Final Project Persuasive Research Paper - Running head CHI...

Running head: CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT 1
Child Abuse and Neglect
Luz Mortman
Com 220
December 19, 2010
Antonio S. Caruso

When I was growing up, my mother and older brother both use to hit me. My mother thought that the only
way to keep us in line was to hit us with anything that was in arms length of her at the time. She had times when
there was no reason to hit me and my younger brother; my older brother was never hit. As the years went on, my
older brother was the one that was doing the hitting but only to me. He used to get mad over nothing and take it out
on me. This went on for years until the day that I stood up to him, but that just made our fights worst, so I moved
out. When my mother was growing up she also was abused by her mother and she repeated the cycle with us and
then my older brother with me. Therefore, child abuse and neglect has become a major problem in this country and
more people should be aware to stop this dilemma and prevent it from happening anymore.
Child abuse is still a growing problem in this country because many people are unaware
of the signs and they could help prevent or stop the abuse sooner. Child abuse is defined as
serious physical and emotional harm. Child abuse happens in many different forms, it can be
physical, emotional, neglect, and sexual. The most common ones are sexual and physical. These
are also those that leave the mark behind. Emotional and Neglect are the types of abuse that are
hard to detect because they leave no scars. Child Neglect is the most common form of abuse.
The Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) define child abuse as: “Any
recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker which results in death, serious
physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation; or An act or failure to act which
presents an imminent risk of serious harm” (Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2008).
Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect . Retrieved Month Day, 2008,) http://www.childwelfare.gov/
pubs/factsheets/preventingcan.cfm
The Broken Spirits Network defines child abuse as: “The physical, sexual, or emotional
maltreatment or neglect of children by parents, guardians, or others responsible for a child's
welfare. Physical abuse is characterized by physical injury, usually inflicted as a result of a
beating or inappropriately harsh discipline. Sexual abuse includes molestation, incest, rape,
prostitution, or use of a child for pornographic purposes. Neglect can be physical in nature
(abandonment, failure to seek needed health care), educational (failure to see that a child is
attending school), or emotional (abuse of a spouse or another child in the child's presence,
allowing a child to witness adult substance abuse). Inappropriate punishment, verbal abuse, and

scapegoating are also forms of emotional or psychological child abuse” The Broken Spirits
Network (2001-2005) Child Abuse). www.brokenspirits.com
Child abuse could happen to every type of family. It crosses over every social barrier.