Category: Research study

Want help to write your Essay or Assignments? Click here

Abuse and Neglect

Every individual has the right to live safely and free from abuse and neglect. However, it is not always that every person lives this kind of life. People often fall into situations where they are vulnerable to abuse and neglect. It is important to note that abuse and neglect happens because people use power and intimidation to control another person’s life. Most of the cases of abuse and neglect are perpetrated by the people known to the victims.

However, strangers can also cause abuse to the people they do not know. The abuse that comes from the people known to the victims happens because the victim trusts their assailant. A feeling of trust and belief in the assailant makes it easy for victims to fall into abuse and trust quite easily.

            There are many forms of abuse. Sexual abuses are acts that victims do not consent to, but are forced to participate in them. Physical abuses are in the form of assaults, slapping or hitting, just to mention a few forms. There is psychological abuse, which is in form of emotional abuse and verbal abuse, controlling the victim and threatening the person. Domestic abuse comes from a family member or relative. A victim can be abused through discrimination.

This kind of abuse causes unfair treatment of people from a different race, gender, religion, tribe, age or sexual orientation. People can also be abused financially, where one is forced to use or spend their money in ways that they do not feel are appropriate. Neglect is another form of abuse. This form of abuse means that the victim is left to suffer without proper care. In other words, when one fails to receive what they really need from their primary care giver, they are said to be neglected (NHS 2015).

Want help to write your Essay or Assignments? Click here

Task 1.1

            The victims of abuse show certain signs that prove they are in an abusive relationship. One appears withdrawn and quiet. It is important to note that even for the people who are quiet, there is a form of withdrawal that is beyond the normal. The victims could become angry and aggressive, even in situations that do not require such emotions. In the case of John, mentioned in this case study, a victim can become unkempt and dirty.

In some extreme cases, victims have bruises, wounds and scars, to serve as proof that they are in an abusive relationship (CDC 2015). People like John have no power to stand up for themselves and fight back. This makes them vulnerable to harm inflicted by others.

Task 1.2

            There are several factors that can lead to people becoming victims of abuse and neglect. Disability can cause a victim to suffer issues of neglect and abuse. This is because they have no power or capacity to do much for themselves. Secondly, the victims of abuse lack the capacity to understand their situation. For instance, a child has no capacity to comprehend what goes on in their home. This can cause the parents to be abusive to the child, knowing that the child lacks power to do anything about it.

The third factor that can cause people to become victims of abuse and neglect is the lack of physical, emotional or financial strength. For instance, a married woman who has no financial capacity to leave her abusive e spouse can become a victim of domestic abuse. In addition, a woman lacks the physical strength to fight a man, which means that she could become a victim of abuse (Kleinman 2015).

Task 1.3

            Child abuse and violence against these young ones has dated back to the times before civilization ever took place. The culture and socially acceptable norms guide parents and guardians on the best way to bring up their children (Sperry and Widom 2013). One culture could advocate for disciplining the child by speaking and withdrawing privileges. Another culture believes that children need to be beaten, in order to instill discipline. Different cultures have different acceptable forms of parenting. The culture of a people serves as a source of beliefs and behavior and the concepts of how people should conduct themselves.

            The diminishing status of the child in the parent-child relationship (WHO 2014) has affected the trust that should exist between children and their parents. Stalker and McArthur (2012) explain that social factors such as poverty can lead to abuse and neglect. Another social factor that can lead to abuse and neglect is social exclusion (Pillemer, Burnes, Riffin and Lachs 2016). The society tends to keep away from private issues. This forces many cases of domestic abuse to go unreported. Most people tend to argue that personal issues are not communal, which means that the victim suffers alone. Often, the society has the capacity to help the person, but people keep away from such matters for the fear of becoming victims.

M1

            In response to the concern presented to the manager by Tina, the manager can take the responsibility by calling the parents to a meeting. One of the ideas to have in mind is that the manager has a role to play in the life of every child that comes into their facility. The manager can act as the guardian of the child by asking the parents to speak with a counselor about their issues.

This will help them to work on their frustrations, which they do not have to pass out on a three year old child. Secondly, the counselor can also call child social workers in case she sees that her approach is not yielding any result. A child social worker as well as a children advocate can help the manager to address the issue by having the child placed in foster care.

D1

            Change means transforming practices that tend to be harmful to a vulnerable person. It is very important for organizations to change their practices. Many organizations can change certain unacceptable regulations and shape norms and new systems that promote health and safety. Another strategy that the nursery can use is to work with policy makers to give their suggestions and views about the issues that children go through in abusive situations. Policy makers can discuss and approve health and safety policies that protect the vulnerable groups from abuse and neglect (Promising Practice Network 2014).

