What makes people abuse children?
It's difficult to
imagine any person intentionally inflicting harm on a child. Many times,
physical abuse is a result of excessive discipline or physical punishment
that is inappropriate for the child's age. The parent may simply be
unaware of the magnitude of force with which he or she strikes a child.
Most parents want to be good parents but sometimes they just lose control. Factors which contribute to child abuse include the immaturity of parents,
a lack of parenting skills, unrealistic expectations about a child's
behavior and capabilities, a parent's own negative childhood experience,
social isolation, frequent family crises and drug or alcohol problems.Child
abuse is a symptom that the parents are having difficulty coping with
their situation.
What do we know about child abuse?
The most recent
data documented in The National Report on Child Abuse and Neglect is
for 2005. During that year, 3.3 million reports of child abuse or neglect
involving 6 million children (one report could involve more than one
child in a single family) were made. Of the 6 million children involved,
899,000 were proven to be substantiated victims of child abuse or neglect.
Of the 899,000 substantiated victims:
- 460 died as a result of their abuse or neglect;
- 41.9% of all fatalities were less than 1 year of age;
- 54.5% of all victims were 7 years of age or younger;
- 23.2% of victims 16 years of age or older were physically abused, and 16.8% were sexually abused;
- 49.7% of all victims were white; 23.1% were black and 17.4% were Hispanic.
55.8% of all reports
were made by teachers, legal staff, police, social services staff, mental
health personnel, child day care workers and foster care providers.
The remaining 44.2% of all reports were made by a parent, other relatives,
friends, neighbors, alleged victims, alleged perpetrators and anonymous
callers.
The (Chester County) Exchange Club
Family
Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse
The Family Center's mission is to prevent instances of child abuse and
neglect in Chester County through education and community awareness,
while promoting the well being of families and individuals. It works
in concert with all Exchange Clubs across the country in this endeavor
by recruiting and training volunteer parent aides who work directly
with families dealing with those issues. Among other benefits provided,
the volunteer aides teach positive parenting techniques, help reduce
family stress factors that can lead to abuse, encourage the learning
and practice of non-violent discipline techniques and promote the improvement
of parent-child relationships. To date these efforts have helped more
than 225,000 children nationwide break out of the cycle of abuse and
neglect. Child abuse comes in many forms, all of which are tragic. We all must
help ensure that our children grow up in a safe and healthy environment.
If you think the Family Center might possibly help you overcome a family
issue important to you, learn more or please call them at 610-429-0634. You could
be the link to a better future. Other helpful websites dealing with child abuse prevention and neglect
can be found on our Links page.
