Abuse and NeglectBy: Bailey and Maddie

Definition

• Child abuse- is when a parent or caregiver, whether through action or failing to act, causes injury, death, emotional harm or risk of serious harm to a child.

• Child neglect- a deficit in meeting a child's basic needs including the failure to provide basic physical, health care, supervision, nutrition, emotional, education and/or safe housing needs.

Child abuse includes:

• Physical abuse

-Bruises, welts on face, neck, chest, back

• Emotional abuse

-Low self esteem, sever depression, and aggression

• Sexual abuse

-Pain, swelling or itching in genital area, Bruises, bleeding, ◾

discharge in genital area

• Neglect

-Poor hygiene and/or odor, Inappropriately dressed for weather, and Unmet medical or dental care needs

Abuse Affects Education:

Children at home who tend to get abused or neglect are less likely to do well in school and often becomes someone who bullies. If a child is abused in the first five years of life it almost triples a child's likelihood of having multiple physiological, behavioral and academic problems at school.

Solutions/Prevention

• Teach the general public to contact 911 in case of an emergency

• Campaigns to teach parents, adults and teens that it is wrong to threaten, harm, harass, injure or kill a child and they will be punished if they do so

• Persuade legislators in every state to provide the funding to build more Children’s Advocacy Centers so children can be better protected from abuse

• Provide more runaway shelters and assistance resources for youth who run away or think they have no other alternatives

More Solutions• Conduct advertising/public relations campaigns to teach children that it’s okay

to tell and they should tell a an adult if anyone harms, touches or makes them feel uncomfortable physically, sexually, emotionally or verbally

• Obtain funding from government and private sources to pay for public information & advertising/public relations campaigns

• Conduct public information campaigns to educate everyone what child neglect/abuse is, what causes it, what it looks like, how to handle it and how to find resources

• Identify and promote professional counselors for abusers, victims and their families to help them to change their behavior and thinking

• http://www.kidsmatterinc.org/for-families/abuse-and-neglect-resources/neglect/

• http://www.theguardian.com/society/2005/may/25/childrensservices.schools

• americansendingabuse.org/child-abuseneglect-solutions