Child Abuse Types and Practices
Child Abuse is a practice done by parents and Guardians of the children or even strangers. It results in injury to the child whether it is mental, physical or sexual. In this article, we are mainly targeting the types of Child Abuse and where these practices are being done the most. More than 1 billion children are abused every year all around the globe and 40 of the world's countries are most involved in it.
Types of Child Abuse
Mental Abuse
Child abuse is not only limited to violence against children, it is the pressure that can lead a child into depression and suicidal attempts. This type of abuse is known as mental or physiological abuse. Following are some examples of abuses that can affect a child mentally.
● Body shaming which is done by parents or guardians.
● Comparing the child with others.
● Telling the child that he/she is worthless and won't achieve anything in life.
● Calling offensive names to the child.
● Constantly, degrading and criticising the child.
● Expecting a lot from the child and getting angry, when they don't achieve it.
● Keeping them in a bad and offensive environment such as exposing them to drugs, violence etc.
● Failing in properly educating the child that may cause problems in the future.
● Not providing them with a safe and healthy parental environment that may lead to trauma later in life.
Many of the criminals which have walked on this earth are the product of child abuse and neglect, which obviously doesn't justify their gruesome and inhumane acts but still is the result of abuse which they faced in their childhoods.
There are many countries all around the globe, where children are considered inferior with respect to the elders. In these countries, children are not safe from any type of harm that comes their way.
Sexual Abuse
It is a practice done by an adult on underage children for sexual pleasure. It is either by physically assaulting them or being involved in child pornography. Sexual abuse can be done by their parents, the guardian of the child or any other person.
The person who does adultery to a child is called a paedophile which is a psychiatric disorder in which an older person is sexually interested in younger partners. Most of the sexual child abuses are linked towards paedophiles.
This type of abuse is very common in many countries whether they are classified as 3rd world countries or even wealthy ones. Many children all around the globe are subjected to this type of abuse. This may lead to severe trauma in the upcoming life of the child.
Physical Abuse
It is a condition where the adult physically assaults an underage child which can result in bruises and damage to the body of the child. This type of abuse can alter the personality of the child to a great extent in which he or she loses confidence and this can hurt the self-esteem of the child.
Many cases of physical abuse against the children have been reported that had ultimately resulted in the death of the children.
Neglect
Most people may not consider neglect as child abuse or child maltreatment but this definitely fits the terms of child abuse. Neglect towards the child can lead to many cases of harm towards the children because there is no one to provide protection to the defenceless child. Neglect abuse is common in many countries. Following are some of the examples of child neglect.
● Leaving a child unattended at home, which may lead to self-harm or in other cases, kidnapping or worse.
● The parents or guardians not properly feeding the children or providing them with good necessities of life.
● Not caring about the well being of the child.
● Not providing them with proper medical care in case of injuries or harm.
How to identify an abused child?
Around the globe, many children are being abused on a daily basis but they are unable to speak about it, may it be because of the offender's pressure or due to fear.
So it is our duty to protect an abused child and take action against the offender.
Here are some signs of an abused child:
● Marks of bruises on the body of the child.
● The child will be socially awkward and scared all the time.
● The child doesn't want to go to school or in another case doesn't want to come back home.
● The child self harms itself by doing drugs in cases of depression or anxiety.
● The child may have many signs of self-harm such as cutting marks on their body.
● They may be malnourished.
● They are very sacred in expressing their opinions.
These are some of the signs of child abuse but most signs depend upon the type of abuse done by the offender. It is our duty to check on the children if you fear that they are being abused. If the suspicion is true then one must immediately call the helpline provided by their respective country.
