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Child Maltreatment: Overview
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Child Maltreatment: Fact Sheet
- Administration for Children & Families (ACF) Child Maltreatment 2007
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) Child Protection Australia 2001–02
- The West Australian Mum, not dad, more likely to neglect kids Written by JESSICA STRUTT
