Child Abuse

Blaming the victim of child abuse

Child abuse refers to an action deliberately done by a person or a caregiver, which results into serious injury imposed on a child. However, many countries have divergent definitions of child abuse. There are broad categories of child abuse. These include emotional abuse, physical abuse, neglect and sexual abuse (Finkelhor, 2008). This paper discusses the manner by child abusers blame the victim of abuse as the cause of the abuse. Persons accused of child abuse normally deny being the responsibility for their actions thereby passing the blame onto the children involved. Child abusers normally believe that the manner in which a child behaves determines the cause and extent of the abuse inflicted on him or her.

Physical abuse entails hitting, suffocating, scalding, or burning; poisoning, throwing, or any act that result into physical harm upon children. Moreover, it may result when a parent or guardian formulates signs of illness or facilitates ill health to children. Emotional abuse results from consistent emotional torture inflicted on a child, which hampers the child’s emotional growth and development. This situation may occur in a number of ways. A child can get emotionally abused through some disturbing information. For instance, continuous portrayal of child as inadequate, worthless, unloved, or has to meet certain needs of a particular in order to be valued (Joanna, Melinda, & Jeanne, 2012).

A person may abuse a child emotionally in case there are some expectations imposed which may hinder a child’s emotional development. This may occur due to overprotection, restriction to learning, and exploration or denying a child a chance to engage in social affairs. A child can be emotionally abused when there are some situations that frightens or endangers his or her life. This situation may occur in a child with constant exposure to domestic violence, witnessing, or hearing ill treatment of...