Task 2.1

            There are legislations that protect children and vulnerable people from abuse. The Care Act of 2014 places a general duty on the local authority to promote general wellbeing of individuals. The wellbeing of a person covers their physical and mental health, as well as their emotional well being. In addition, the local authority is mandated to ensure that the personal dignity of an individual is upheld, which means that people have to respect each other despite their age or gender.

This act protects the individual from abuse and neglect. The strength of this legislation is that it gives the local authority the capacity to ensure the individual has their wellbeing protected. There is the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 and the Protection of Freedom Bills. This Act was passed to help avoid harm or risk of harm to children or the vulnerable adults. It prevents the people who are unsuitable to work with these vulnerable people (SCIE 2013).

Want help to write your Essay or Assignments? Click here

Task 2.2

            There are professionals who deal with issues of abuse. Although many people tend to shy away from reporting child abuse cases. The fear that many people feel is that they will be breaking up a home. Others fear that the violent persons might start attacking them if they learn of the role they played in breaking a cycle of abuse. Another fear is that the report will not make a difference in the life of a child. However, it is better to be safe when it comes to the issue of a child. It is unfortunate that most people would rather be quiet about an abusive home than be involved (Committee on Child Maltreatment Research 2014).

            The professionals that can be involved are child care providers and social workers. Child care providers could be in the setting of a school or a hospital. Observation serves as one of the best way to know a child who is abused. It is difficult for a child to hide their emotions and fears. Children who are victims of an abuse will often show fear on their faces. This is one of the signs to look out for in a child who is in an abusive home. Social workers are the agents who intervene in the cases of abused children. The social worker can take and place a child in a different home once the case of abuse has been proven to be true.

M2

            It is important to understand the consequences of child abuse and neglect. A child who grows in such an environment is prone to physical and mental growth. In addition, a child can become hopeless about having a good life. A child living in an abusive home can have a very low self-esteem. The cognitive development of a child in an abusive home can be delayed. When these children are compared to their peers, these children often grow slower (Powell and Uppal 2012). In addition, their academic performance is poor.

            The government can work with social workers and institutions of learning to reach out to the children who are in abusive homes. The fact is that every child has a right to having a good life. A good life, in this case, does not mean that the child has material property provided to them. The basic needs that are very important to a child are food, shelter, clothing and love. Children need a lot of love for them to cultivate a positive attitude towards life. The government should ensure that every child receives these things.

            When one considers the reaction of the mother, it is clear that she avoids talking about the issues she faces. One of the strategies that can help the manager to deal with the issue of abuse is to separate the mother from the source of the harm. It looks like the mother is in a place where the issues she faces instil fear in her, to the extent that she is not able to defend her own son. The manager can ask the local authority to provide the mother and the child with some form of protection until their case is solved by the social workers who work with children.

The manager can work with the mother to understand the reason as to why she is reluctant to speak about the bruises that Tina reports to the office. From the mother’s point of view, the manager can address the issue armed with information from the guardian of the child. In addition, the manager can speak with the child so as to understand the situation in which they live. A child, at the age of John, does not know how to lie. This means that the information that John gives to the manager can be dependable. This information can be used by the manager and the concern parties to ensure that John gets a change of environment, which will ensure his own safety and health are protected.

D2

            The nursery needs to recognize that their staff members need to understand how to handle cases of child abuse. The manager can organize training for their staff members. This will increase their knowledge on how to handle issues such as John’s within the school setting. The manager can organize with child-related organizations to address issues of handling children from abusive environments. These training workshops can employ the use of a trained social worker to pass information to the other staff members about recognizing and addressing the signs of child abuse. A professional in children’s issues can also help the staff members to know how to communicate with children.

Task 3.1

            One strategy to use in addressing child abuse in the community is fostering relationships, coalitions and networks with different child organizations (CDC 2015). This means that the community together with other organizations helps address this issue. In this case study, John is a three year old boy. His care giver, Tina notices that he comes to school dirty and unkempt. Tina observes that John is not interacting well with his peers. The care giver also notices that the boy has bruises on his arms. When the care giver asks the mother, she evades this discussion. Tina and the manager can seek help from the other members of the community. This means that the care givers can use the other community members to face this issue.

            The area networks that can be created to help these children. One of the arms of this network is the local authority. In the case of John, he has attended school with bruises. This means that John has been a victim of physical violence. The local authority can investigate the family from which John comes from. It is illegal to inflict harm on a child. As such, the local authority should confront this family in order to protect the child from such abuse.

There are religious groups that can work with the nursery to help the child and the family to heal from this abuse. It is important to understand the religious group with which John and his family associate. The hospital and healthcare providers can also form part of the network that deals with child abuse and neglect. It is important to involve the Ministries that deal with the welfare of Children. All these bodies alongside the nursery can assist John and his mother through the situations they have to face.

