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Child maltreatment is defined as the abuses and neglect of which children are subject, this includes physical or psychological lamtratos, sexual abuse, negligence, commercial exploitation or any type of exploitation that may cause harm to the health, development and dignity of children. children or put at risk the life and survival of them, children. In the context of a relationship of responsibility, trust or power.
Exposure to dating violence is also sometimes included among forms of child abuse.
Magnitude of the problem
Child maltreatment is a global problem with serious consequences that can last a lifetime. Despite recent international surveys in several low and middle income countries, data is still missing about the current situation in many countries.
Child maltreatment is complex and difficult to study. Current estimates vary widely, depending on the country and the research method used.
All this depends on:
The definitions of child abuse used.
The type of child abuse studied.
The coverage and quality of official statistics.
The coverage and quality of the surveys based on the reports of the victims themselves, the parents or the caregivers.
In any case, international studies reveal that approximately 20% of women and 5 to 10% of men report having suffered sexual abuse in childhood, while 23% of people of both sexes report physical abuse when they were kids. In addition, many children are subjected to psychological abuse (also called emotional abuse) and victims of neglect.
It is estimated that 34,000 children under the age of 15 die each year due to homicide. This figure underestimates the true magnitude of the problem, given that a significant proportion of deaths due to child abuse are mistakenly attributed to falls, burns, drownings and other causes.
In situations of armed conflict and among refugees, girls are especially vulnerable to violence, exploitation and sexual abuse by combatants, security forces, members of their community, humanitarian workers and others.
Consequences of abuse
Child maltreatment is a cause of suffering for children and families, and may have long-term consequences.
Abuse causes stress and is associated with early brain development disorders. Extreme cases of stress can alter the development of the nervous and immune systems.
Consequently, adults who have suffered abuse in childhood are at greater risk of suffering behavioral, physical and mental problems, such as:
Acts of violence (as victims or perpetrators).
Depression.
Tobacco consumption.
Obesity.
High risk sexual behaviors.
Unwanted pregnancies.
Undue consumption of alcohol and drugs.
Through these consequences on behavior and mental health, abuse can contribute to heart disease, cancer, suicide and sexually transmitted infections.
Beyond its health and social consequences, child maltreatment has an economic impact that covers the costs of hospitalization, treatment for mental health reasons, social services for children and long-term health costs.
Risk factor's
Several risk factors for child maltreatment have been identified. Although they are not present in all social and cultural contexts, they give a general vision that allows understanding the causes of child abuse.
Child's factors
Do not forget that children are the victims and that they can never be blamed for the abuse. However, there are a number of characteristics of the child that can increase the likelihood of being abused:
Age less than 4 years and adolescence;
The fact of not being wanted or of not fulfilling the expectations of the parents;
The fact of having special needs, crying a lot or having abnormal physical features.
Factors of parents or guardians
There are several characteristics of parents or guardians that can increase the risk of child abuse, including:
The difficulties to establish affective bonds with the newborn.
The fact of not taking care of the child.
The personal history of child abuse.
Lack of knowledge or unrealistic expectations about child development.
The undue consumption of alcohol or drugs, especially during pregnancy.
The participation in criminal activities.
The economic difficulties.
Relational factors
There are various characteristics of family relationships or relationships with partners, friends and colleagues that may increase the risk of child abuse, including:
The physical, mental or developmental problems of a family member.
The breakup of the family or violence among other members of the family.
The isolation in the community or the lack of a support network.
The loss of extended family support to raise the child.
Social and community factors
There are various characteristics of communities and societies that can increase the risk of child abuse, including:
Social and gender inequalities.
The lack of adequate housing or support services for families and institutions.
High levels of unemployment or poverty.
The easy availability of alcohol and drugs.
Insufficient policies and programs to prevent child abuse, pornography, prostitution and child labor.
Social and cultural norms that weaken the child's status in relationships with their parents or encourage violence towards others, physical punishment or rigidity of the roles assigned to each sex.
The social, economic, sanitary and educational policies that generate poor living conditions or instability or socioeconomic inequalities.
Prevention
The prevention of child maltreatment requires a multisectoral approach. Effective programs are those that support parents and provide them with positive knowledge and techniques to raise their children. Among them are:
Home visits by the health team to offer support, training and information.
The training of parents, usually in groups, to improve their skills to raise children, improve their knowledge about child development and encourage them to adopt positive strategies in their relationships with their children, and
Interventions with multiple components, which generally include support for parents and their training, preschool education and child care.
Other promising preventive programs are:
Those designed to prevent cranioencephalic traumas due to abuse. These are usually hospital programs by which new parents are informed of the dangers of shaking small children and how to deal with the problem of children with inconsolable crying.
Those intended to prevent sexual abuse in childhood. They are usually done in schools and they teach children:
The ownership of his body.
The differences between normal contacts and shameless touching.
How to recognize situations of abuse.
How to say "no"
How to reveal abuses to an adult they trust.
These programs are effective in reinforcing the protective factors against childhood sexual abuse (for example, knowledge of sexual abuse and protective behaviors), but there is no evidence to reduce other types of abuse.
The earlier these interventions occur in the child's life, the greater the benefits they can bring to him (for example, cognitive development, behavioral and social competences, educational achievements) and society (for example, reduction of crime).
In addition, early recognition of cases and continued assistance to victims and their families can help reduce the recurrence of abuse and alleviate its consequences.
Protect our children who are the future of the planet.
