Child Abuse - The Effects it has on Victims

Apr 22, 2011
Matt Johnson

Child abuse claims thousands of victims daily - FotoSearch

(Part 2 of Child Abuse) Child abuse has many victims and effects them both short term and long term.

The Effects are Present

When discussing the impact of child abuse on the victim there are a lot of factors. When dealing with child abuse there are not only the short-term effects, but long-term effects that stick with the victim as well.

“Much research has been done about the possible consequences of child abuse and neglect. The effects vary depending on the circumstances of the abuse or neglect, personal characteristics of the child, and the child’s environment” (Information Gateway, 2008).

Anyone who grew up with child abuse will have long-term consequences and effects from their trauma. These long-term effects do not appear as soon as the physical, sexual, and emotional abuse is over. Often victims suffer for decades after the child abuse is over, suffering from depression, migraines, addictions, and sometimes self-treating with mood altering substances such as drugs and alcohol.

Child abuse can be both physical and emotional. When looking at the psychological consequences “the immediate psychological effects of abuse and neglect-isolation, fear, and a lack of trust-can spiral into long-term mental health consequences to include depression and anxiety, low self-esteem, difficulty establishing and maintaining relationships, eating disorders, and suicide attempts” (Iannelli, 2007).

It also has behavioral consequences where children are more adapt to criminal behavior because of the abuse they received as a child. “As adults, children who experienced abuse or neglect have an increased likelihood of criminal behavior, involvement in violent crime, abuse of alcohol and other drugs, and abusive behavior”(Innelli, 2007).

Other long-term effects of abuse can lead to the victim becoming the abuser to his/her family when they grow up. It is also prevalent that if they grow up in a household of substance abuse, they will be more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol themselves. The struggles with child abuse would leave a lot of emotional scars that would take a lot of healing through medical and mental treatments by means of counseling and medication. All of this of course would not be cheap and would cost money for healthcare and a person’s well-being. Relationships would suffer as well as a person’s lifestyle.

What Can Be Done

The first action would be when the abuse itself is reported. The law enforcement agency with the help of child protection services would respond. They work with local law enforcement to maintain that the child is safe focusing on rehabilitation rather than punishment.

“Protective service workers have legal authority to intervene against parent’s wishes in order to determine whether a child is being abused or neglected. If evidence of abuse or neglect is found, the protective service agency may petition a court for additional powers to act on behalf of the child” (Clark, 2001, pg. 186).

If the child is in immediate danger, the child protection services work with local law enforcement and provide immediate emergency custody powers and remove the child from the abusive situation. They would put the child put into protective custody in one of their many shelters for emergency care of abused children or a locally mandated foster home.

The second action would be that once the child is in protective custody, the law would then investigate what type of abuse occurred and bring up charges against the suspect of child abuse. They will have a professional interview the victim about their abuse -- not an investigator, but a professional who has been trained to interview children about abuse. The benefit of trained interviewers is attributed to the fact that they reinforce appropriate questions in the interview with the appropriate approach. Non-professional interviewing of child victims can bring on leading questioning and result in a more challenging interview for both the interviewer and the child.

Looking Ahead

When looking at child abuse and neglect, there are many factors that come into play. When we look at the nature of child abuse, its impact on the victim, the response to child abuse, community resources available to victims, and the change in society's approach to child abuse over the past 30 years will help demonstrate what it is and the steps that have been taken over the years to prevent, deter, and prosecute those involved with child abuse. It is immoral and unethical action against the ones we love, and it is up to us to take action to prevent as well as punish those who feel child abuse is acceptable