Question

Please conceptualize child abuse (or another abstract concept of your choice). What indicators would you use to measure the concept? Are there dimensions to the concept? Describe and explain your reasoning.

Answer 1

Answer 1) Child abuse is widespread and can occur in any cultural, ethnic, or income group. It can result from physical,sexual, emotional harm. It can also result from neglect. Some households that suffer from alcoholism/substance abuse and anger issues have higher occurrences of child abuse as compared to households without. Outcomes of child abuse can result in both short and long term injury, or even death. There are some children who may be unaware that they are victims of child abuse. Physical abuse involves non-accidental harming of a child by, for example, burning, beating, or breaking bones. Verbal abuse involves harming a child by, for example, belittling them or threatening physical or sexual acts. Emotional trauma can result from several forms of abuse.Emotional abuse is an attempt to control, in just the same way that physical abuse is an attempt to control another person. The only difference is that the emotional abuser does not use physical hitting, kicking, pinching, grabbing, pushing, or other physical forms of harm. Rather the perpetrator of emotional abuse uses emotion as his/her weapon of choice. Child neglect occurs when someone does not provide the necessities of life to a child, either intentionally or with reckless disregard for the child's well being. This can include physical neglect, such as withholding food, clothing, shelter, or other necessities. Emotional neglect includes withholding love or comfort or affection. Medical neglect occurs when medical care is withheld.

In a study,Barbara H. Fiese(2012) show that one in four girls and one in eight boys are sexually abused before the age of 18, and that approximately one in 20 children are physically abused each year. Child sexual abuse is the deliberate exposure of a minor child to sexual activity that the child cannot comprehend or consent to. This means a child is forced or talked into sex or sexual activities by another person. This behavior includes acts such as inappropriate touching of a child's breasts or genitalia, someone exposing their genitalia to a child, fondling, oral-genital contact, genital and anal intercourse, as well as exhibitionism, voyeurism, and exposure to pornography.

Ways to meausre the absue:

It's not always easy to recognize when a child has been abused.Children who are abused are often afraid to complain because they are fearful that they will be blamed or that no one will believe them. Additionally, the person who abused them may be someone they love very much and want to protect. Parents are often unable to recognize symptoms of abuse because they may not want to face this reality, hence, they would go in denial and would brush off the fact the sometime is wrong with thier children.

Watch out for unexplained changes in your child's body or behavior.Be alert to any of the following changes:

Behavioral indicators: The child’s actions, attitudes and emotions can indicate the possibility of abuse or neglect. However, behavioral indicators alone are much less reliable than physical indicators, as children’s behaviors may be the result of a variety of other problems or conditions that have nothing to do with abuse. When observing changes in behavior, look for the frequency and pattern of the new behavior, as well as a child’s age and stage of development. For example, it is normal for younger children to be wary of adults, as they may have been taught not to talk to strangers. Look for a combination of physical and behavioral indicators.

Physical Abuse: Any injury (bruise, burn, fracture, abdominal or head injury) that cannot be explained.Injuries to a child that are severe, occur in a pattern, or occur frequently. These injuries range from bruises to broken bones to burns or unusual lacerations.

Sexual Abuse: Sexual Abuse is defined as any type of sexual behaviour involving a child where the child has less power or there is a significant disparity in the developmental function or maturity of the child and another person involved in the behaviour.Child sexual abuse includes any type of sexual behaviour involving a child where the child has less power than another person involved in the behaviour,there is a significant disparity in the developmental function or maturity of the child and another person involved in the behaviour,includes inappropriate touching, exposure to sexual acts or pornographic materials and sexual penetration.

Emotional abuse: Emotional abuse is the sustained, repetitive, inappropriate ill-treatment of a child or young person through behaviours including threatening, belittling, humiliating, intimidation, controlling, blaming, verbal abuse, bullying, neglecting, ignoring, misleading, isolation, encouragement to engage in inappropriate behaviour and prevntion of contact with services or support networks.