In most ancient cultures, people believed that children were only their parents' property to do with as they please. That resulted in atrocities towards children and there were no consequences for the parents. In fact, many of those societies deliberately killed infants and didn't think anything about it - they weren't condemned for it either. This was mostly about the baby being the wrong gender (usually female) and twins weren't always welcomed too.
During the middle ages, children around the ages of three to four mostly didn't have a childhood. They were seen as being old enough to accept responsibilities like chores in and around the house, collecting fire wood and as they grew older, those responsibilities expanded to doing physical labor and walking miles to collect and carry water.
Children literally became slaves as the demand for cheap labor expanded. Parents who were unable to provide for their families would even sell their children as slaves or abandon those who did not bring home the bacon. In homes where parents died, the children were automatically sold to anyone who wanted them to prevent them from becoming a burden.
By the end of the 19th century, slavery was supposed to be abolished, yet it's still happening in some countries today.
By now, many countries regard the State as the highest form of guardian over children. In homes where children are abused, neglected or in danger, the State had the right to remove those children from their parents for their own safety. It has progressed in such a way that children are no longer deprived of childhood and luckily now also has rights.
It's quite scary and very unsettling to think that this is the way children were (or are) treated. That being said, it also doesn't surprise me at all as just by picking up a newspaper, one reads about horrible things being done to and with children (and even babies) today.
Teachers, caregivers and parents should be able to recognize the signs of children being abused.
It's terrifying:
Unfortunately, abuse doesn't always leave visible marks and scars and children are often too scared to talk about it.
We all have a little voice in the back of our heads that also acts like a sixth sense. Usually when the voice speaks, it isn't speaking nonsense and when it makes you feel uncomfortable about the behavior of a child, follow up. Make sure of your facts before just jumping to conclusions and don't interrogate a child as that could only make him/her close up even more. An abused child's change in behavior will be the best clue there is, whether it's a result of physical, sexual or emotional abuse. The same can be said for a child that is neglected.
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