Introduction
Child abuse is one of the main social epidemics in the United States. Annually, there are about more than 3 million reports of child abuse made in the country. However, this report consists of multiple children. In 2009, an estimated 3.3 million child abuse cases and reports were made. This constitutes to around 6 million children (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children’s Bureau, p. 1).
According to the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, child abuse and neglect are the least, recent action or failure to act of the parents r caregivers which results in the harm, danger or death to children (Price-Robertson & Bromfield, p.1). This harm includes physical harm, emotional harm, sexual exploitation or abuse, or any serious harm. Any form of communications which frightens, humiliates or frightens the child is also considered as child abuse. Any child of any type of gender, race, religion, age, and socio economic background can be a child abuse victim.
Types of Child Abuse
The Helpguide.org Website (p. 1), a non-profit resource on health challenges, defines the various types of child abuse as follows:
1. Emotional Abuse – this is also referred to as mental abuse, veral abuse, and psychological abuse. It consists of the actions or the negligence of the parents or caregivers to their children which result into serious attitudinal, cognitive, emotional, or mental disorders. Emotional abuse is present when the parents or caregiver use intense punishment or when they use derogatory language to describe the child or to reprimand or blame him/her.
2. Neglect – this is the failure to provide the child’s fudamental needs such as clothing, food, shelter, etc.This can be in various forms - physical, emotional or educational. Physical neglect includes failing to provide ample food or clothing, medication, among others. It also includes abandoning the child. Educational neglect refers to the failure of the parents or caregiver to support the child’s educational needs. Emotional consists of the failure to show love and support for the child. It is also the negligence of the psyhcological needs of the child.
3. Physical Abuse – consists of inflicting physical pain ot the child in the form of spanking, biting, hitting, kicking, burning, punching, etc. If the intention is to penalize or discipline, it is still child abuse when the child is not old enough to carry out these punishments.
4. Sexual Abuse – refers to the improper sexual attitudes and behaviors toward the child. It consists of holding the child’s sex organs, making the child touch the parent or caretaker’s organs, sexual intercourse, rape, exhibition and sexual exploitation.
5. Commercial or other forms of child abuse – consists of letting the child work or do other activities which will financially benefit the parents or caretaker and/or others. It includes, to an extent, child labor and prostitution. The activities under this category are abusive because it is detrimental to the health, mental well being and the emotional, moral, social development of the child.
Latest Statistics of Child Abuse among Military Families
According to the statistics held by Family Advocacy Program (Montgomery, p. 1), in 2010, there were 16 domestic abuse deaths, majority of which (about 81%) was committed by active-duty troop. There was also an increase in the substantiated child abuse cases. There were 5.7 incidents per one thousand children in 2010 compared to the 4.8 incidents per one thousand children in 2008 and 2009 (p. 1). Substantiated child abuse cases include physical, neglect, sexual abuse, and emotional abuse. About three fourths of these cases were classified under neglect or emotional abuse (p. 1). The Family Advocacy Program also reported 29 child deaths from abuse or neglect. Twelve of these case involved children under one year old (p. 1). In 76% of these killings, active-duty troops were involved and majority of them (65%) was a male perpetrator.
The data, however, have little information on the circumstances relating to the risk factors involved in the incidences such as deployment, etc. According to the Deputy Program Director of the Women, Children and Families Program for Research at the research institute RTI International; numerous studies have resulted in conflicting data of abuse rates. She said that child abuse cases were lower compared to spouse abuse. This dilemma is also true of the civilian sector. Domestic abuse covers such various factors i.e. individual or parental abuse and this does not indicate the specifics of the range, frequency and severity of child abuse behaviors included under domestic abuse (p. 1).
She stressed that it was evident that deployments increase child abuse rates, particularly the cases of neglect (p. 1). She explained that leaving a home causes severe stress to military men and their families and this is a risk factor for child abuse. Most military men cope up but some others have difficulties and this eventually lead to child abuse cases (Ibid.).
In a similar note, the US Army Family Advocacy Program Report in 2006 (p. 1) also pointed out that familial and parental roles have tendencies to change during the period of deployment. This can potentially result to frustration, disappointments and conflicts between family members. Stressed mothers or fathers of military families under deployment trigger the child abuse risks. Similarly, there are identified temporary emotional and behavioral problems among children who had a parent deployed for 6 months or less (Ibid.). More importantly, the deployment issue raised the residual aggression from combat factor or the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) relating the military men’s combat experiences with potential risk factors for child abuse. These incidents are considered as a major concern for the US Army.
The military agency, although, does not want to overemphasize deployment to explain child abuse incidences in the military. It is a risk factor but it should be noted that significant numbers of child abuse cases also happen to those military troops who are not deployed. Similarly, there are many military families who experienced multiple deployments without the incidences of child abuse (p. 1).
Child Abuse Theories
Child abuse, as part of domestic violence, can be considered a national epidemic. This is not just in the military per se. Most grown-ups commit child abuse as they have also experienced it while they were young. It is primarily a taught behavior. Newberger, et. al. (p. 1) explained that most clinical cases showed that the frequently noted multigenerational nature of known cases of child abuse clinically consists of perpetrators or parents of abused children who were themselves abused or neglected when they were growing up.
Child abuse is causally explained by the theory of etiology (p. 1). Child abuse is generalized by this theory to be a “euphemism” for several childhood hurts and injuries which parents commit by act of omission or commission (p. 1). Contained under this general theory are various elements and factors taken from the complex family life of the abusive individual which are assumed to be the primary causes of his/her being violent or abusive to children. These include a host of distinctive personal and family events, individual characteristics, and extraordinary circumstances of the individual and his/her family, among other host of factors (p. 1).
