CHILD ABUSE

The exploitation and maltreatment are age old event. The broader concept of child
abuse, which also includes battering, is of recent origin by caring professions.

Child abuse includes physical violence (75%), sexual molestations (20%), mental
and emotional (5%), maltreatment with negligence, deprivation and lack of
opportunity. The children are abused at home, school, day care center and working
places by the care takers and other adults. Neglect is evident as chronic failure to
protect the child from physical danger and to provide the loving and care.

The factors responsible for child abuse are poverty, overcrowding in family,
mental illness, alcohol or drug abuse, crisis situation and violence. Disturbance in
the family are main cause which include arrival of more valuable child, unwanted
pregnancy, single parent, immature parent, angry frustrated parent and parents who
are abused in their childhood. The children, who are abused, mostly due to
negative behavior, temper tantrum, bed wetting, habitual crying, mental sub
normality and who are working as child labor.

The consequences of child abuse are physical injury, malnutrition, lack of hygienic
care, growth failure or non-organic failure to thrive due to lack of emotional
stimulation and foods, behavioral problems, mental retardation, rape, sexual injury
and death.

Child abuse may be found in the form of ' battered baby syndrome'. It is a clinical
condition in young children especially below 3 years of age , who have received
non - accidental injury wholly inexcusable violence or injury , on one or more
occasions , including minimal as well as severe fatal trauma , by the hand of an
adult , in a position of trust generally a parent , guardian or foster parent . In
addition to physical injury there may be deprivation of nutrition, routine care , love
and affection . Battered baby syndrome has been found in all social groups with
risk of mental and neurological complications. It results from excessive anger or an
attempt to teach discipline to the children by parents or other adults. It can
represent as burns, bruises, belt or stick marks, multiple trauma or fracture, failure
to thrive, cerebral palsy and emotional deprivation. These children need
hospitalization and psychotherapy for both parents and child.

The term ' maternal deprivation ' is used for emotional abuse and neglect to denote
circumstances during which an infant is deprived of the opportunity of forming an
initial tie with a mother figure. It also implies deprivation of the mother figure after
a meaningful tie has been formed. Deprivation of mothering may also occur
without physical separation whenever the mother is emotionally or physically
incapable of providing continuity of loving care and security for the child. The
damaging effects of prolonged lack of adequate mothering are inappropriate motor,
intellectual, emotional and social development, as the infancy is a critical period of
psychosocial and intellectual maturation.

Management of child abuse should be done depending upon type of injury.

Hospitalization may be necessary and psychotherapy may be needed for parents
and child. Abused child may need to be kept away from home, permanently or
temporarily; if the parents are dangerously aggressive Prevention of child abuse
can be possible by supportive home visits by community health nurse or social
worker and increasing legal help against child abuse. Other measures for
prevention of child abuse are mother craft training, increasing awareness about
child rearing practices and educating people about acceptance of children at
sufficient mature age to be adequate parents.
 Conclusion

 Child abuse is a serious threat: Child abuse and neglect can threaten a child's
healthy development.

 Child abuse can impact mental health: Any form of abuse can impact a child's
mental health.

 Child abuse should be tackled with severe punishment: Child abuse offenders
should be severely punished.

 Children should be included in prevention projects: Children should be included in

the development and implementation of child injury prevention projects.

Summary
Child abuse, Crime of inflicting physical or emotional injury on a child. The term
can denote the use of inordinate physical violence or verbal abuse; the failure to
furnish proper shelter, nourishment, medical treatment, or emotional support;
incest, rape, or other instances of sexual molestation; and the making of
child pornography. Child abuse can cause serious harm to its victims. Estimates of
the numbers of children who suffer physical abuse or neglect by parents or
guardians range from about 1 percent of all children to about 15 percent, and
figures are far higher if emotional abuse and neglect are included. In many cases,
the abuser himself suffered abuse as a child. When abuse results in death, evidence
of child abuse or battered-child syndrome (e.g., broken bones and lesions, either
healed or active) is often used to establish that death was not accidental.
Bibliography
Books
Parul dutta "Pediatric nursing"
Published by : jaypee publishers
6th edition
Websites
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_abuse
 https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/child-abuse/symptoms-
causes/syc-20370864
 https://www.government.nl/topics/child-abuse/what-is-child-abuse