Northern University
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Type Month and Year
Abstract
The research concentrated on developing a case plan for a neglected child. The introduction helps in determining pointers of child abuse or neglect in the community, as well as, the effects of child abuse or neglect on the child. Finally, the research was also interested in determining interventions for child abuse and neglect, how they could be applied in different ways and their effects on the children. A case plan involved members of a family in the Broward County in Florida. The family was selected after pre-qualification determining that the family was a statistical representative of other families in the area. Interviews and observation were then carried out on family members to get the information needed for the study. A qualitative analysis was then done on the information gathered in order to come up with the conclusions of the study. The research is very important in determining how proper case planning can positively affect the lives of children who have faced child abuse and neglect.
Keywords:
Child abuse
Child neglect
In-home supervision
Out of home supervision
Introduction
This paper, involved developing a case plan for neglected child. The importance of the plan is to ensure that the correct interventions are made in the right time and in the right way for the best possible results (Basarab-Horwath, 2013). The case plan is written so as to ensure that the unique features of every case are captured so that the intervention can be tailored to cater for the unique features of each case, rather than applying a general intervention which will probably not work in most situations. The selected family is important, as it is a statistical representative of families in the area. By using this family, conclusions of the study will be acceptable as applicable for the area in general. In house interventions are interventions that are made to prevent child abuse and neglect in the setting of the family. This means that the child will be protected while remaining at home. Out of home service, case-plans involve the affected child being removed from the current setting and being placed in another facility.
Child abuse and neglect is a problem affecting many children in the country. According to McCoy & Keen (2009), child neglect is one of the most common forms of child abuse since it involves denying children basic needs, as well as, the required care needed by children in order to improve their quality of life. The effects of child abuse and neglect have been documented in many previous studies. Children who have suffered abuse or neglect are likely to suffer psychologically and physically. Child abuse and neglect tends to have life-long effects for people. For example, a child facing abuse is likely to become withdrawn and this might lead to their academic performance suffering. The child might also resort to truancy and engaging in illegal activities such as drugs (Crosson-Tower, 2013).
In their research, Herrenkohl, Hong, Klika, Herrenkohl, & Russo (2013), point out that child abuse and neglect may lead to numerous developmental issues in children. For example, children who suffer from abuse are also likely to suffer from self-confidence issues. It might cause depression and other problems (McCoy & Keen, 2009). Neglected children might also suffer from physical problems resulting from poor care, battering, or poor nutrition. If the parents were not concerned on what the children ate, the children might suffer from stunted growth and malnutrition (McCoy & Keen, 2009). In turn, this leads to poor physical development. This in effect means that the effects of the abuse and neglect will follow the child throughout their life. Children who suffered abuse and neglect are more likely to become outcasts in society. They are also likely to engage in criminal activities as adults and likely to abuse other children (Basarab-Horwath, 2013). Furthermore, according to Clinard & Meier (2015), physically abused children may suffer body injuries, some of which may be life threatening.
Franzese (2015) argues that it is very important to identify and intervene in cases where children are suffering abuse and neglect. This is important in safeguarding the present life of the child and improving the future prospects of the particular child (McCoy & Keen, 2009). If interventions are not made, the child will continue suffering in their present state. The problems might be different depending on which of the parents is absent but generally, children with one absent parent tend to suffer. Research suggests that children with absent fathers are likely to suffer from behavioral problems. Children living in a single parent family are also four times as likely to suffer from poverty as they rely on the income brought in by one parent. Children brought up by a single parent also tend to grow up too fast. They take up adult responsibilities at a young age in order to fill the void left by the absent parent. This is especially significant for elder siblings.
Citing Kenneth, & Doriane (2009), partnerships in the community are very important in helping the family. These partnerships are formed with members of the community, which immediately surrounds the family. These members of society live in the same environment with the family and they are aware of the challenges the family faces. These people are therefore able to recognize problems and come up with the best solutions for the problems they face.
This paper seeks to examine child abuse, neglect, and case planning. The research questions guiding the paper what are the signs of child abuse and neglect in a child? What are the effects of child abuse and neglect on the quality of life of the child and the effects and benefits of interventions for the children?
