Child abuse: Difference between revisions
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'''Child abuse''', literally, is the act of intentionally harming a child, or the results of that act. Generally, it the active thread in the long, unfortunate saga of maltreatment and neglect of children. Such abuse and neglect has probably always been a feature of childhood for some individuals in every human society. | '''Child abuse''', literally, is the act of intentionally harming a child, or the results of that act. Generally, it the active thread in the long, unfortunate saga of maltreatment and neglect of children. Such abuse and neglect has probably always been a feature of childhood for some individuals in every human society. However, child abuse also has specific legal meanings, that, like all legal meanings, have some degree of geographic and cultural variability. | ||
Experts in child abuse consider that acts of ommission, as well as acts of commission, count as maltreatment of children. Physical abuse includes not only beating or other injury, but also, for example, failure to touch or hold a child. Certainly, in older children, there is a broad range of normal when it comes to adults having physical contact with children, but in neonates, infants and toddlers, lack of physical contact from care givers has clear and objective detrimental effects on health, and a young infant who is never held, for example, is actually less likely to survive. "Psychologic maltreatment of a child by a caregiver includes spurning, exploiting/corrupting, withholding emotional responsiveness, isolating, or terrorizing." (reference for quote:Charles F. Johnson:Chapter 35 – Abuse and Neglect of Children'' in ''Behrman: Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics, 17th ed. ISBN 1416024506) Psychological and physical abuse are often both features of the maltreatment of children and not used in isolation. | Experts in child abuse consider that acts of ommission, as well as acts of commission, count as maltreatment of children. Physical abuse includes not only beating or other injury, but also, for example, failure to touch or hold a child. Certainly, in older children, there is a broad range of normal when it comes to adults having physical contact with children, but in neonates, infants and toddlers, lack of physical contact from care givers has clear and objective detrimental effects on health, and a young infant who is never held, for example, is actually less likely to survive. "Psychologic maltreatment of a child by a caregiver includes spurning, exploiting/corrupting, withholding emotional responsiveness, isolating, or terrorizing." (reference for quote:Charles F. Johnson:Chapter 35 – Abuse and Neglect of Children'' in ''Behrman: Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics, 17th ed. ISBN 1416024506) Psychological and physical abuse are often both features of the maltreatment of children and not used in isolation. | ||
[[Child sexual abuse|Sexual child abuse]] | [[Child sexual abuse|Sexual child abuse]] | ||
The role of children in society is not constant in different cultures and has changed considerable within modern cultures over time. | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
Revision as of 14:07, 8 June 2007
Child abuse, literally, is the act of intentionally harming a child, or the results of that act. Generally, it the active thread in the long, unfortunate saga of maltreatment and neglect of children. Such abuse and neglect has probably always been a feature of childhood for some individuals in every human society. However, child abuse also has specific legal meanings, that, like all legal meanings, have some degree of geographic and cultural variability.
Experts in child abuse consider that acts of ommission, as well as acts of commission, count as maltreatment of children. Physical abuse includes not only beating or other injury, but also, for example, failure to touch or hold a child. Certainly, in older children, there is a broad range of normal when it comes to adults having physical contact with children, but in neonates, infants and toddlers, lack of physical contact from care givers has clear and objective detrimental effects on health, and a young infant who is never held, for example, is actually less likely to survive. "Psychologic maltreatment of a child by a caregiver includes spurning, exploiting/corrupting, withholding emotional responsiveness, isolating, or terrorizing." (reference for quote:Charles F. Johnson:Chapter 35 – Abuse and Neglect of Children in Behrman: Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics, 17th ed. ISBN 1416024506) Psychological and physical abuse are often both features of the maltreatment of children and not used in isolation. Sexual child abuse
The role of children in society is not constant in different cultures and has changed considerable within modern cultures over time.
References
Further reading
External links
- SAFE-Child Protection : A UK charity dedicated to educating children, parents, and teachers on the prevention of child abuse. [1]
- Third National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect (NIS-3). The NIS is the single most comprehensive source of information about the current incidence of child abuse and neglect in the United States. [2]