Imagine hearing the bell for you to go home, dreading walking into your house to see your parents. You walk in and are ignored until dinner when you get a little bread.
Imagine coming home to your parents, drunk and angry. They start taking their anger out on you by hitting you until you want to curl up and die.
Imagine coming home where you are sexually harassed. Imagine this happening to you everyday. This is what thousands of kids in the US go through. Lots of them don’t come out alive. Child Abuse is not something to be taken lightly. It is a serious problem that needs a solution.
Child Abuse is a scary subject for most to talk about but it is not broadcasted enough. It is a serious problem that needs a solution.
There are four main types of child abuse, neglect, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. Although some may sound less dangerous than the others they are all deadly, and all need the same attention. The United States is the country with the most child abuse. Colorado is the state with the highest amount of child abuse per year.
Neglect is when your parent or guardian doesn’t give you the proper care you need such as food, water, shelter, and clothing. Neglect is one of the most common types of abuse in Utah and in the world. Some common side effects of neglect are dirty skin, bad body odor, unwashed or uncombed hair, tattered clothing, and a boney unhealthy looking body.
Lots of parents don’t mean to neglect their children. Some families can’t afford food or clothes, so they can’t give their child even the basic necessities. If you are in a situation like that call someone that can help you and your family.
Emotional Abuse is when your parent, guardian, or best friend wears your self-esteem down until you feel like you can’t bring it back up. Emotional abuse is also a common form of child abuse. The side effects are the same as those in neglect, but in emotional abuse it is more common for a child to take their own life because of their self-esteem problems due to a rude comment or constant jeering from friends or family.
It is common for kids in school to make fun of what we call the “outcasts”. Most kids don’t realize that their jokes are actually hurting the people they are directed at, most kids think one comment won’t hurt anyone. Those comments build up over time. In the end they do hurt people, and the effects are serious.
Physical abuse is when your parent or guardian inflicts pain or injury on you. It may be because you are hit, kicked, shaken, or thrown these injuries occur. In Utah 10 kids a month die from physical child abuse. Physical abuse is a serious crime. If caught you could up to face life in prison. Some side effects are bruises or scars, fear of large groups or being touched, and emotional problems.
There is no universal definition of child sexual abuse. However, a central characteristic of any abuse is the dominant position of an adult that allows him or her to force or coerce a child into sexual activity. Child sexual abuse may include fondling a child's genitals, masturbation, oral-genital contact, digital penetration, and sexual intercourse. (American Psychological Association, http://www.apa.org/releases/sexabuse)

To me sexual abuse is the most serious and disturbing. It is disgusting to hear on the news about poor young kids being forced into sexual acts with teachers and relatives. Sexual abuse carries serious side effects with it such as, fear of large groups, fear of being touched, standing alone, not talking, emotional outbreaks, and scarring or bruising.

“Child abuse casts a shadow the length of a lifetime.” – Herbert Ward. Child abuse is something you can never take back. Once a victim you are always a victim. There are millions of cases of child abuse every year, which is millions too many. If we could broadcast the dangers of child abuse a little more then maybe there would be less. If we don’t do anything about it millions of kids a year will continue suffering and thousands will continue to die. Please help make a difference and start showing you care about child abuse.














Bibliography


"Understanding Child Sexual Abuse." 2001. Web. 1 Oct. 2009. <http://http://www.apa.org/releases/sexabuse/>.