Monday, July 30, 2012
Post By Ragan: Child Abuse and Neglect
A child. A small, innocent child of God. Something that people usually cherish and love unconditionally, as they should. However, some people do not understand that sacredness that lies within these little ones. They do not know how to care for children. The children end up being abused and neglected and it must stop.
Children are a wonderful gift in our lives and should not have to suffer from abuse and neglect. The consequences can be severe and their lives will be changed by such behavior of their parents.
In the scriptures is read, "know ye not that your body is a temple of the Holy Ghost...?" (1 Corinthians 6:19). Just as our bodies are sacred and important, so are our children's. Abusing them and harming their bodies, minds, and spirits is contrary to everything that the Lord has told us to do. We must raise our children with love and in righteousness. Leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints have defined abuse. "Abuse is the physical, emotional, sexual, or spiritual mistreatment of others. It may not only harm the body, but it can deeply affect the mind and spirit, destroying faith and causing confusion, doubt, mistrust, guilt, and fear" (1995, p. 1). Why anyone would want to do these things to a child, I have no idea. But it does happen. “Little children are innocent and precious in the eyes of God. Jesus Christ experienced some of His most tender moments with children and reserved His strongest language for those who abuse them. ‘Whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea’ (Matthew 18:6)” (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 2005). The welfare of a child is not something a parent should tamper with.
This mistreatment of children is followed by many damaging consequences. According to the Child Welfare Information Gateway (2008), they may suffer from physical health consequences, psychological consequences, and/or behavioral consequences.
Physical health consequences:
While the physical consequences can be minimal and short term such as bruises, scratches and even broken bones, they can also be long term and very damaging. A small baby could suffer from shaken baby syndrome and die. A child may also suffer from brain damage linked to being abused and causing the brain to not develop correctly. Poor physical health could also be a result of child abuse and neglect; there could be problems with “allergies, arthritis, asthma, bronchitis, high blood pressure, and ulcers" (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2008).
Psychological consequences:
“The immediate emotional effects of abuse and neglect—isolation, fear, and an inability to trust—can translate into lifelong consequences, including low self-esteem, depression, and relationship difficulties" (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2008). They may also suffer from poor emotional and mental health and have issues such as panic disorder, dissociative disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, anger, post traumatic stress disorder, and reactive attachment disorder. Abused children usually do not excel in school and have difficulty with cognitive development.
Behavioral consequences:
Abused children are more likely to suffer from delinquency and criminality later in life and have drug and alcohol abuse. It is not uncommon for someone who was abused to also become abusive themselves later in life. If that’s all that you were raised with, then it tends to roll over into your own family.
Children are so sweet. They are loved by the Lord and should be loved by their parents. They should be cared for and their needs should always be met. They trust their parents to be there and will do almost anything to please their parents. Do not let them down. Do not forget who they are and who they will become.
Sources:
Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2008). Long-Term Consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect. Child Welfare Information Gateway. Retrieved from http://www.childwelfare.gov/
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. (2005, November 21). The Evil of Child Abuse. Newsroom. Retrieved from http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. (1995). Responding to Abuse: Help for Ecclesiastic Leaders, 1. Retrieved from http://www.providentliving.org/
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I agree, our children are our future, and how we treat them determines the type of people they will become. If we want a kind, sympathetic, and responsible society, we have to teach our children these principles and they learn by example. Children are easy outlets for some, because they can't fight back, but they are here to grow and develop, and should be treated with the love and respect that we would all want shown to us.
ReplyDeleteYou know how I feel about abusing children. The devil on my left shoulder would have all the parents thrown into jail never to parent again. The angel on the other shoulder realizes that parents need love, forgiveness, and education to help them overcome these harmful and hurtful acts. -Danny
ReplyDeleteChild abuse is something I'm very passionate about, and makes me quite angry. When I hear about it, it breaks my heart. This topic is very depressing, but you definitely handled it well. I totally agree with you that it is unacceptable and should never happen, but there are so many contributing factors that each case is different. Most of the time it is because of a lack of resources to cope and handle the situation. I can't help but feel bad for the child and parent, because there is clearly something seriously wrong on both ends.
ReplyDeleteChildren do need to be raised in love and righteousness. Child abuse is inexcusable and shouldn't happen. It needs to be changed in every situation, but generally, someone (whether it's the child, another parent, teacher, friend, neighbor, etc.) has to speak up first.