1 / 43

Chapter 6

Chapter 6. Abuse, Neglect, and Children’s Rights. Types of Maltreatment. Physical Abuse Attacks child physically, injuring child Emotional (psychological) Abuse Attacks child’s self-esteem, self-confidence, and well being. Occurs necessarily with physical abuse but can be independent

phiala
Download Presentation

Chapter 6

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Chapter 6 Abuse, Neglect, and Children’s Rights

  2. Types of Maltreatment • Physical Abuse • Attacks child physically, injuring child • Emotional (psychological) Abuse • Attacks child’s self-esteem, self-confidence, and well being. Occurs necessarily with physical abuse but can be independent • Verbal assault • Confinement • Exploitation

  3. Prevalence of Maltreatment • Homicide is one of five leading causes of child mortality in US • Neglect is most frequent form of abuse • Infants and toddlers have highest rate of maltreatment • Boys usually suffer physical abuse more frequently while girls are more frequently sexually abused

  4. Defining Physical Abuse • Strongly principled disagreements exist regarding what physical abuse is • Is physical punishment (spanking) abuse? • Research suggests mild physical punishment can be effective when used with restraint and according to a plan or family rule

  5. Inappropriate Physical Punishment Should not be used: • To punish children under 2, who cannot understand, or older than 6, for whom reasoning and loss of privileges are better • To punish child impulsively • To punish child overly severely (to point of injury, or using an object)

  6. The Roots of Child Abuse • Various sources of child abuse • Traditional social or cultural practices • Unhealthy family relationships • Ignorance, cruelty or mental disturbance of perpetrator

  7. Cultural Differences: Corporal Punishment • Continental European government view it as unacceptable while the UK does not • In US certain conservative religious groups and cultural groups (African Americans) support it • African American parents use spanking more frequently and with more positive effects • When spanking is customary, children may resent it less and learn more from it than when it is not

  8. Family Factors Associated with Maltreatment • Abuse does not usually stem from parental mental illness, and abusing parents rarely have diagnosable mental disorders • Abusers may have difficult lives with many problems • Domestic violence • Burdensome childcare responsibilities • History of child abuse • desertion

  9. Parent’s resentment of childcare responsibilities (self-centered or unemployed parents) • Parents’ limited education, resources or opportunities • Family’s social isolation • Family’s characteristic interaction style (yelling, fighting, roughness) • Stressful family transitions • Parental abuse as a child (one factor, but significance frequently exaggerated)

  10. Characteristics of Victimized Children • Children not all equally vulnerable • High-risk children may have physical / behavioral characteristics that annoy caretakers (chronic illness, disability, hyperactivity, frequent misbehavior) etc.) • Not clear whether distinguishing child characteristics precede or are caused by abuse

  11. Child Sexual Abuse • Child sexual abuse victims 12% of all maltreated children each year • Absence of clear definition impedes study, treatment and prevention

  12. Sexual Abuse: age-inappropriate sexual exploitation of a child for perpetrator’s benefit • Direct - sexual contact • Indirect – exhibitionism or exposure to pornography • Some forms are less obvious than others

  13. Different opinions of definitions and effects • Strong-faith based, morality based conviction • All adult-child sexual interactions of any type are criminally depraved and permanently harmful • Moderate view • Repulsed by adult sexual interactions with children but consider it has ranges of effects

  14. Publicity has increased public vigilance but also has negative effects • People who work closely with children afraid of false accusation

  15. Sexual Abuse Victims and Perpetrators • Victims usually younger than 12 (easier for perpetrators to go undetected) • Perpetrators take advantage of position (caregiver, teacher, etc.) • Younger children less able to understand what is happening and less able to explain what happened.

  16. Majority of victims are girls • Lack of maternal protection seems to endanger girls more than boys • Less is known about abuse of boys, because it is reported less • Usually nonwhite, not living with father • May be underreported because boys are expected to be able to protect themselves

  17. Assessment of Child Abuse • Child abuse frequently leaves physical evidence • Identification of physical and psychological abuse by health professionals has advanced

  18. Assessing Sexual Abuse • Sexual abuse has inherent problems that make diagnosis difficult • Often concealed and happens mostly in private settings • Usually only abuser and child know about it with certainty • Power disparity (physical and social) between abusers and victims • Abusers’ supervisory role discourages others’ suspicions and confuses children

  19. Interviewing Children • Clinicians relay on informal interviews and play observation • Unknown accuracy • Can be susceptible to examiner bias • Anatomically correct dolls • Child can identify parts of doll • Or demonstrate experience

  20. Consensus on child suggestibility maintains that children’s accuracy varies widely especially about personal bodily experiences

  21. Problematic Child interview techniques • Interview children repeatedly under emotionally charged circumstances • Bribes and threats – calling child “smart” when they say what interviewer wants • Telling children other children have already reported abuse • Asking children about events several years in past • Appearing more enthusiastic, supportive when child says something interviewer wants to hear • Refusing to tape interview session

