It Can Happen to Anyone
For Child Abuse Prevention Month, we offered our youth the opportunity to have their voices heard and write a feature story for our blog. The below piece was written by a young woman named Jailyn.
April 18, 2017 – Child abuse is one of the many growing social problems in the United States. An individual doesn’t just become abusive overnight.
“Children learn violent behaviors in primary social groups, such as the family and peer groups, as well as observe it in their neighborhoods and in the community at large,” Robert H. Durant, vice chair of pediatrics at Wake Forest University School of Medicine states. Abuse is a learned behavior, according to my source. Child abuse encompasses four main areas: physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect.
Abuse is a consistent behavior used to gain and maintain power and control, and it can come in many forms. Physical abuse is any intentional, unwanted contact with you or something close to your body, Not all physical abuse leaves bruises but it’s still unhealthy. Emotional abuse can happen to anyone at any time in their lives. Children, teens and adults have all experienced some emotional abuse in their lives, it can happen at any age. Sexual abuse refers to any action that pressures someone to do something sexually they don’t want to do. Child neglect is a form of child abuse, basically taking away a child’s basic needs, including the failure to provide adequate health care, supervision, clothing, nutrition, housing as well as their physical, emotional, social, educational and safety needs.
Personally to me, I feel that all forms of abuse of wrong. Over 3 million children are victimize of child abuse in the U.S according to child abuse statistics. There should be no reason why a person would want to put another person down. I believe that is another reason why suicide is so high today. Abuse can make a person feel so bad about themselves, that they turn to negative ways of coping for with the situation, To escape the pain that they are going though. It’s never easy getting through it or to recover but there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel.
There are many ways to help prevent child abuse:
- • Become a nurturing parent
- • Promote programs in schools
- • Monitor your child’s television and Internet usage
- • Volunteer at local programs, Report suspected abuse or neglect
Each day more than five children die as a result of abuse or neglect. Child abuse and neglect are complex problems rooted in unhealthy environments and relationships. Child abuse is more than just bruises and broken bones. It leaves deep, lasting scars.
Children abuse and neglect are serious problems that can have lasting harmful effects on its victims. Invest in kids, encourage them to be strong leaders. Just be supportive to them and their families. It’s never easy spotting signs of abuse. Always be alert for the signs.
For more information about indicators of child abuse, please visit http://www.osceolakids.com/faqs/