Another strong theory of child abuse is the theory of attachment. According to John Bowlby, a psychologist, this is a "lasting psychological connection between parents and children” (Cherry, p. 1). This attachment theorist believed that the initial bonds formed by children with their parents or caregivers have a significant impact that continues throughout their lifetimes. This attachment also serves its survival instincts as the child keeps close to his/her mother, he/she increases his/her chance of survival.
Prevention Programs and Agency
Social support is very important for child abuses victims. This includes of the physical, emotional, instrumental, knowledge and material support given by agencies and individuals to uplift and maintain the health and well-being of victims. Formal support such as the professionals, mental health services, home visit programs, parenting classes, etc. help in preventing child abuse (Barnett, p. 149).
One fine example is the US Army Family Advocacy Program. This is a public agency of the U.S. Army which provides prevention, instant reporting, investigation, education and intervention as well as treatment programs for domestic violence, particularly spouse and child abuse (Army OneSource Website, p. 1). This program gives a host of services to military men and their families, enabling them to develop better family relationships and quality of life. They have various groups, seminars, counseling, intervention sessions, workshops, which help families cope with their domestic problems. The five main programs that Family Advocacy provides include the following: Victim Advocacy Program, Exceptional Family Member Program, Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program, Education and Prevention Program, and the New Parents Support Program (Ibid.).
For instance, they have the Victim Advocacy Services Program that provides general services to victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault. This program also assists in the medical, investigative, and legal processes and needs of the victims. The US Army’s program is successful because it links with other agencies in preventing child abuse among the military. It is actually a member of the Child Abuse Prevention Network which is the online nerve center for child abuse and neglect professionals. This network provides extraordinary and powerful tools for all workers to support the identification, investigation, treatment, adjudication, and prevention of child abuse and neglect. The Child Abuse Prevention Network was initially launched as an outreach effort of the Family Life Development Center (Child Abuse Prevention Network Website, p. 1).
RTI International is a private agency which is geared towards the human development through various studies in education, medical, social and economic policy, among others (RTI International Website, p. 1). It designs and conducts research which is aimed at improving the physical, social, and emotional well-being of women, children, and families, particularly those from low income families. It also researches on the availability of and access to social programs and services to poor people, including the quality and effectiveness of the said programs. Its banner program for child abuse is the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well Being which is a longitudinal study of children in the welfare system who may be at risk of abuse or neglect (p. 1). Their program is a best example of a successful evidenced base program on child abuse cases. Evidenced based programs are likely to be more successful in preventing child abuse cases (Ibid.).
Conclusion
Child abuse is a serious offense committed against children. It comes in various forms – physical, emotional, neglect, sexual, and some others. Various agencies are helping the military to reduce its child abuse cases. As we all know, they are susceptible to child abuse and other forms of domestic violence because they have issues and concerns about deployment and the aggressive tendencies the get out of their work contexts. However, the theory which strongly supports the incidences of child abuse relate to the experiences one parent derived out of his/her childhood. According to this theory, parents who were also abused when they were young are more susceptible to committing the same abuse to their offspring in their family lives. Hence, the preventing of child abuse must come a long way and we are lucky to have social agencies which support the fight against all forms of domestic abuses.
Works Cited:
Army OneSource Website. The US Army Family Advocacy Program. 2011. Web. 02 November 2011. < https://www.myarmyonesource.com/familyprogramsandservices/familyprograms/familyadvocacyprogram/default.aspx>.
Barnett, D. The effects of early intervention on maltreating parents and their children. In M. J. Guralnick (Ed.), The effectiveness of early intervention. 1997. Baltimore, MD: Brookes. (ERIC Document No. ED414694). pp. 147-170.
Cherry, Kendra. Attachment Theory. About.com Website. 2011. Web. 01 November 2011.
Child Abuse Prevention Network Website. 2011. We. 02 November 2011 < http://child.cornell.edu/>.
Helpguide.org Website. Child Abuse and Neglect: Recognizing and Preventing Child Abuse. 2011. Web. 01 November 2011. < http://helpguide.org/mental/child_abuse_physical_emotional_sexual_neglect.htm>.
Montgomery, N. Reports of Family Violence, Abuse Within Military Rise. July 11, 2011. Militray.com Website. Web. 01 November 2011
Newberger, Eli, M.D., Newberger, Carolyn, M.D., & Hampton, Ph.D. Child Abuse: The Current Theory Base and Future Research Needs. 1983. Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 22 (3). pp. 262-268.
Price-Robertson, Rhys & Bromfield, Leah. Resource Sheet No. 6: What is Child Abuse and Neglect? November 2009. Australia: Australian Institute of Family Studies.
RTI International. RTI History. 2011. Web. 02 November 2011. < http://www.rti.org/page.cfm?obj=E4550DC8-C1E5-4A9D-A4EFB3CF60379343>.
US Army Family Advocacy Program Report. 2006. Web. 02 November 2011. < http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:iZeIPykdsAsJ:www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc%3FLocation%3DU2%26doc%3DGetTRDoc.pdf%26AD%3DADA453955+US+Army+Family+Advocacy+program+%2B+evaluation+and+feedback&hl=tl&gl=ph&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESjoPQ4bHPLzFgjsLmwmHUMMUV-k9QijhvwMJiv1EdxXssHiW_fYGaAezey74CWXCkbDrsa4uUpyZiSywfuu1v9yOShZsVZRuvpj7eetP3h8DvoGEJwQyJ-_eUX7u-vU3ZnrLpcg&sig=AHIEtbRg5LQ0vA2bsYaboE27nVEcFBWIPw>.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children’s Bureau. Child Maltreatment 2009. 2010. Web. Accessed on 02 November 2011
