Child Abuse and Neglect 

By Jemaa El Bahraouy

Child abuse is all over the world in every state and in a big percentage of homes. In this article, I will talk about what child abuse and neglect is, types of symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment. 

Child abuse is any intentional mistreatment or harm of a child under the age of eighteen. It is a criminal offense in most of the world and is strictly prosecuted. Child abuse can lead to trauma that stays with the person throughout their life often hindering their emotional and mental growth. 

There are several different types of child abuse, and they often occur at the same time. Here are the types of child abuse. The first one is physical abuse. It occurs when a child is subjected to physical violence with the intent to harm or injure another person. The second type is sexual abuse. It involves any sexual activity performed with a child by an adult. This includes exploitation, exposure to pornography, intercourse, and any related sexual act. Third type is emotional abuse. It occurs when another person intentionally tries to harm a child’s emotional well-being and self-esteem. This is usually done through emotional and verbal assault or by rejecting and isolating a child. The last type is medical abuse. It involves needlessly exposing the child to the medical care they do not need by providing false information. 

Along with those types, child neglect is recognized as a failure to provide shelter, supervision, affection, education, and medical care to the child. The abuse is usually carried by people close to – and trusted by – a child. It is important to report child abuse as soon you recognize it. 

Children facing abuse often stay silent about it because they are confused, and they feel guilty for what they are going through. Some red flags or symptoms that may appear in an abused child are:

• depression and anxiety
• A loss of self-confidence
•  withdrawal from usual activities and friends
• A drop in academic performance
• Avoidance of certain situations 
• Diagnosing a child can be difficult as a child may resist talking about their emotions and what they are going through. Diagnosis typically involves:
• a physical examination 
•  X-rays and lab tests
• Information on a child’s developmental and medical history
• Assessment of a child’s behavior
• Observations of a child’s caregivers and parents
• Conversing with the child and their parents or caregivers
• Treatment for child abuse helps both the children and parents. It is important to get a child treated as early as possible to ensure that their trauma is dealt with before it becomes ingrained in their identity. They will need immediate medical help if they have been physically or sexual abused. Regular therapy even psychotherapy may be required for some time to help a child learn to trust again, boost their self-esteem, learn conflict management, recognize normal behaviors and relationships.