  22. Standards for Accurate Testing • Must take into account child’s cognitive and social immaturity, which make them poor informants • Pointed, suggestive questioning can alter account • Children are frequently nervous or frightened at being questioned by adults

  23. 5 key steps • Interviewer must be trained professional • Developmentally appropriate tests are needed • Age-appropriate open-ended questions must be used • Must happen as soon as possible after incident • Multiple informants and information sources are necessary

  24. Neglect • Physical – refusal of or delay in healthcare, abandonment, expulsion, inadequate supervision • Educational – permission of chronic truancy, failure to enroll, inattention to special education need • Emotional – chronic domestic abuse in child’s presence, permission of substance abuse or refusal to provide psychological care

  25. Characteristics of Neglectful Families • Some types of patterns statistically more likely to neglect • Very low family income • Under educated parents • Large families • Deteriorating neighborhoods

  26. Effects of Maltreatment on infants and young children • Attachment problems, of a disorganized disoriented nature • Delays in cognitive development. Girls more likely than boys to become wary and withdrawn • Inappropriate sexual behavior if sexually abused • Posttraumatic stress disorder common among sexually abused

  27. Effects during Middle Childhood • Low self-esteem, high rates of adjustment problems • Academic deficiencies

  28. Maltreated Adolescents • Internalizing and externalizing problems, poor peer relations • Long-term adjustment problems leading to substance abuse, self-injurious and suicidal behavior, depression • Low self-esteem, low social competence

  29. Prevention of Physical Abuse • Abuse part of national and global climate that tolerates and encourages violence as a solution to human problems • Youngsters may copy violent media and real life models and improvise violent solutions to interpersonal conflicts

  30. Protection from Weapons • Canada is much less violent society than US, and there is easier access to guns in US • Are present efforts sufficient? • Gun locks • Gun safety courses • Should more be done to restrict gun use and availability?

  31. Improve Parenting Skills • Successful programs address parents with problems that lead to abuse: • Emotional disturbance • Young, risk-taking substance • abusing parents • Parents that have unrealistic expectations of their children • Home-visit programs

  32. Self-Control Training for Older Children • Teach potential child victim skills to avoid abuse • Teach children to avoid back-talk or negative interactions at high-risk times • Teach relaxation skills, positive self-directed talk, problem solving techniques

  33. Prevention of Neglect • Cognitive behavior therapy techniques • Training in self-observation, self-reinforcement, problem solving strategies • Research suggests neglect may stem from mother’s deficits in relevant parenting skills or motivation • Because of size of problem, less labor-intensive, less costly approaches are also needed

  34. Prevention of Sexual Abuse • School based programs focus on how to prevent attacks by strangers • Majority of cases are committed by adults known to children, not strangers • Much attention and research is needed in this area

  35. Treatment of Abused Children • If maltreatment is not severe, most children improve over time • Family cohesion and adaptability and parents reactions to abuse important factors in recovery • When parent is treatment-resistant, parental right should be terminated

  36. Psychoeducational Programs • Psychoeducational interventions offer child and non abusing parent an opportunity to discuss occurrence with case worker • Important even when children display no discernable psychological harm from being abused

  37. Foster Home Placement • Reserved for severe cases with persistent abuse or where child’s physical safety is threatened • Most state agencies attempt to preserve families • Foster care can also endanger children

  38. Psychotherapy • CBT (cognitive-behavioral therapy) consistently more effective in treating physical or sexual abuse • Clearly effective when child shows clear signs of anxiety, panic or depression • Less is known about how to treat sexual victimization that doesn’t involve trauma and extreme fear

  39. Children’s Moral and Legal Rights • Sometimes conflict with rights of parents • Are children persons just as adults or property of their parents? • What happens when parents and children disagree about whether a child has a problem? • Should children’s rights be more restricted than adults?

  40. Legal rights – guaranteed by the US Constitution or by statute or state laws • Human rights – more broadly and less precisely defined • Pertain to conditions necessary for children to become healthy, well-adjusted, competent, and productive citizens

  41. Bill of Rights for World’s Children • UN adopted a declaration that children are persons who are entitled to respect and protection • US did not ratify declaration • Parents groups oppose it because they feel it undermines parents traditional power to determine rules for the family

  42. Children’s Legal Rights • Three principles guide legal codes for children • Autonomy – ability to make personal decisions based on adequate understanding of circumstances • Beneficence – working to benefit children, not intentionally harming them • Justice – juvenile rights should only be limited by their still-maturing judgment and intelligence

  43. Children have rights but need special protection • Prohibited from harmful activities (smoking drinking, drug use, dangerous employment) • According to law and custom, family is the best and most appropriate source of socialization and protection

More Related