Child Abuse or Neglect: Vulnerable Groups and Impact on Health and Well-being

INTRODUCTION
Vulnerable groups are the group of people who are at risks. There are various circumstances such as disease, disability, limited resources,
environmental conditions etc that make individuals and groups as vulnerable. From the impact of disasters the population, individual or organization are
unable to cop up or recover. When a disaster strikes the children, pregnant women, old people are particular vulnerable. In health and social care the word
vulnerable is widely used (Kanbay,Aslan and Işik, 2016). From individual ,community vulnerability may arise and needs different policy interventions. From
the impact of nature or man -made hazard are individual group has the diminished capacity to anticipate , cope up or resist. This is known as vulnerability.
The young children, pregnant women, migrants, widows , older people etc are some of potential vulnerable groups. The vulnerable groups that is been
chosen is child abuse or neglect. In this the serious harm to a children by caused by parent or care giver. This may cause injury, death, emotional harm to a
child.
Child abuse or child neglect
The vulnerable groups that is been selected in this report is child abuse or child neglect. By the parent or
other care giver a child is being neglected or a physical, sexual or psychological maltreatments is given to them. In this
the parent or family fails to fulfil the basic needs of the child and this may take place in schools, communities,
organization in which the child interacts. The adequate health care, supervision, clothing, safety needs etc are not given
to a child. In order to develop a child physically, socially and emotionally society believes that there are important
behaviours that need to be provided by care giver to the child.
There are basically four types of child abuse and they are as follows-:
Physical abuse- From the physical aggression an injury is being caused due to this. The act is considered as physical
abuse even if the injury is not intentionally done.
Sexual abuse of a child- Between an child or an adult it is an sexual act. The intercourse, rape, oral sex and sodomy
are been included in it.
Emotional abuse- It is a most common form of child abuse. The domestic violence is being witnessed by the children
during this abuse.
Neglect - From the parents the child suffer neglect.
By a number of factors child abuse can be caused.
Parental factors – The children are been abused physically, sexually, or emotionally by the abusive paints. The low-
esteem ,low intelligence, drug or alcohol use are some traits that is been identified in some abusive parents.
Age – On the age of child the vulnerability to child abuse mainly depends on. Among the young infants the fatal case of
physical abuse are been found.
Sex- In comparison with boys girls race at high-risk for sexual abuse, education and nutritional neglect. At a world level
there are about 120- million children in the age of 6 to 12 years who are not going to school.
Special characteristics – For the physical abuse and neglect the premature infants, twins and handicapped children are at
a high risk.
Care giver and family traits – The parenting can be compromised due to aspect of family environment that can lead to
child maltreatment.
Structure of family and resources- The parents who abuse their child physically are more likely to be single, unemployed,
poor .They are also not well-educated.
Poverty - The association between poverty and child maltreatment is strong. In the communities the rates of abuse are
higher where there is a high-level of unemployment and poverty.
Due to child abuse or neglect there can various impact that can be there on the health and well-being child.
The cancer, chronic lung cancer, ischaemic heart disease etc are related to abuse during childhood (Douglas and Mohn,
2014). The psychological damage can also be faced by children.
Safeguarding interventions – the role of multidisciplinary / multi-agency
teams
• In order to protect children from abuse school staff play an essential role in it. With
children and young people they have a regular contact. The signs of abuse and neglect
can be identified by school staff as they are in a strong positions.
• The safe environment for children and young people can be created by schools through
robust safeguarding practices.
• The school should make sure that appropriate training need to be given to staff and
also the policy and practice need to be kept up to date,
• About staying safe the children and young people need to be taught.
• The safeguard policies and procedure need to be there in all organization that work
with or come in contact with children.
• They need to make sure that all staff and volunteers receive child protection training
The safeguarding laws and policies
• The child protection policy – By this policy a
commitment to children is been given in order to
safeguard them from any harm.
• The children act (2004)- Through this act the help
and protection to children from any abuse or harm is
been given.
• The Human Rights Act (1998)-By using this act the
equal treatment to all need to be given. All people need
to be treated with fairness, dignity, respect.
• United Nations Convention on the Rights of the
Child (1989)(UNCRC)- In this the rights related to civil,
political, economic, social , health rights have been set
for children.
Role of nurses
The core competencies need to be demonstrated by the nurses in
order to protect the child abuse or child neglect. In order to
understand the child abuse or child maltreatment the nurse need to
make use of clinical knowledge and the signs of child abuse or
neglect need to be identified by them. For the child or young children
they need to act as an effective advocate and should listen to their
point of view or their perception. On the health and well-bring of child
or young person they need to identify the impact of physical and
mental health of parents and care giver (Damashek,Nelson and
Bonner, 2013). The nurses need to have clear idea about their roles
and responsibilities regarding giving care to children and they also
need to be clear about roles, responsibilities and professional
boundaries of their colleagues.
REFERENCES
• Damashek, A., Nelson, M.M. and Bonner, B.L., 2013. Fatal child
maltreatment: Characteristics of deaths from physical abuse
versus neglect. Child abuse & neglect. 37(10). pp.735-744.
• Douglas, E.M. and Mohn, B.L., 2014. Fatal and non-fatal child
maltreatment in the US: An analysis of child, caregiver, and service
utilization with the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data
Set. Child Abuse & Neglect. 38(1). pp.42-51.
• Kanbay, Y., Aslan, Ö. and Işik, E., 2016. Child Abuse and
NeglSafeguarding children and young people – every nurse’s
responsibility. 2017ect. International Journal of Health Sciences
and Research (IJHSR). 6(8). pp.352-357.