victimization final project - Miriam Reynoso Mercy College...

Miriam Reynoso
Mercy College
Victimology
April 29, 2009
Child Victims
While taking a class on family violence last semester, I found an interesting article on
children victims of abuse. The article explained differences that exist when the victim of a crime
is a child, as when it is an adult. I thought this will be a good topic for this class final project,
because although we think we know the whole story about it, there is more into picture than what
we thought. When I started researching about children victims of abuse, as a mother I was
petrified with the statistics, but even more on how we handle, respond and care for these
children.
Victims regarding their ages undergo a period of healing in order to overcome their
traumatic experience. However, when the victim is a child is a whole different story. Beside the
physical and emotional trauma, children lose their sense of confidence in other, mostly in adults,
and when the abuse is reported, the child is put into a stressful and traumatic criminal legal
process. In this essay I will cover the different types of child victimization, how our current
legal system deals with child victims, and the resources offered to them.

The trauma of a child victim is different than an adult because an adult is more emotional
prepare to overcome this difficult situation. Victimized children quite often suffer from damaged
or very low self esteem besides the already known post-trauma symptoms and negative
behaviors. T he current psychological treatment of these children often targets the overt
behaviors that many post abuse children have, like oppositional behaviors, acting out behaviors
that include anger and rage, fight and flight, and quite possibly intense focus difficulties and
bullying other children. In addition, there are children that may have more internalized post
trauma behaviors that include extreme shyness and social awkwardness, as well as very strained
self-confidence in their abilities. In either case, the abused child struggles to attain a healthy self
esteem, and needs assistance to do so.
There are various types of child victimization. These abuses include general neglect,
sexual abuse, physical abuse, psychological abuse, and emotional abuse. These young victims
were placed in an uncomfortable position, and because their lack of experience and physically
limitations cannot protect themselves. The incidences of abuse in correlation with the victims’
age are astounding. In 2005 in the United States alone, 3.6 million children were assessed or
investigated in suspicion of abuse by Child Protective Services. Furthermore, the national Crime
victimization survey reported that the victimization rate for children between the ages of 12-19,
it is higher than any other age group. Children between 12-15 years have the highest incidence
of sexual and physical abuse, although sexual abuse in general only accounts for 9.3 % of the
cases reported.

On the other hand, child neglect and physical abuse ranks among the types of abuse with
the highest numbers in victims, with 62.8% children being victim of neglect and 16.6% victims