Domestic Violence Toward Children
Child sexual abuse is the most frequent form of violence on children, followed by physical abuse.
Some forms of sexual abuse and emotional abuse are more insidious and seldom are expressed until the child is an adult.
Both boys and girls are victims, with girls predominating.
As many as one out of three girls may be sexually abused, while one out of eight males may be abused.
Stepfathers are five times more likely to abuse than are natural fathers.
There is no clear evidence of the prevalence of each type of violence.
The most noted in news would be physical violence or sexual abuse; sometimes neglect or deprivation reaches the news.
Families differ in their composition, history, and stability.
Thus many factors might be involved in the causes or background of domestic violence.
Family size, class, economic status, education, spiritual background and beliefs, and personal background are influences.
Situational stress may increase the likelihood of violence, but a problem of inadequacy seems to underlie most violence.
Limited child-rearing knowledge, lower tolerance, and misattributions about a child's motivation for behaving are three areas in which inadequacy arises.
The effects of violence toward children are both short-term and long-term.
Short-term effects are seen in lower school grades, rebellious behavior, passivity, or any other acting out or withdrawing pattern.
Family tension increases.
This becomes a problem at home and for the community that now must respond to the problems.
Broken homes, gangs, and juvenile delinquency are all a part of this problem.
Long-term effects are seen when these children grow up and become parents themselves.
The same patterns are played out in their relationships and marriages.
It is known that abused children are more likely to become abusers.
They learned to deal with anger, conflict, power, and hurts in unhealthy ways and usually pass this on through their relationships.
Interventions at this level include therapy, legal involvement, and protection of the victims.
Depending on the nature of the abuse, the family may work together to heal or may be required to function in foster settings to aim at personal healing.
Some forms of sexual abuse and emotional abuse are more insidious and seldom are expressed until the child is an adult.
Both boys and girls are victims, with girls predominating.
As many as one out of three girls may be sexually abused, while one out of eight males may be abused.
Stepfathers are five times more likely to abuse than are natural fathers.
There is no clear evidence of the prevalence of each type of violence.
The most noted in news would be physical violence or sexual abuse; sometimes neglect or deprivation reaches the news.
Families differ in their composition, history, and stability.
Thus many factors might be involved in the causes or background of domestic violence.
Family size, class, economic status, education, spiritual background and beliefs, and personal background are influences.
Situational stress may increase the likelihood of violence, but a problem of inadequacy seems to underlie most violence.
Limited child-rearing knowledge, lower tolerance, and misattributions about a child's motivation for behaving are three areas in which inadequacy arises.
The effects of violence toward children are both short-term and long-term.
Short-term effects are seen in lower school grades, rebellious behavior, passivity, or any other acting out or withdrawing pattern.
Family tension increases.
This becomes a problem at home and for the community that now must respond to the problems.
Broken homes, gangs, and juvenile delinquency are all a part of this problem.
Long-term effects are seen when these children grow up and become parents themselves.
The same patterns are played out in their relationships and marriages.
It is known that abused children are more likely to become abusers.
They learned to deal with anger, conflict, power, and hurts in unhealthy ways and usually pass this on through their relationships.
Interventions at this level include therapy, legal involvement, and protection of the victims.
Depending on the nature of the abuse, the family may work together to heal or may be required to function in foster settings to aim at personal healing.