Long Term Effects of Child Abuse

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A Discussion on Child Abuse and the Effects on Adult Survivors Child abuse is defined as the mistreatment of a child by a parent or guardian, including neglect, beating, and sexual molestation. The four main types of maltreatment are physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional maltreatment, and neglect (Higgins, 2004). Child abuse, especially when severe, can cause an unstable adult life and can influence a person’s emotional state, and how they relate to others around them. It can be taken in a wide variety of forms, and can range from mild to severe. Abuse usually starts within the home for most children, as well as outside with people who are not family members. In this paper, I will be discussing child abuse and the effect that it’s had on adults who have survived through this trauma. Physical abuse is actually more common to occur in most households. Boys and girls are both equally likely to be physically abused, and the abuse can range from spanking, to torture, to even murder. Children are vulnerable and are sometimes challenging to care for especially when they have difficult temperaments or disabilities (Sullivan & Knutson 2000). Mothers are most likely the abusers, but any family member can be abusive. People to this day still argue about when is it okay to be physical with your child and what the limits are. Most parents believe in disciplining their children and often use spanking as a method to keep their children behaved. Others find this tactic to be a form of child abuse and will not lay a single hand on their child even if they are being an annoyance. But is a simple spanking really child abuse? I personally grew up in a household where my mother would use spanking as a form of punishment for whenever my siblings and I were acting up. It was a method my mother used because it was easy for her to have power over us that way and to keep us in
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