University Report: Prevention of Maltreatment Scenarios Analysis

This report addresses the critical issue of child maltreatment, defining various forms of abuse such as physical and emotional abuse, and neglect. It emphasizes the role of healthcare professionals in identifying risks, building trust with children, and reporting cases to relevant agencies. The report highlights the impact of maltreatment on children of different ages, from infants to teenagers, and discusses political and social changes, such as ending corporal punishment, to decrease the occurrence of abuse. Furthermore, it explores the importance of programs that support parents, promote healthy child development, and provide home-visiting services. The report references key studies and provides a comprehensive overview of the issue, offering practical insights into prevention and intervention strategies.

Running head: PREVENTION OF MALTREATMENT SCENARIOS
PREVENTION OF MALTREATMENT SCENARIOS
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

1PREVENTION OF MALTREATMENT SCENARIOS
Maltreatment is the abuse or cruel and violent treatment towards a person or an
animal. Almost about 16% of children suffer serious maltreatment at the hands of their
parents (Viezel & Davis, 2015). When it comes to Steve’s case, the types of abuse that Steve
falls in include physical Abuse and neglect. He is physically tortured by her mother in case of
any kind of misbehaviour form his side. The indicators of physical mistreatment can vary
from minor like the marks of burns, bruises, welts or bite to severe like the major fractures in
the bones and even death due to the intentional assault by a person on a child. The indicators
of emotional abuse are frequent bed-wetting or diarrhoea, psychosomatic complaints, which
is due to deliberate humiliation, ignorance and rejection of the child. Neglect is failing to
provide the basic needs of a child (Thornberry & Henry, 2013). As a healthcare professional,
the first step that should be taken by me includes understanding their role in order to identify
the risk of children as well as young people. After understanding Steve’s risk, the next step
that needs to be taken is to communicate as well as engage with Steve and develop his trust
so that he can disuses his issues with me comfortably.
The whole conversation will be recorded in order to use as a evidence for supporting
the child. Not only that, in order to provide Steve with an effective treatment, all his physical
issues will be noted down. The final step that will be taken by me includes sharing
information with as well as making referrals as appropriate to relevant agencies like police or
social care (Hecker et al., 2014).
In case Steve was much younger, it would have been more difficult for him to handle
the situation. Being an infant, physical torture by her mother could have cause serious
physical damage to him. In case he was a teenager, he could have protested or even fight
back to protect himself. However, in that case, he would have gone through severe
psychological trauma.

2PREVENTION OF MALTREATMENT SCENARIOS
The political or social change that would decrease the occurrence of this abuse is end
of corporal punishment. Corporal punishment is the form of physical punishment where
deliberate pain is inflicted in children to discipline them, which acts as a defence for the
parents, teachers and carers (Hecker et al., 2014). The way of disciplining children by giving
corporal punishments is too harsh and cruel. This affects the behaviour of the children as well
as affects mental health. These programmes give support during the early years to parents
whose children give poor outcomes (Avellar & Supplee, 2013). These programmes help in
the healthy development of the children by building parenting skills, giving support to the
mental health of mother, and helping parents to get jobs or to find other opportunities to
improve the family’s conditions. Home-visiting programmes in many countries of Europe are
implemented as part of routine maternal and child health care services.

3PREVENTION OF MALTREATMENT SCENARIOS
REFRENCES
Avellar, S., & Supplee, L. (2013). Effectiveness of Home Visiting in Improving Child Health
and Reducing Child Maltreatment. PEDIATRICS, 132(Supplement), S90-S99. doi:
10.1542/peds.2013-1021g
Hecker, T., Hermenau, K., Isele, D., & Elbert, T. (2014). Corporal punishment and children's
externalizing problems: A cross-sectional study of Tanzanian primary school aged
children. Child Abuse & Neglect, 38(5), 884-892. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2013.11.007
Thornberry, T., & Henry, K. (2013). Intergenerational Continuity in Maltreatment. Journal
Of Abnormal Child Psychology, 41(4), 555-569. doi: 10.1007/s10802-012-9697-5
Viezel, K., & Davis, A. (2015). CHILD MALTREATMENT AND THE SCHOOL
PSYCHOLOGIST. Psychology In The Schools, 52(1), 1-8. doi: 10.1002/pits.21807