Child abuse at home analysis

This reduction is attributed to strict punitive action against perpetrators and improved social support for families. In addition to young age and disability being the risk factors that expose children to abuse, parent factors are family history of abuse, low education and unemployment, substance abuse and non-biological parents with little or no attachment for the children. Some effective measures for curbing child abuse are creating awareness on the rights of children at the family and community level as well as availing social support for parents who may show signs of abusive behavior towards children. Keywords: inflicting injury, sexual assault, sexual exploitation, caregivers, parents, social support, young age, disability, substance abuse, awareness, rights. An analysis of Child Abuse as a Form of Violence within the Home Child Abuse is an offense under all state penal codes in the United States of America.

Nevertheless, studies show that cases of child abuse have fallen drastically in the recent years. According to Jud, Fegert, & Finkelhor, (2016), child sex abuse dropped by 65% between 1990 and 2015, physical abuse fell by 56% and neglect decreased by 11%. California showed a decrease of 88%, 88% and 17% for sexual abuse, physical abuse, and neglect respectively in the period 1992 to 2015. These figures indicate improved awareness of child rights and the need to protect the children. Child abuse has been a problem for ages, with ancient society considering children tools for enrichment without the right to voice their concerns. Melmer and Gutovitz (2017) added that the development and enactment of child welfare programs and services had led to the sharp decline of cases of child abuse. On the other hand, they pointed out that the decline varied sharply across the demographics with low-income families reporting more cases than high-income families.

The explanation for the disparity was that low-income earners had less information and structures on the rights of children and the potential consequences of breaching them in the home. Several factors have been identified as risk factors that expose children to abuse. According to a study by Urosevich (2013), the major risk factor was the age of the child. Other risk factors revolve around the parents. Parents who suffering from substance abuse were more likely to subject their children to abuse than those parents who were free from substance abuse. The use of psychotropic substances denied the parents the ability to think logically and they performed sexual acts on or in the presence of children. Furthermore, they were more likely to neglect their children due to spending much time abusing substances.

In addition, parents from families where they were abused were more likely to abuse their own children. The presence of community social workers in the United States is a strong support program that helps identify potential and happening cases of child abuse and reporting them to the relevant authorities for action. The legal requirement captured in the Child Abuse Reporting laws also compel any adults living in the households of abuse to report such cases to the authorities. Other interventions include creating widespread awareness among children in schools (Cappelleri, Eckenrode, and Powers, 1993). Studies show that children aware of their rights reported cases of abuse before they escalated to serious levels. In schools, the children can report their fears to teachers and counselors who can then take preventive action by involving the relevant authorities.