Essay Sample on Health Effects of Child Abuse

Child abuse is a significant public health concern for many parts of the globe, including developed and developing countries. This concept refers to the maltreatment that a child receives from his or her parents, caregivers, and relatives. Research shows that child abuse has many health effects on the life of the child, and these impacts can continue to the time when the child becomes an adult (Henry, Fulco, & Merrick, 2018). These health effects start when a child is still young, and if the abuse persists, they worsen the severity of the impacts. Otsuka et alconducted a research project to study the effects of violence on a child, and they found that abuse causes major depressive problems, interpersonal sensitivity, and affective temperaments. This abuse has more impacts than the ones listed here. Additionally, these impacts vary from emotional, physical, and in severe cases, they can lead to the death of the victim.

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The discussion of the studies discussed above implies that reducing or preventing child abuse significantly changes the lives of the victims, and it can cause a person to have healthier lives. Therefore, this paper seeks to develop a project for reducing, preventing, and helping victims of child abuse to minimize the impacts that they experience as a result of the treatment they got when still young. The best way of dealing with this problem is by addressing its source. Specifically, it is crucial to find the factors that cause this abuse, the perpetrators and appropriate methods of dealing with each case. Moreover, in this case, it is essential to note that in some instances, the perpetrators of the violence usually do not know that they are abusing the youngsters (Sawrikar & Katz, 2017). Therefore, it is crucial to identify whether the perpetrator knows that they are hurting the child. If this is not the case, then informing them could resolve the problem.

The purpose of the Project

This project seeks to develop an intervention plan for dealing with child abuse. It aims to reduce the health impacts of the victims of child abuse.

The population that it will Target

The project will mainly deal with the victims of child abuse. The best time to handle these cases is when the victim is still young to stop further violence. Moreover, other than dealing with the victims of the abuse, this project will also focus on the perpetrators of the abuse. In this case, the project will be seeking to identify ways of preventing further abuse from these individuals.

Themes in the Discussion for Child Abuse

Several themes emerge in the discussion of child abuse. One of the main ones is that child abuse causes different types of health effects on its victims. Precisely, it can cause immediate physical injuries like broken bones, bruises, cuts, and it can also lead to an impairment of socio-emotional skills (Fortson, Klevens, Merick, Gilbert, & Alexander, 2016). Moreover, it can also lead to behavioral, physical, or psychological impacts, and in other cases, it can cause a combination of these impacts (Henry et al. 2018). Other than these direct effects, it can lead to other secondary effects. For instance, it causes depressive symptoms to an adolescent, which increases the chances of the victim abusing drugs and other substances. It also could lead to poor educational performance and make the victim enter parenthood early. Eventually, these factors cause the victim to have a financial strain in their parenthood. Therefore, from this discussion, the central theme in child abuse is its impacts on the lives of the victim. It also shows that the effects vary from being on the person's health to overall life in future and that it can lead to financial problems.

Another theme in this discussion is that child abuse can be prevented, and its impacts avoided. Several researchers have studied this area, and their findings suggest that a parent's parenting skills determine his or her likelihood of participating in this behavior (Chistian & Committee on Child Abuse and Neglect, 2015). Specifically, these authors say that a parent having poor impulse control, substance abuse, or inadequate knowledge of the development of children is likely to abuse their child. Furthermore, parents that were abused when still young have high chances of abusing their children. This factor implies that training parents on methods of raising and caring for their children can reduce their probability of abusing their children (Fortson et al. 2016). Therefore, this paper seeks to develop a project that would train parents and other caregivers to prevent cases of them abusing children.

Evidence-Based Practices for Dealing with Child Abuse

Several intervention methods can help reduce cases of child abuse. The best approach is counseling the parent or perpetrator of the violence against the child. Some of the counseling methods whose success is supported by evidence include training a person in relaxation methods such as focused breathing, visual descriptions, and muscle relaxation (Elliot & Place, 2012). Another evidence-based method is using counseling sessions that include both the parents and children. This method helps the parties to understand each other, and it helps prevent future cases of abuse from occurring. In these sessions, the parent and child get opportunities to discuss the abuse and form methods of preventing it in the future. Finally, another technique is using sentimental expressions to help the parent and child manage their emotional responses. Eventually, it helps them engage in activities that soothe them and improve how they express their emotions. When used appropriately, these methods can develop a person's parenting skills and make him or her stop being abusive to children.

