Child Abuse and Neglect Essay -- Child Maltreatment

â€Å"The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act† states’ that â€Å"child abuse is the leading cause of death in children under the age of eighteen.† Child abuse occurs when adults inflict violence and cruelty upon children. Abuse is any willful act that results in physical, mental, or sexual injury that causes or is likely to cause the child to be physically, mental, or emotionally impaired. Abuse happens to children of any age, sex, race, religion, and social status.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many different types of child abuse. There is maltreatment and sexual abuse. Maltreatment is an area that encompasses many different things, such as physical abuse, child neglect, and emotional abuse. Physical abuse may begin with â€Å"shaken – baby syndrome† and escalate to routine spanking, stabbing, punching, hitting, beating, biting, burning, and any other thing that harms a child. The adult doing this may not intend to cause harm, but it is still abuse. Physical abuse may lead to brain damage, disfigurement, blindness, and even death. An average of 5.5 children per 10,000 enrolled in a day care are sexually abused. In the United States more than 125,000 children suffer injuries intentionally inflicted by their caretaker, and between 2,000 and 5,000 of these children die as a result of their injuries. In 1994 3.4 million cases of child abuse were reported. Child neglect is when a caregiver fails to give a child the care, and the supervision they need to stay physically and mentally healthy. Child neglect is when parents or the caregivers fail to provide for the children’s basic needs such as clothing, food, shelter, and so on. Child neglect takes many forms such as physical, educational, and emotional neglect. Physical neglect can be seen as a refusal or delay to provide medical attention to a child. If an infant or child is not bathed or kept clean, this is physical neglect. Abandonment, kicking a minor out of the house, lack of parental supervision, leaving the child unattended, or not allowing a runaway to return home may also be seen as physical neglect. Educational neglect includes allowing your child to become truant, not enrolling them in school, or depriving them of special education classes if they need it. Along with their physical needs, children also have emotional needs. All children should have a safe and stable ho me environment where they are loved and nurture... ...; a teen line for kids age 11 – 19; a crisis information – referral center for adults age 18 and older; and the last part is the information center, which gives out general information on child abuse. Each section is staffed by Certified Crisis Specialists that have gone through extensive training. ICAN can be found online, where you can access information submitted by professionals. Corrine A. Fraund and Sue A. Meier founded ICAN. Because they are a non – profit organization any donations would be greatly appreciated and used. For further information you can call 1-888 224-4226 or send a donation to: International Child Abuse Network Yes ICAN 7657 Winnetka Avenue #155 Canoga Park, CA 91306-2677 References Bierker, Susan B. About Sexual Abuse. Springfield, Ill.: C.C. Thomas, 1989. Calam, Rachel. Child Abuse and its consequences: observational approaches. Cambridge, N.Y.: Cambridge University Press, 1987. Hopper, Jim, Ph.D. Child Abuse: Statistics, Research, and Resources. http: www.jimhopper.com/abstats/ Martina, Harold P. The Abused Child: a multidisciplinary approach to developmental issues and treatment. Cambridge, Mass.: Ballinger Pub. Co., 1976.