Want help to write your Essay or Assignments? Click here

Task 3.2

            There is a disadvantage to engaging one approach. The adoption of one approach means that the problem is dealt with at the individual level. This means that the broader scale will remain the same. It is important to change the societal norms and systems. It will therefore mean that the settings in the society will have to go through changes or instance; the people have to learn the effects of child abuse on the child as well as the society. For instance, a child from an abusive environment tends to grow depressed and with a negative image of life. As such, these people tend to be poor performers even at the workplace. If the society can change such issues, then it means that the community benefits in a more profitable way.

            It is important to combine approaches, which will address the child abuse issue. The community needs to strengthen the individual’s knowledge and skill in combating child abuse cases. This could include demonstrating to individuals how to promote safety within schools and the society. For instance, it is important to know how to deal with a parent who argues that their disciplining methods are not abusive, yet their child has bruises on their body.

The promotion of community education (Powell and Uppal 2012) in such matters helps the entire community know and use their acquired knowledge to deal with these issues. This strategy uses reaching groups to educate the community. These groups provide the community with information and resources on how to promote health and safety for the vulnerable groups in the society (Promising Practice Network 2014).

Task 3.3

            In many cases, child abuse cases happen to children who cannot stand up for themselves despite the pains they face (WHO 2014). Many of the children from abusive environments have to live with threats from their assailants. Often, they are forced to keep quiet about their ordeals. The assailants often threaten the victims to remaining quiet about their attacks. As such, children fear the consequences of sharing their issues with a person who is not their primary care giver. The staff members need to learn how to address these children, giving them hope and assurance of their safety. This means that the nursery can train its staff members on how to handle young children who live in fear.

              There is need to constantly review and update the practices that are used in protecting children from abuse. The government and the policy makers need to create collaborations with people who work with children. This will ensure that every concern party makes a significant contribution to the policies and laws that protect children from abuse. It is the responsibility of the community to ensure that every case of child abuse reaches the relevant authority. This means that the community can work together to protect the children and the vulnerable people from abuse and neglect.

                In order for the community to understand how they can address the issues of child abuse and neglect, they need to be equipped with information and resources in this field. Community social and health workers can organize programs that teach the community members on the measures to take when they learn of a case of child abuse. In addition, parents can take education and training programs to show them how to handle themselves in a case of child abuse. People need to grow out of the fear that their intervention can bring about destruction in a family. Protecting a vulnerable person from abuse gives the victim a chance to have a better life.

Conclusion

            The cases of child abuse have been in existence in our society for a very long time. It is important to know the organizations and the networks that one can use to ensure that these children grow in safe and healthy environments. The groups that are susceptible to abuse need protection from assailants. The local law enforcement needs to get involved in the systems that help ease the pain for these people.

In order to help a victim of abuse and or neglect, it is important t understand the type of abuse they go through. The signs of abuse are not very obvious, especially when physical evidence is absent. It is therefore important to have knowledge on all the signs of abuse, before any assistance can be rendered to the victims.

 List of References

CDC, 2015. Child Maltreatment: Prevention Strategies. (Online). Web Apr 11, 2016 from http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/childmaltreatment/prevention.html  

Committee on Child Maltreatment Research, 2014. New Directions in Child Abuse and Neglect Research, Washington, D.C; National Academics Press.

Kleinman, P. K., 2015. Diagnostic Imaging of Child Abuse, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

NHS, 2015. Abuse and Neglect of Vulnerable Adults. (Online). Web Apr 11, 2016 from http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/social-care-and-support-guide/pages/vulnerable-people-abuse-safeguarding.aspx  

Pillener, K., Burnes, D., Riffin, C., and Lachs, M. 2016. ‘Elder Abuse: Global Situation, Risk Factors and Prevention Strategies.’ The Gerontologist 56(2): S194-S205.

Powell, J. and Uppal, E., 2012. Safeguarding Babies and Young Children: A Guide for Early Years Professionals, Berkshire, McGraw Hill Education.

Promising Practice Network, 2014. Promising Practice for Preventing Child Abuse and       Neglect. (Online). Web Apr 11, 2016 from http://www.promisingpractices.net/briefs/briefs_childabuse.asp   

SCIE, 2013. Dignity in Care. (Online). Web Apr 11, 2016 from http://www.scie.org.uk/publications/guides/guide15/about.asp  

Sperry D. M. and Widom, C. S. 2013. ‘Child Abuse and Neglect, Social Support, and Psychopathology in Adulthood: A Prospective Investigation.’ Child Abuse and Neglect Vol 37(6): 415-425.

Stalker, K. and McArthur, K., 2012. ‘Child Abuse, Child Protection and Disabled Children: A Review of Recent Research.’ Child Abuse Review Vol 21 (1): 24-40.

WHO, 2014. Child Maltreatment. (Online). Web Apr 11, 2016, from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs150/en/   

 Want help to write your Essay or Assignments? Click here