Neglect and Abuse - An Overview.

What Are Neglects and Abuse?

Child abuse prevention and treatment act (CAPTA) which works at the federal level, has defined child abuse and neglect as any actions taken by parents or failure to react on the part of a parent that can lead to death, exploitation, sexual abuse, and physical or emotional trauma to the child. Abuse, also termed maltreatment, is any trauma a child is compelled to go through, which could be physical, emotional, or sexual. Whatever the cause or type of abuse, it leaves a lifelong imprint on the child of the incident and affects their lives in some other forms. These children mainly have mental trauma in comparison to physical injuries. It is very unfortunate, but in most cases, abuse is mostly caused by a known person like a relative or a family friend, or someone close to the child, like a family member or a friend, and the abuse continues as the child fears nobody will believe him if he informs about it.

Are Neglect and Abuse the Same?

Neglect is the most common type of child abuse where a person responsible, parent or guardian, fails to fulfill the child's necessities, which may result from ignorance. For example, a neglected child presents with poor dressing, is malnourished, and fear or feels shy while communicating. At the same time, abuse is more of a physical trauma that can be physical or sexual.

What Are the Types of Neglect?

Types of abuse are similar to the types of neglect, including physical and sexual abuse.

• Physical Neglect:When a child fails to receive necessities such as food, shelter, and clothing or is not supervised can be considered physical abuse.

• Emotional Neglect: A child is emotionally abused when he is constantly ignored, humiliated, or isolated.

• Educational Neglect: When a parent does not ensure that their ward is given the quality and proper education, it is considered educational abuse.

• Medical Neglect: This is when a child is not provided with proper health care facilities as per the requirement can be termed medical neglect; it can include ignoring medical advice, refusing medical recommendations, or dental visits.

What Are the Types of Abuse?

Types of abuse are similar to the types of neglect which include physical and sexual abuse.

• Physical Abuse: Physical abuse includes any act that causes physical trauma or injury to the child-like hitting, burning, or kicking. Physical abuse is considered to be a very common type of abuse as the study suggests 1 of every 20 children face physical abuse in some other form in their lifetime. It is reported that the scars or the marks on the body after the abuse might heal, but they leave a traumatic imprint on the brain, which is difficult to heal, and thus, these children face difficulties coping with life as grown-ups.

• Sexual Abuse: A type of abuse where a child is exploited sexually at the age where they are unable to understand or give consent to the act, sexual abuse includes fondling, orogenital contact, genital and anal intercourse, exposure to pornography, etc. sexual abuse is most common amongst the girls when compared to boys, research suggests 1 of every five girls is sexually abused before the age of 18, and the saddest part is an abuser is often a known person like someone in the family or a family friend. These types of abuse go unreported as they are ignored even if reported or noticed. Many children do not disclose the abuse due to the fear that they won't be trusted or would be blamed for the act; in some cases, a child is not mature enough to understand at all what has happened.

Who Is at Risk of Neglect and Abuse?

Any child can face neglect and abuse, but some children are at a higher risk which includes:

• Children with a disability.

• Children with complex health needs.

• Children seeking asylum.

• Children who do not have enough support.

• Children with mental health problems.

• Socially isolated children.

• Children who live in inappropriate accommodation.

• Misuse alcohol or drugs.

• Have financial circumstances which make them at higher risk.

Neglect and abuse are generally seen in low socio-economical backgrounds where a large family is looked after by a single person.

What Should Be Done When a Child Reports Abuse or Neglect?

When a child reports abuse first and foremost thing that should be done is to make them believe you are trustworthy and there to help them as these children are mostly scared due to their experiences; one must listen carefully to what a child is going through, check for any marks present on the body in case of physical or sexual abuse, tell them its not their fault and report the abuse as soon as possible.

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Abuse?

Knowing the signs and symptoms of the abuse is very important so that you are sure that what you raise your voice against is true.

Following Are the Physical Signs of the Abuse:

• An infant with the injury.

• Bruises, injury to the torso, ear, or neck, especially in children below the age of 4.

• Any injury that is presented differently than the reason for the wound stated.

• Child reporting abuse or neglect.

• Failure to gain weight or sudden weight gain.

• Genital pain and bleeding.

• Sexually transmitted disease.

Mental or Behavioral Problems in Children Facing Abuse Are as Follows:

• Abdominal pain and headache without any underlying medical cause.

• Fearful behavior might have nightmares or bed-wetting problems.

• Sudden behavior change and self-confidence.

• The extreme change in behaviors might be sexually inappropriate for a child's age.

• A big appetite and stealing food.

• Desperately affectionate behaviors.

• School failure.

What Are the Long-Term Consequences of Neglect and Abuse?

Neglect and abuse result in more long-term mental trauma and affect a person's social and emotional growth.

How to Prevent Neglect and Abuse?

The best way to prevent abuse is to be friends with your child and have two-way communication.

• Children must be taught safety rules in a way that does not scare them.

• A child must be taught to say no to the things he does not like.

• They must be educated about maintaining a safe distance from strangers.

Parents must know how to deal with their emotions, frustration, and anger, and that must not be taken out on children in any form. Parenting lessons must be given to the parents.

Conclusion:

Neglect and abuse are the most traumatic acts that a child faces, which leave a lifelong imprint on the brains of the children and affect their social, and personal life as adults; parents must take care of their children and avoid such acts; these children have significant signs and symptoms that can help us detect that the child is facing abuse, these presentations must never be ignored and must be reported as soon as possible. In addition, any child who has faced abuse might require psychotherapy or reassurance to trust people around them.