Nursing: Understanding Child Abuse, Youth Violence, and Sexual Assault

This nursing article discusses the different types of child abuse, risk and protective factors for youth violence, and the effects of sexual assault. It also explains rape trauma syndrome and provides a diagnosis and treatment plan for a patient who has experienced assault.

Running head: NURSING
Nursing
Name of student:
Name of university:
Author note:

1NURSING
1.
a. I feel feelings of hatred towards the one who is abusive and have a neglecting attitude towards
him. For a victim of abuse I always show sympathy and try to be as responsive as possible to the
person’s needs. My feelings of sympathy and compassion would be stronger if the victim was a
child or an elderly person as these vulnerable populations are at more risk of being a victim.
While children are not able to express their suffering, elders do not have individuals to advocate
for their rights.
b. My personal experiences and emotions are not to affect the responses to clients who are either
abusers or victims since the situations under which the abuse had taken place would vary
considerably between personal experiences and those of others. I feel sorry about women who
are sexual assault victims. Women can prevent such abuses by protesting against the abusers and
ensuring lawful actions against them.
2.
a. The risk factors for youth violence are history of violent victimization; attention deficits;
learning disorders; involvement with tobacco, alcohol or drugs; emotional distress; low parental
involvement, dysfunctional family and antisocial attitudes and behaviors. The protective factors
include higher intelligence level; intolerant towards deviance; positive social circle; religiosity;
healthy relationship with parents; parent support and involvement in pro-social activity
(Matjasko et al. 2012).
3.
a. The types of child maltreatment are physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional and psychological
abuse and neglect. Physical abuse can lead to physical as well as mental difficulties for the
individual in the future, such as personality disorders, re-victimization, depression, dissociative
disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, suicidal ideation, substance abuse, eating
disorders and aggression. Effects of sexual abuse include self-blame, guilt, low self-esteem,
chronic pain, depression, addiction, self-injury and sexual dysfunction. Psychosocial abuse leads
to self-blame, helplessness and passive behavior. Neglect has a negative impact on the physical
health status of the child along with impairment in neuropsychological functions (Stoltenborgh et
al. 2015).
4.
a. Sexual assault is referred to the act wherein an individual physically forces another individual
to engage in sexual act against consent. The same is a form of sexual violence including rape,
groping and sexual torture (Finkelhor et al. 2014).
b. Rape trauma syndrome is referred to the group of reactions demonstrated by the victims of
rape, attempted or completed. The two stages making up the cluster of reactions are an acute
stage and a long term reorganization stage. In the acute stage the individual showcases varied
emotional, physical and behavioral reactions. In the reorganization phase the individual is able to
address the emotional turmoil and cope up with the loss (Tannura 2014).

2NURSING
The primary diagnosis for the patient would be signs of aggression and muscle tension, denial to
be touched, disorganization, anxiety, and feelings of embarrassment. It would be appropriate for
the professional to establish trust and rapport with the child to gather information from her.
Primary first aid is to be given to address signs of assault. Pain medication might be relevant to
reduce physical suffering. Forensic examination would thereby follow (Frisch and Frisch 2011).

3NURSING
References
Finkelhor, D., Shattuck, A., Turner, H.A. and Hamby, S.L., 2014. The lifetime prevalence of
child sexual abuse and sexual assault assessed in late adolescence. Journal of Adolescent Health,
55(3), pp.329-333.
Frisch, N. and Frisch, L. (2011). Psychiatric mental health nursing. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar
Pub.
Matjasko, J. L., Vivolo-Kantor, A. M., Massetti, G. M., Holland, K. M., Holt, M. K., and Cruz, J.
D. 2012. A systematic meta-review of evaluations of youth violence prevention programs:
Common and divergent findings from 25 years of meta-analyses and systematic
reviews. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 17(6), pp.540–552.
Stoltenborgh, M., Bakermans‐Kranenburg, M.J., Alink, L.R. and van Ijzendoorn, M.H., 2015.
The prevalence of child maltreatment across the globe: Review of a series of meta‐analyses.
Child Abuse Review, 24(1), pp.37-50.
Tannura, T.A., 2014. Rape trauma syndrome. American Journal of Sexuality Education, 9(2),
pp.247-256.