child abuse Essay

Submitted By brocknra
Words: 1583
Pages: 7

Child abuse and The Road to Recovery

Many abused children cling to the hope that growing up will bring freedom and escape, but more often than not, that isn’t the case. Child abuse often goes unseen, but that does not mean that it’s uncommon. When children of any age are abused it’s very common for them to end up with psychological, behavioral, physical, or societal consequences later on in life. Abuse can lead to other problems such as depression, cognition impairments, trust issues, and inability to form and maintain stable relationships. Being abused can lead to many other things, much like a chain reaction. Neglect and abuse can have consequences for children, societies, and families that can last a lifetime. Child abuse can last a lifetime if victims let it, but it isn’t impossible to recover from. Psychological and behavioral consequences are two of the most common effects of child abuse. Abuse takes a very emotional toll on a child’s heart, and in a way, can drive them crazy. It affects their brain, and stops them from being able to function normally as an upstanding citizen in society. Science suggests that organs are damaged also, whether it’s physical or emotional abuse (Stephens, 1). The experience

of abuse never leaves a childs brain, and it becomes imprinted into their memory. The brain’s neural networks can’t connect up in normal fashion, thereby impairing the brain’s ability to process information (Stephens, 1). When children are abused, it dwindles their sense of regret or remorse (Stephens, 1). Those are feelings everyone must have to keep them from bad behavior and violent impulses. They will never have a conscience or know the difference between right and wrong if they aren’t capable of feeling regret or remorse. Children who have been hit aren’t able to control their own actions and impulses except when they are in fear of being abused again. But when the abuser isn’t around, the bad behavior resumes and gets worse over time. Because of this, we can see the cycle of violence continue from generation to generation. Abusive parents don’t plan on abusing their children from the start but when they do, it’s usually because their life is full of stress. Child abuse is such a touchy topic because spankings can sometimes cross over into being considered abuse before they even realize it. Abusive parents get comfortable with the idea of abuse because they are adults, and they always have privacy in their own household. Children are much smaller than adults and parents tend to take their frustration out on them instead of their boss at work, or their co-worker. These parents are almost always abused as a child and the cycle continues because it’s the only thing they’ve ever known. After awhile, they start to believe that what they’re doing isn’t wrong. The feeling of no remorse or regret often times applies to the parents from also being physically, emotionally or sexually abused as a child. Don’t

get the wrong idea, at some point or another, every parent feels like whacking there kid upside the head, but it’s the difference between right and wrong that either stops them or encourages them to act on it. All adults should adopt a no hitting rule. A rule stating and teaching that it is not okay for parents to hit children, children to hit children, or children to hit adults. The healthiest homes are ones with rational reasoning and no impulsive tendencies. Yes, children can provoke these situations just as adults can provoke them, but a parent should have the knowledge to know that hitting anyone, especially a child, is never right under any circumstances.
According to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS), in 2005, an estimated 3.3 million reports of alleged abuse and/or neglect involving approximately 6 million children were made to local child protective services (CPS) agencies across the country. An estimated 899,000 of these children were determined