Children are high-risk individuals in society due to their inability to be independent. As a result, parents and guardians are expected to offer the highest possible quality of care for appropriate child development. However, some children experience inhuman atrocities at the hands of caregivers, thus exposing them to complex adversities. Although there are several programs, government initiatives, and regulations that inhibit child abuse, the crime is deeply rooted in society and is not accorded the attention it desires because most victims suffer in silence. However, investigating the causes and facilitators of child mistreatment can help policymakers and other shareholders to develop more effective solutions to curb its continuity. The following paragraphs discuss various aspects of child abuse and its causes.
Parents have a right to discipline their children according to their preferences. However, some parents do not understand the critical aspects of child abuse, thus allowing their children to suffer at the hands of others or spouses. Child abuse or child maltreatment is a vice that constitutes harming a child emotionally, sexually, or physically (Zeanah & Humphreys, 2018). There are several forms of child abuse, including neglect, child labor, physical violence, discrimination, modern slavery, and institutional abuse. In the US, one out of seven children occasionally experiences child abuse. In 2020, about 750 children died from child abuse-related causes (Barboza et al., 2021). Even so, child abuse has a more severe implication for the future of the human generation as it distorts human morals and exposes children to medical conditions. Over the years, many private organizations and charities have come together to address issues of child maltreatment. However, its prevalence is due to complicated factors that increasingly expose children to harsh environments (Font & Maguire-Jack, 2020). Therefore, a practical approach to dealing with child abuse is to tackle the social, economic, and human factors that contribute to its prevalence.
Children with mental illness experience high rates of child abuse due to their inability to live like normal children. On most occasions, these children are subjected to neglect, live in poor conditions, and lack proper access to resources (Barboza et al., 2021). Consequently, children with mental health issues are perceived as a burden, thus contributing to their abuse, especially in areas with limited resources (Zeanah & Humphreys, 2018). These factors contribute to their suffering as they do not receive recommended treatments.
Poverty is an economic factor that facilitates child abuse because it robs them of the opportunity to advance and achieve their dreams. Children living in poverty are often forced to drop out of school and work for others for food or to feed their families. However, industries that depend on sweatshops and perpetrators of child labor take advantage of the poor status of these children to overwork them and subject them to poor living standards (Zhang et al., 2022). Similarly, poverty prevents children from accessing vital health and social resources. Therefore, it plays a major role in exposing young individuals to detrimental conditions.
Domestic violence results from conflicts due to spousal disagreements and misunderstandings. However, its implications are largely felt as they affect children’s growing environment. Children can become victims of domestic violence when spouses beat them and mistreat them when they are frustrated or during a fight (Font & Maguire-Jack, 2020). However, apart from physical harm, domestic violence interferes with young individuals mentally and emotionally as they are continuously exposed to a violent environment. Thus, it is a major contributor to increased levels of child abuse.
References
Barboza, G. E., Schiamberg, L. B., & Pachl, L. (2021). A spatiotemporal analysis of the impact of COVID-19 on child abuse and neglect in the city of Los Angeles, California. Child Abuse & Neglect, 116, 104740.
Font, S. A., & Maguire-Jack, K. (2020). The scope, nature, and causes of child abuse and neglect. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 692(1), 26-49.
Zeanah, C. H., & Humphreys, K. L. (2018). Child abuse and neglect. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 57(9), 637-644.
Zhang, L., Simmel, C., & Nepomnyaschy, L. (2022). Income inequality and child maltreatment rates in US counties, 2009–2018. Child Abuse & Neglect, 130, 105328.