Effects of Child Maltreatment and Neglect for Children and Adolescents

Effects of child maltreatment and neglect for children and adolescents.

Parents should be the ones who protect the children and pay attention to their interests. But, what occurs when the parents are those causing damage and injury to children? “Child abuse is reported every 10 seconds. 5 to 6 children die each day as a result of child abuse or neglect.” (Lamont, 1) Besides the obvious effects like physical health problems and suicidal behavior, cruel treatment of children leaves emotional scars that last long after the bruises have healed and bones have mended.

The first effect child maltreatment is the physical health problems. An abused child may experience one or more of the following: punching; choking; stabbing; shaking; throwing; hitting with a strap, hand; or burning a child, where a child has suffered injury as a result of the apparent abuse. The starting effect on children will be the direct pain, suffering and health care problems in some cases death caused by physical harm. Marks can occur on the body, where physical violence is serious. A child may suffer bruises, bites, fractures, or other side effects. The more the physical abuse of a child takes place, the more significant impact. Some of the physical lesions may not be visible as internal contusions that can affect internal organs like eyes, kidneys, ears, brain, back, and others. These effects may result from a single strong strike or from repeated hits of one especially sensitive area. The age at which the abuse occurs affects the impact of damage. For instance, physically abused children often experience long-term physical effects and neurological changes like tremors, irritability, retching, and lethargy. In more severe cases, the abuse was stronger or more in duration, the child may have developmental and mental delays, deafness and blindness, coma, seizures, paralysis, and in some cases death.

The second impact of child abuse is the suicide. One of the main causes of child suicides is sexual molestation which includes actions between a child and an adult or older adolescent. Frequently it is related to the physical contact like using a child to satisfy their sexual desires. The exposure of the genitals of their children, force a child to engage in sexual activities or using to produce child pornography. Considered that 15 - 20% of all suicide attempts