Child Abuse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Child Abuse - Essay Example ‘Child neglect’ or ‘child abuse’ is an ambiguous and all-encompassing term used to describe actions perpetrated by parents on children which are universally deemed harmful by society and as defined by law. Many degrees of child neglect exist within two main categories, emotional/psychological and physical. Historically speaking, child neglect is a relatively new concept and its meaning is in a constant state of evolution. Until the early nineteenth century, child neglect was more or less a way of life, especially for poor children. The terminology may be a new concept but the practice is long-lived. Throughout the history of mankind, children have been abandoned, killed, mutilated, kidnapped, raped, jailed and otherwise exploited in various ways. For example, children during colonial times in America were regularly beaten with whips because this practice was thought an important aspect of instilling discipline. Until the early nineteenth century, very young children regularly were forced to work more than 12 hours a day, six or seven days per week in mills, factories and mines (Daro, 1988). At the time, neither whipping nor forced labor was considered child abuse or neglect and children had no recourse but to endure what today would be considered horrific living conditions. Largely because of the labor movement in the mid-1900s, many states enacted laws that defined child neglect, required health car e workers to report suspected neglect cases and outline punishment for offenders (McCurdy & Daro, 1994). Congress gave a formal definition to neglect and stipulated actions states must take so that children would be protected from abuses when it ratified the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act in 1974. Many influences determine whether a child may be considered ‘at risk’ for neglect. The personality and past experiences of the parent, the family’s economic