Introduction
Child abuse is a complex global issue that presents a significant challenge for modern society. Child maltreatment generally includes all types of neglect and abuse that occur to children under 18 years of age (World Health Organization, 2022). However, the scope of the problem is not limited by physical harm caused to children as it may seem at first.
In fact, the child maltreatment issue also includes other prominent problems that can affect a child’s development and life in the future. The cases of sexual abuse, emotional ill-treatment, exploitation, and negligence are also covered in the social problem of child abuse.
Therefore, the issue of child abuse presents a complex topic that has a vital role in defining the future of modern society. The frequency of intergenerational violence in cases of child abuse raises questions about the effects of parents’ exposure to violence on children. Thus, the purpose of the study is to examine the connection between intergenerational violence and child abuse.
Interrelationship Between Child Abuse and Intergenerational Violence
As mentioned before, child development, safety, and well-being are critical to modern society as children define their future. While the health care system partially addresses issues in children’s well-being, little attention is paid to the issues of child neglect and emotional abuse caused by parents to their children. The study of child abuse cases began developing relatively recently, as parenting issues were not discussed in society for a long time.
With the introduction of child welfare agencies, it became clear that there are significantly more child abuse cases, but many remain hidden. Furthermore, there is a distinct tendency for child abuse in parents who were abused as children, which results in the multi-generational violence cycle (WHO, 2022). The study will investigate the relationship between child abuse and the transmission of violence across generations.
Furthermore, many studies in the field of social work and community health focus on defining the connection between parents’ exposure to violence and subsequent maladjustments in children. For example, the study conducted by Hashemi et al. (2022) defined that parents’ exposure to violence had adverse effects on children’s experiences in school. However, the study identified that parents’ experience of child abuse had little to no impact on their children’s experience in school (Hashemi et al., 2022).
Thus, the findings partially contradict the common perception that the experience of child abuse can result in an individual’s tendency to be violent towards their children. The research paper will identify a more accurate scope of effects that child abuse experienced by parents has on their children, especially in emotional abuse and neglect. The study’s significance in identifying the approximate range of the violence effects on parents will help define more effective strategies in working with the client population.
Conclusion
Therefore, this essay explores why I want to focus my future research paper on the theme of child abuse. Thus, child abuse is a complex global issue that covers many different aspects. Considering that the studies of child protection from abuse represent a relatively new field, resolving the current issues requires defining the impact of exposure to childhood violence in previous generations. The occurrence of intergenerational violence in child abuse cases prompts inquiry into how parents’ own experiences of abuse may impact their children. Therefore, by identifying the scope of effects of violence exposure on parents and their children, the paper will define suitable methods for working with the population group and measures in support of parents’ nurturing development.
References
Hashemi, L., Fanslow, J., Gulliver, P., & McIntosh, T. (2020). Intergenerational impact of violence exposure: Emotional-behavioural and school difficulties in children aged 5–17. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12, 1-14. Web.
WHO. (2022). Child maltreatment. Web.