Child Maltreatment Analysis

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Child abuse, also known as child maltreatment, isn’t a modern issue, but it wasn't discussed in households until the 1980s. Child maltreatment is behavior that harms a child. The four types of child maltreatment includes: physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect. There are also certain characteristics and patterns of child maltreatment. Adults abuse children for reasons such as substance abuse, stress, economic conditions, partner violence, divorce, and a combination of factors. Abuse can often affect children for the rest of their lives. Physical abuse causes injuries to a child, it can vary from acts that does not leave any physical mark to ones that causes severe damage such as disability, disfigurement, or death (Benokraitis, 2015). Sexual abuse involves sexual activity that benefits the abuser. Neglect is when the caregiver fails to provide basic necessities to the child. Emotional abuse is not a visible form of abuse, but can be the worst form of abuse. It is when the caregiver harms the child’s self-esteem and psychological well being. The most common type of maltreatment is neglect (Benokraitis, 2015). Female children are more likely to be victimized than male children.…show more content…
Approximately 2,000 children die every year in the U.S. because of physical abuse (McNulty, 2015). Similar to Munchausen Syndrome, it is also diagnosed by a physician that observes signs of abuse. Shaken Baby Syndrome is also diagnosed by a physician that observes signs that the child has been forcefully shaken. This is easier to diagnose because medical scans may be performed to confirm that the child has brain injuries. Shaken Baby Syndrome, also called abuse head trauma or shaken impact syndrome, is serious brain injuries caused by forcefully shaking a child. It can be so severe that it damages the brain cells and results in permanent brain damage (Mayo Clinic,

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