History of the family
The selected family for this case analysis is a Hispanic family with both parents being residents. The father is 35 years old and the mother is 29 years old. Both parents legally live and work in the United States bot originally emigrated from Colombia. The father emigrated with his parents in 2005 while the mother emigrated by herself in 2009. The couple has two children, all of whom were born in the United States. The eldest child is a girl of five years old while the younger one is a boy, two years old. The eldest child currently attends school from Monday to Friday while the two year old stays home. The family also lives with two other children from each of the parent’s previous relationships. The father has a twelve-year-old son while the mother has an eight-year-old daughter both from previous relationships. Currently, both children live with the family and attend school from Monday to Friday.
Financially, the family is able to meet all its basic needs. The father in this family is the sole breadwinner who makes an annual income of $45,000. This is above average for the male median income in the county but since he is the sole breadwinner, the family income falls below the median family income in the state. The mother’s role is mainly to take care of the family, children, and doing house chores. This is mainly because the family cannot afford to hire a nanny to take care of the children based on the income received.
The child in focus is the twelve-year-old boy. The current environment is the least restrictive environment for him. This is mainly because his father and stepmother have provided the best environment within the home for his development. However, the missing parent in this case is the boy’s biological mother. She is also an immigrant of Mexican origin. She does not support the boy in any way and is completely absent from his life since she does not contribute towards his upkeep. Furthermore, she does not visit her son at all meaning that they may go long periods before communicating or interacting. She is also a drug addict and has a criminal record. Her criminal record stems from the fact that she has been arrested numerous times for prostitution and drug possession. It is evident that she engages in prostitution in order to support her drug habits. The justice system has also required her to engage in numerous rehabilitation exercises aimed towards addressing her current drug problem. However, this has not been fruitful since she still uses drugs even after multiple efforts aimed at addressing the issue.
This is a six-person family comprising of two adults and four children. The fact that the child is able to live with their biological mother and a stepmother decreases the risk factors associated with child abuse and neglect. This is mainly because the child receives excellent care and attention from his biological father and stepmother. The main reason for this observation is that the parents mainly seek to ensure that all their children are treated equally. Both parents also provide all children with excellent support in their schoolwork, as well as, at home. The child is able to live in a stable home and the family income although below the median is able to provide a comfortable life for the whole family. The parents in the family have no criminal history. The father is able to provide for the entire family by his work as an accountant. A child is more likely at risk of child abuse and neglect if one of the parents has a criminal history. The parent is likely to have spent time away from the family if they have a criminal history because of incarceration. This exposes the child to abuse and neglect.
The family lives in a three-bedroom apartment. The parents share one bedroom, the boys share one bedroom, and the girls share the last bedroom. Bunk beds are fitted in the children’s rooms because of limited floor space. This allows maximum utilization of space in each room allowing for additional room for a study desk in each of the children’s rooms. This provide the required space or the children to complete their homework. The house is a two story building with a living room also used as a lounge on the ground floor. On the ground floor, there is also the kitchen. There is a toilet on the ground floor. The first story comprises of all the three bedrooms and a shared toilet and bathroom. The house is fitted with electricity, water, and gas. There is also a fire detection system and fire extinguishers installed in the house. There is plenty of fresh food available for the children and parents living in the house. This is because fresh food is readily available at a reasonable price in the mainly immigrant community markets. From the assessment for the house, it is evident that the children live in an excellent environment.
There are no children in the household with any disability. This further reduces the chances of the children facing neglect in the home. Children with disabilities usually require more attention and this might result in them being more easily neglected. The parents also have a positive approach towards parenting. This is mainly because they were brought up in caring families. Lastly, there is no evidence of domestic violence within the home.
References:
Basarab-Horwath, J. A. (2013). Child neglect: Planning and intervention. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Clinard, M., & Meier, R. (2015). Sociology of deviant behavior. New York: Nelson Education.
Crosson-Tower, C. (2013). Understanding child abuse and neglect. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey : Pearson
Franzese, R. J. (2015). The sociology of deviance: Differences, tradition, and stigma. Springfield, Illinois : Charles C Thomas.
Herrenkohl, T. I., Hong, S., Klika, J. B., Herrenkohl, R. C., & Russo, M. J. (2013). Developmental impacts of child abuse and neglect related to adult mental health, substance use, and physical health. Journal of family violence, 28(2), 191-199.
Kenneth, A., Doriane, L. (2009). Preventing Child Maltreatment: Community Approaches Boston: Guilford Press.
McCoy, M. L., & Keen, S. M. (2009). Child abuse and neglect. New York: Psychology Press.
