Dealing with matters concerning the abuse of children has been one of the more complex issues that both police and policy makers have had to face in recent years. The reason for this is that by law it is quite difficult to prove that there is sufficient abuse to justify infringing on a parent’s rights and separate them from their own child. That being said, separating a child from an abuse parent in many instances is the right course of action; however, it becomes a complicated legal battle to justify taking the child and also find a way to implement legislation to eradicate the problem of child abuse that society faces as a whole. This paper will discuss the various efforts that have been made in connection with preventing child abuse and will also analyze what methods have worked and which ones have not been as successful. Lastly, this paper will investigate various barriers to solving this issue in society and what potential local resources are available to do so.
In order to adequately understand the potential procedures that have been suggested to remedy the blatant issue of child abuse in society, it is essential to consider what causes child abuse in the first place, (Wilson, D. & Horner, W., 2016). Child abuse tends to transpire when there are certain factors at play such as: poverty, substance abuse, mental disorders or depression, (Wilson, D. & Horner, W., 2016). Given that these causes are so diverse in nature, it has been quite difficult for policy makers to address what within individuals suffering these sort of disorders need to prospectively do to combat their illnesses and learn to restructure their lives to not allow their children to be harmed as a result.
When considering the correlation between poverty and child abuse, it is important to note that the definition of child abuse also has a category that is considered child neglect, (Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities 2013: Statistics and Interventions, 2016). Child neglect tends to transpire when the parent does not have the resources to properly care for their child and does not have the physical abusive element that other cases of child abuse possesses because in the cases of poverty, the parents love their children a great deal, but are forced to neglect them due to financial concerns, (Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities 2013: Statistics and Interventions, 2016). There have been several non profits started to combat the issues for those parents who are unable to provide for their children and are forced to neglect them. What the purpose of these organizations are is to show the parent how to make a better living through vocational training and related activities. One example of an organization that does this is JVS, (Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities 2013: Statistics and Interventions, 2016). JVS allows parents of all different backgrounds the training they need to get better jobs, (Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities 2013: Statistics and Interventions, 2016). Organizations such as JVS are pivotal in turning a good parent’s life around so that they are not forced to neglect their child and do not have to have their child taken from them by Child Protective Services, for example.
Unfortunately, there is another side to child abuse that relates to a parent who actually does want to abuse their child either physically, sexually or both. There have been many organizations created to assist in the reporting of these parents and have their children’s interests protected. Some viable examples of these organizations are: Kids First, Inc., The National Children’s Alliance, From Darkness to Light, and Childhelp USA Child Abuse, (Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities 2013: Statistics and Interventions, 2016). What is sensational about these organizations is that they allow an individual to report the abuse anonymously in order to protect their identity and simultaneously help save the child’s life at the same time, (Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities 2013: Statistics and Interventions, 2016).
One of the major issues that relates to solving the issue of child abuse in society is the difficulty of actually ascertaining whether a child has been in fact abused in the first place, (Parke, R. & Gauvain, M., 2016). The reason that this subject is so complicated is that there is a substantial difference between one’s suspicions and the actual reality that the abuse is occurring in the child’s home. Society has a major barrier in protecting children if they are not absolutely certain that the child is being abused. In order for the law enforcement officers or the courts to act, there has to be proof, (Parke, R. & Gauvain, M., 2016). Obtaining this proof can be quite difficult when the child shuts down and will not report their parent, for example. Unless there can be a public viewing of the abuse or there are marks seen by a child’s teacher, it is almost impossible to protect the child who is suspected to be suffering abuse. The other factor that is detrimental to the child is that while their abuse is being investigated, they are at even more risk with the individual who is abusing them and could be accused of reporting the abuse or telling a teacher about the abuse, (Parke, R. & Gauvain, M., 2016). Having the fear surrounding the abuse creates a major barrier to protect these children if no one can come forward or be able to prove that they are actually being abused.
In sum, society has a long way to go in regards to protecting children and their abuse that may be happening behind closed doors. What makes this subject so controversial is that of course policy makers want to protect these children; however, the fact that they are minors that are legally bound to their parents who may or may not be abusing them makes the situation quite complicated. That being said, the teachers are one of the few unique individuals who have an opportunity to call and report abuse anonymously given their interaction with the students removed from their home at school. If teachers along with the organizations arranged to protect children continue to work together, there will be more solutions in future years to combat child abuse and to do so both legally and effectively.
References
Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities 2013: Statistics and Interventions. (2016). Child Welfare Information Gateway. Retrieved from: https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubPDFs/fatality.pdf
Parke, R. & Gauvain, M. (2016). Child Psychology: A Contemporary View Point. 7th Edition. pp. 1 – 200.
Wilson, D. & Horner, W. (2016). Chronic Child Neglect: Needed Developments in Theory and Practice. Child Abuse and Neglect. Retrieved from: http://www.soc.iastate.edu/sapp/ChildAbuse1.pdf
