Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS, is the third leading cause of death in babies (U.S. Department of Heath and Human Services). More babies die in a year of SIDS than cancer, leukemia, heart disease, cystic fibrosis, and child abuse combined (“Sudden Infant Death”). But what is SIDS? The definition is the death of an infant within its first year that cannot be explained after an autopsy, an investigation of the place where the baby died, and a review of the baby's and its family's medical history. But what truly causes it is a mystery that leaves scientists and doctors with just guesses and tests to do.
The alarming statistics that relate to youth violence are alarming and over whelming. Upon review of a study about youth violence, The Center for Disease Control (CDC) states that in 2007, 5764 young people aged 10-24 were murdered, that’s an average of 16 each day (CDC2010). With that said murder is the second leading cause of death for that age group. Other less severe crimes, but still inexcusable are also on the rise. Assaults committed by young people ages 10-24 were responsible for more than 656,000 injuries treated in an emergency room (CDC2010).
Teen homelessness is alarmingly high in the United States. “Approximately 1.6 million youth ages twelve to seventeen had run away from home and slept on the street in the past twelve months.” (1800Runaway.org) Fifty-percent of those teens will be trafficked for sex in the first forty-eight hours of leaving home. (National Runaway Hotline) Members of society often think that runaway kids are disobedient and rebellious, preferring to live on the streets rather than following the rules. The most prevalent reason children and teens runaway is because of the maltreatment they experience at the hands of parents or caregivers. Eighty percent of runaway and homeless girls reported having ever been sexually or physically abused.
Children born into homelessness are more likely to have low birth weights and are at greater risk of death. Homelessness also exposes infants to environmental factors that can endanger their health. Because homeless families often have little access to health care, many homeless infants lack essential immunizations. As of June 2008, there are more than 100,000 homeless children in Massachusetts. Out of these numbers 2,472 living in emergency shelter funded by the Ma Department of Transitional Assistance.
This information can be found on the Child Welfare Information Gateway at their website www.childwelfare.gov. In the year 2009 it was estimated that more than 800,000 children had been confirmed as abuse or neglect victims in the United States (The State Library of Kansas, 2009). It is also estimated that one in every four girls and one in every seven boys are subject to sexual abuse before they see their 18th birthday (The State Library of Kansas, 2009). The most common form of child abuse is neglect. Children under the age of 7 made up 56% of these cases (Beddoe, 2011).
“During the 1990’s, the nation’s prison population increased by 50 percent, the number of children who had a parent in prison increased by the same proportion, from 1 million to 1.5 million children, these children represent 2 percent of all minor children in America” (Travis & Waul, 2003, p. 3). Overall, imprisonment places an indescribable burden on the relationships between parents and their children. Incarcerated parents must learn how to cope with the loss of normal contact with their children, infrequent visits in inhospitable surroundings, and lost opportunities to contribute to their children’s development. The children must come to terms with the harsh reality of an absent parent, and the stigma of parental imprisonment, as well as the altered support of the family system that may include grandparents, foster care, or a new adult in the home. Children whose parents have been arrested and incarcerated face unique difficulties.
The Office of National Statistics, interviewed parents, teachers, and children themselves, and found that many suffer from emotional problems such as depression, anxiety and aggression. Statistics show that over a 3 year period, children whose parents were split up were 4.53 more likely to develop emotional problems than those whose parents were still in one household, and were 2.87 times more likely to demonstrate the start of behavioral disorders. Edmondson, Brad/Waldrop, Judith “Single Parents Statistics” American Demographics, Dec93, Vol. 15 Issue 12, p36, 2p, 2 Charts, 1 Graph. Per the US Census Bureau single parents consist of “other families” which are households of unmarried couples.
Does Child Maltreatment Lead to Crime? By: Charissa Zugg August 3, 2001(written on) Does Child Maltreatment Lead to Crime? Child maltreatment has been a growing concern for many years. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 2007 approximately 794,000 children were determined to have been the victims of child abuse and/or neglect as well as an estimated 1,760 children younger than 18 died as the result of maltreatment (Hammond, 2011). Crime is one of the most socially costly potential outcomes for maltreatment.
ENG 101-11929 Paper 2 Professor Gallipeo 20 October 2013 Child Maltreatment in America Child abuse has been one of the most severe problems in American society and still is a problem that just cannot be overlooked. The United States has the worst records among the industrialized nations, losing on average between four and seven children a day due to child abuse and neglect. Child maltreatment, sometimes referred to as child abuse and neglect, includes all forms of physical and emotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse, neglect, and exploitation that results in actual or potential harm to the child’s health, development or dignity. Within this broad definition, five subtypes can be distinguished – physical abuse; sexual abuse; neglect and
Children are most frequently sexually abused by someone they know, often a member of their own family. Over the past 10 years, more than 20,000 American children are believed to have been killed in their own homes by family members. And this include Children have been abused physical, sexual and psychological. Other way is that people adopt children to make work for them, to sell to drug dealers or people who buy children for sex. The sadness thing is that children have been abused especially sexual by their own parents or siblings.