Research Literature Supporting the Project

Projects that aim to reduce cases of child abuse typically focus on improving the communication between a child and his or her parents, and making them aware of the impacts of child abuse. Therefore, several researchers have studied this area and identified the need for educating the parties on the benefits of knowing these factors and how to prevent them from happening. It is also crucial to educate them on the need and importance of reporting these cases since it is only after such reports that appropriate action can be implemented (Sawrikar & Katz, 2017). Another critical factor worth noting from this discussion is that the level of education of a person determines if he or she will be abusive to children. Precisely, people with higher education and those that earn high incomes had fewer chances of participating in child abuse (Afifi, et al., 2016). Therefore, ensuring that all parents get good income could reduce the prevalence of these instances of abuse. Researchers have focused on this area, leading to the realization that educating parents can be helpful (Barth, 2009). This article states that improving the parenting skills of a person is the best prevention method for child abuse.

Other than educating the parent, it is also crucial to educate the child to know and find ways of avoiding abusive situations (Fayaz, 2019). Moreover, after identifying an abused child, it is crucial to find appropriate methods of helping the child to reduce the impacts of the abuse. Finally, other means of preventing this problem is by identifying risky situations, such as parental substance abuse, depression, stress, or harsh punishment, and finding ways of dealing with these issues. For instance, a pediatrician or counselor may offer anticipatory guidance to parents in risky settings (Lane, 2014). Moreover, they can help parents replace corporal punishment with other strategies that have high effectiveness and offer less harm to the child.

Project Plan

Description of the Plan

This project plan will seek to educate children and their parents or caregivers to help reduce cases of abuse. It will, therefore, develop counseling sessions for both the parents and children, during which it will address the causes of the violence and then seek to solve them. For instance, in cases where parents use corporal punishment, the project will advise them regarding less harmful but effective punishment methods. While selecting people to participate in the counseling, the project will consider cases that are already ongoing and the individuals that are at high risk of participating in it. After focusing on these people, the project will successfully reduce the chances of this abuse happening.

Implementation Process

The implementation of this project will aim to provide the best results possible. Therefore, it will use specific measures to ensure that it achieves its goals. It will first select victims and perpetrators and guide them to identify the cause of the abuse and find ways of reducing its occurrence. Moreover, it will use experienced counselors to advise these persons. Secondly, it will also consider high-risk individuals such as parents that abuse drugs and alcohol. In this case, it will seek to prevent them from engaging in this activity by guiding them on how to interact with their children without abusing or harming them. Finally, it will have sessions with the children where it will educate them regarding ways of avoiding this problem and how to report them if they occur.

Goals and Objectives

The primary goals for this project include:

• To reduce the health impacts on children that have suffered abuse.
• To prevent the occurrence of child abuse.
• The secondary goals for this project include:
• To give children skills that help them avoid child abuse.
• To educate parents to have better parenting skills, and thus, avoid harming their children.

Methods

This project will mainly focus on implementing evidence-based interventions to prevent child abuse. For instance, it will address the underlying factors that lead to child abuse. In cases where the parent lacks good parenting skills, the project will develop training sessions that will help impart these skills to the parent. Furthermore, it will also help children avoid situations that place them at risk of getting abused. These methods have been shown to have success in achieving the goals of this project.

Stakeholders and their Roles in this Project

This project will have three main stakeholders. These individuals include the counselor that will advise the patients and children. The other two stakeholders are the child and parent or caregiver. It is crucial to involve these individuals in management. Furthermore, the paper will safeguard and protect the privacy and other ethical considerations in the

References

Afifi, T. O., MacMillan, H. L., Boyle, M., Cheung, K., Taillieu, T., Turner, S., & Sareen, J. (2016). Child abuse and physical health in adulthood. Health Reports, 27(3), 10-18. Retrieved from https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/82-003-x/2016003/article/14339-eng.pdf

Barth, R. P. (2009). Preventing child abuse and neglect with parent training: Evidence and opportunities. The Future of Children, 19(2), 95-118. doi:10.1353/foc.0.0031

Chistian, C. W., & Committee on Child Abuse and Neglect. (2015). The evaluation of suspected child physical abuse. Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, 135(5), e1337-e1354. doi:10.1542/peds.2015-0356

Elliot, J., & Place, M. (2012). Children in difficulty. A guide to understanding and helping (3rd ed.). London: Routledge - Taylor and Francis Group.

Fayaz, I. (2019). Child abuse: Effects and preventive measures.