Child Abuse: Counseling Theory and Practice

This article discusses child abuse, including its different types (physical, sexual, psychological) and the effects it has on children. It emphasizes the importance of addressing and preventing child abuse.

Running head: Child abuse
Counseling theory and practice

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Child abuse
Child abuse is the life threating experience that child faces and it leads to an emotional
trauma for a child. Abuse can be physical, sexual or psychological that as parents they fail to
look after that what their child is going through. Their parents, teachers, other relatives or
caregiver can make the abuse and due to their carelessness, the child can be harmed as well. The
harassment of child can lead to either long-term injury, short term or even a death of a child
(Croft, 2019). Further, aim of the paper is to enlighten the reader with the information about
child abuse happening with children below the age level of six years.
The physical abuse results a critical effect on children’s health, their vitality, physical and
emotional development and lastly the dignity as well. Activities like beating, burning, biting,
suffocating, pulling their ears, hair are performed by children suffering with child abuse that can
cause a severe physical injury to them which can also leave the scars on their body and mind for
eternity.
The sexual abuse is an act where the child has been harassed sexually by the ways of
beating, rape and physical assault. Children at this age do not understand that what is happening
with him or her. Many times, a child has been forced to participate in sexual activities like rape,
oral sex, and other sorts of non-penetrative activities like the touching their body at wrong
places, showing them pornographic images etc. All such activities lay an adverse effect on the
growth and development of a child, it also makes them feel shy in front of that particular person
which further results in the fear of been sexually harassed again and again. Such acts might give
nightmares to the child of such harassing acts.
The inconvenient and worthless behavior with children such as scolding them in front of
others, make them develop the fear to speak even when their parents or loved ones are around.
Children suffering with abuse are not allowed to share their views and thoughts, the offender
always making them feel below the weather. Pointing to their mistakes often, not allowing them
to make a social contact or friends is an emotional abuse that makes the child make more
conservative and conscious to speak in public which subsequently decreases there self-
confidence as well.

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Neglect means when the parents or the caregiver fails to provide their child the basic
physical and the psychological need that are very important for growth and development of a
child. The parents fails to pay attention on their child’s behavior that means that the child is not
getting proper food, shelter, clothing, proper medical care. Even when the child is taken away
from their home for the purpose of their education or other related issue this leads which leads to
emotional trauma for a child (Nordqvist, 2018).
All over the nation, there is increasing child abuse, which is a great concern, and this
paper talks about such abuse that mostly happens with the children’s who are under the age of
six. It is shocking to know that that 1,700 cases of harassment were registered against the child
abuse for the children under the age of six years. It was found that victims were 832 and they
were just one year old or younger than one. According to the UNICEF (United Nation
International Children’s emergency fund) more than 54 thousand cases for the child abuse were
registered between 31st march 2011 and 1st April 2012. These cases were the cases related sexual
harassment and it was reported that all the victims belonged to age group below the age of 6.The
number of cases from the year 2007 to 2013 disclose that 16516 total number of children’s were
sexually harassed.
As per ratio there are approx.5 to 6 children handle abused every day. If we see the data,
then there is increasing rate of physical and the sexual abuse. In 2008 there was a decrease in
child abuse by the 21% during the general election, then again there was 9.4% increase in the
year 2009. Further, in the year 2010, the abuse rose by of 12%, in 2011 the percentage was
increased by 22%, In 2012 the rate increased by 7.67%, In year 2013 it was 10.29% , through
this we can see that the percentage is increasing year by year. If we do a comparison because of
gender then it can be seen that the girls get harassed more as compared to boys. Boys too get
harassed in some or other ways as the harassment can be done by the relatives, or by the young
adults, or at schools if we see the child abuse cases over the year there the total case were 16516
the ratio was that 79% were girls and 39% were boys. Now the question arises that why there is
the need to resolve this problem of child abuse as the ill treatment with the children’s starts at a
very early age that directly affects their mental and physical health. This can pause the growth of
child, also abusing activity or a violent activity can make a child physically disabled and that can
also make them physically challenged for a lifelong and the fear of this abusing action would

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never perish. The parents play a major role as it is their responsibility to make sure that the child
would not face such situations and if they are facing then need to take a quick action (Bulter,
2019), (1in6, 2019).
The children are premature they do not have a sense of what is wrong and what is right.
Also the disabled children are at high risk of getting abused and mostly the abuse has been done
by the relatives or the known one or either from their families or neighbors. Such abuser target
this age group because at this age child do not understand that what is happening and they even
don’t inform their parents about such stuff .The child start to feel shy and because of being shy
they hesitate to speak and explain the act. The early age or a premature age is very delicate and
sensitive age that the child can be mold in the kind of environment they are surviving. What they
are seeing, what actions are been done with them it creates a different personality of that child
and a different perceptions. The abuser finds it easier to exploit such children who can be trapped
and they can do what so ever they want to do with them. We have heard many cases about the
sexual harassment done by their caretakers as that person already knows the child and he or she
is totally unaware of what is happening with them and they can’t even explain the situation that’s
why such age group is targeted easily (Caitlin A. Farrell, 2017 ).
There are the few instances like, firstly as an individual look after the child who has been
harassed immediately report if it has been suspected only one complaint or a phone call can save
the child’s life. Another the most important action is to report child abuse make a call to local
child protective services this is best way of preventing a child. The initiative can be taken by
wearing a blue ribbon as it denotes the protection of child from getting abused and ask the others
to wear and let them know how they can help too. Next if we are concerned of child harassment
and abuse then we need to donate time or money to the local child abuse prevention organization
this can make a great support. (DeGarmo, 2017)
Now it is the responsibility of parents if some other person is showing greater interest in
your child then please pay attention to that it can indicate something serious. Now again the
parents should be always aware if their children’s are talking something that is wrong or hateful
then it should be taken care of. The other steps to be taken is that there should a support
programs for the new parents to guide them. Educate the child about the physical and sexual
abuse. Next is media support, the people should choose the medium of media to highlight this

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issue and spread the awareness among the people related child abuse. Also, keeping a watch on
the children’s that how they are behaving listen their voice and act smartly. And lastly there
should be community training to aware the community about the child abuse (preventing child
abuse , 2019), (Child saftey, 2017).
The available resources for the protection of child abuse are ‘The Prevention of Child
Abuse in America’, ‘Make a Stand for Abused Children’, The Children Banks and the Children’s
Bank Data Bank , The Defense Fund for the Children’s , The Welfare of the Children’s
Information Gateway (Child help, 2019).
Thus, it has been concluded that the child abuse is the big concern that should be focused
upon as rates of harassments are increasing day by day, which is affecting the innocence and
wellbeing of a child. In the childhood, there is increasing rates that is a concern but the parents
should make the child understand that you are not in danger but you are strong and capable to
fight. The various steps are mentioned above to protect the child from the harassment from
increasing rates of child harassments that can hinder their life. It the responsibility of each
individual to make a call against this issue and participate to stop the continue increase of abuses
and harassment.

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