CONTENT:
CHILD MALTREATMENTName:Grade Course:Tutor`s Name: (9 November 2010) Child MaltreatmentContentChild maltreatment is any type of abuse and/or neglect to a child who is under the age of 18 years by those bestowed the custodial role to the child. The persons may be the parents, teachers, caregiver, coach, and clergy among others. The abuse given to a child in maltreatment may be in four common types, i.e. physical, sexual, emotional, and neglect (CDC website, 2010).Physical abuse includes any physical force on the child which may be inform of kicking, hitting, shaking, burning, and pinching or other impacts that may inflict physical harm on the child. Sexual abuse is where the child is engaged in any sexual act that may be rape, fondling, sexual advances, and exposing children to acts of sex (CDC website, 2010). Emotional abuse is any acts that leaves the child emotionally affected or that harms the child`s self worth, esteem, and/or emotional well-being. These may include shaming, name calling, rejection, threats on the child, and withholding love. Neglect can be applied when the child`s needs such as; housing, clothing, food, medical care access, and education are not met by the guardian (CDC website, 2010)Children are so sensitive since they are entrusted to guardians who can easily take advantage of them with children remaining tormented in fear. Historically this vice in society has been documented to be practiced in the ancient civilization; there were reports of mutilation, infanticide, and abandonment in those ages. Weak, unkempt and malnourished children were cast out of the family thus were left to fend for themselves; some of these were even sexually abused (CDC website, 2010). Human rights watch groups have come up in condemning this vice and advocating the protection of the children where much of it has landed on deaf ears until 1962. The phrase “Battered Child syndrome” coined in 1962 helped in unearthing the plight of the children as a global problem that needed much attention (Kempe, et al, 1962).Child maltreatment may be defined through cultural issues, type of abuse, and the extent of the maltreatment. In culture; generally many cultures define the treatment of the child where parents or guardians have the rights over the child where some may harass the child through such means. The type of abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional, and neglect of the child; the extent of the problem maybe either fatal abuse or non-fatal abuse.The injuries on the child due to physical abuse may be of different forms, while there may be serious physical injuries that need treatment some may lead to fractures or death due to head injuries or internal injuries inflicted by the attacker. The shaken infant is also another way of establishing child maltreatment; nine month old babies may be shaky due to application of force on them (CDC website, 2010). Battering is also a sign w...