Child Abuse

Child abuse laws have been adopted in the whole of the United States since 1976, protecting children from cruelty or neglect. It is a problem that affects children of all ages, up until the age of 18. In general it is suspected that there is a far larger amount of child abuse than gets reported each year.

The term child abuse is a general description for a large number of actions. It generally means injury inflicted on the child by its caregiver. This can include neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse or emotional abuse, of which neglect is most common in all reported cases.

How can child abuse be prevented?

Prevention of child abuse is an extremely complex matter due to the broad range of actions the term stands for. Systems are in place for the abused or those wishing to report abuse in an anonymous manner. This can help in reporting potential cases and is a safe and confidential way in which to do so.

In general, it is important to teach parents the right parenting skills and ways of dealing with any problems they may face. This is supported by home visits by a social worker to assess the ways in which parents or carers are looking after their children, and to spot problems before they escalate into something more severe.

How is child abuse treated?

When child abuse is suspected then the safety of the child will be the most pressing issue in dealing with the situation. The victim will often be removed and be put into custody whilst the claims are investigated further.

Victims and families will be offered counseling as a way of dealing with the problems. In the case of the abuser, high risk behaviors such as drink or drug abuse will be monitored and they may be sentenced according to their crime.