From Lnscommunityradio
WHAT IS CHILD ABUSE?
The term “child abuse” refers to the violence, mistreatment or neglect that a child or adolescent may experience while in the care of someone they either trust or depend on, such as a parent, sibling, other relative, caregiver or guardian. Abuse may take place anywhere and may occur, for example, within the child's home or that of someone known to the child.
There are many different forms of abuse and a child may be subjected to more than one form:
The types of abuse are: Physical abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect.
An abuser may use a number of different tactics to gain access to a child, exert power and control over them, and prevent them from telling anyone about the abuse or seeking support. A child who is being abused is usually in a position of dependence on the person who is abusing them. Abuse is a misuse of power and a violation of trust. The abuse may happen once or it may occur in a repeated and escalating pattern over a period of months or years. The abuse may change form over time.
It has been difficult to obtain a complete picture of child abuse in Canada because it often remains hidden. Most provincial and territorial child welfare laws require those who suspect that a child is being maltreated to make a report to the appropriate child welfare authority. Yet many cases of child abuse remain undisclosed, either because a child does not, or cannot, tell anyone what has happened to them, or because no one reports the abuse to the authorities. A child who is being abused may endure the abuse for a long time before telling anyone what is happening. Some victims never tell anyone about what they have experienced.
Individuals who witness or suspect that a child is being abused may not report it because they:
1. Want to avoid the demands of becoming “involved”
2. Have personal views which condone the use of physical punishment
3. Believe that the abuse is not “serious”, especially if the child does not have visible or severe injuries
4. Believe that reporting the abuse to the authorities is not in the child's best interest
5. Believe that reporting may not solve the problem because, for example, there may be a lack of appropriate services to help the child
6. Lack knowledge about the signs and symptoms of abuse
7. Do not understand their responsibility to report abuse
8. Do not know that they can report to child welfare agencies, provincial or territorial social services departments or police departments, or not know that a report can be made anonymously, and that there are no legal consequences.
Child abuse has devastating consequences for victims. Depending on its form(s), duration and severity, abuse may affect every aspect of a child's life; it may have consequences that are psychological, physical, behavioural, academic, sexual, interpersonal, self-perceptual or spiritual. The effects of abuse may appear right away, or surface only in adolescence or adulthood. Further, the effects may differ according to the nature of the response to the abuse, and whether the abuse was disclosed or reported. In some cases, the consequences are fatal.
Given the extent of child abuse in Canada - as well as the complexity of this issue and its enormous impact - effectively preventing, identifying and responding to child abuse is an enormous but essential task. Addressing this issue requires the ongoing commitment and collaboration of community members, practitioners, and policy makers across Canada. Community supports and services for victims and their families are essential.
Please talk to you children about child abuse, it is important that you have open communication between you and your child so that they feel comfortable to talk to you if something of this nature has happened to them. The best way to protect your child is through awareness of this issue.
If you have any questions about child abuse, you can call:
Child abuse hotline @ 1-800-387- KIDS
Kids help phone @ 1-800-668-6868
Childhelp's National Child Abuse Hotline @ 1-800-4-A-CHILD
