Child abuse is when children get hurt because of things like being abandoned or neglected. Children who are abused go through traumatic experiences of abusive, emotional, sexual or physical actions.
Child abuse also known as child maltreatment is a serious issue going on everywhere and helping people become aware of the issue is increasingly important. When a guardian, parent, or caregiver causes harm to a child it’s considered child abuse.
Parents can do harmful things to children through action or through inaction. Both can cause emotional damage, injuries or death. The signs of child abuse are not always obvious but if you look hard enough the signs are there.
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What Are the Types of Abuse?
Any person that is not of age 18 or older can be a victim of child abuse or neglect. Abuse occurs most often by an adult person, such as a parent or caregiver. The most common types of child maltreatment are neglect, emotional, sexual and physical abuse.
Neglect can come from anyone in child’s life like a daycare or a teacher. It’s not just parents who can be guilty of neglect and abuse. Children who do not get the care, support, compassion or affection that they need are considered neglected. Having support, attention and affection are important for a child’s health.
It’s hard to believe that a person could do horrible things to a child, but sexual abuse is another form of child abuse. Sexual abuse of a child is a type of abuse that involves sexual activity with the use of a minor. Children are not able to consent to any type of sexual acts at all. Contrary to popular beliefs, sexual abuse of a child does not have to involve physical contact between a child and the offending perpetrator.
Getting emotionally abused is a more than common form of child abuse. With any type of child abuse emotional issues hurt a child’s ability to develop in a social environment and cause difficulty to a child’s mental state. If an adult acts out in a way that hurts a child emotionally it can be considered child abuse. Child abuse when a parent hurts a child in a physical is physical abuse. Noticing signs of child physical abuse is easier than noticing other types of abuse.
Conclusion
Child abuse is happening all the time, all around us. Abusing children and neglect is not okay and the problem needs to be addressed more than ever. The important subject of child abuse cannot be taken in a lightly or ignored.
Anyone including you can start advocating for children who are abused by learning the warning signs and taking action to report it. It is also important to remember that you are making a report of suspected child abuse. It’s okay if you are unsure, but it’s important that you inform authorities and allow them to look into it. Advocating for a child is just a beginning step to saving a child’s life.
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