Safeguarding Children Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Safeguarding Children - Essay Example This essay approves that according to the American Psychological Association, children with disabilities are at higher risk of child abuse, especially sexual abuse compared to their non-disabled counterparts. This happens especially if the disability directly impairs the perceived credibility of the child for example, mental retardation, blindness, deafness and physical handicaps. This report makes a conclusion that extensive studies have been carried out on the issue of child abuse and the likelihood of re-victimization later in life. Although these studies did not take a similar approach or methodology, they all converge to a common conclusion that children who experience abuse in childhood are more likely to be re-victimised by other perpetrators in adolescence and even in adulthood. One thing that comes out very clearly is that the post trauma character of the victim greatly determines the possibility of being re-victimised. Child abuse is one of the major issues that many societies including developed nations have not managed to phase out. Despite the many measures and laws enacted, reports of abandonment, mutilation, infanticide/infant killing and other forms of violence perpetrated against children are still high. A child can experience child abuse at a younger age and, in adolescence and even adulthood, a similar occurrence is also witnessed among the same individuals. This indicates that not only are children at risk of child abuse but also at risk of re-victimization by different perpetrators. This paper analyses the claims of Radford et al 2011 which state that â€Å"children who experience abuse in childhood are more likely to be re-victimised by other perpetrators, including in adulthood.† ... To begin with, the paper briefly introduces the topic, defines child abuse and outlines its categories, potential places of abuse, perpetrators, effects, and its causes and/or contributors. This is followed by an extensive study on the chances and possible reasons of re-victimization among children/people who underwent various forms of childhood abuse at a younger age. The paper does not study each form of abuse separately but makes a general discussion of re-victimization but points out the potential abuses in each state. 2.0 Introduction Child abuse is one of the major issues that many societies including developed nations have not managed to phase out. Despite the many measures and laws enacted, reports of abandonment, mutilation, infanticide/infant killing and other forms of violence perpetrated against children are still high. A child can experience child abuse at a younger age and, in adolescence and even adulthood, a similar occurrence is also witnessed among the same individu als. This indicates that not only are children at risk of child abuse but also at risk of re-victimization by different perpetrators. This paper analyses the claims of Radford et al 2011 which state that â€Å"children who experience abuse in childhood are more likely to be re-victimised by other perpetrators, including in adulthood.† 3.0 Definition and categories of child abuse Herrenkohl (2005, 413) defines child abuse as any form of physical, emotional and sexual mistreatment or neglect of a child. These constitute child maltreatment, which can be are acts of omission or commission by the parents of a child or any other caregiver which lead to threat of harm, potential harm or actual harm to a child. This definition describes the four categories of child