Consequences of stress on Children's Development

It was Herbert Ward who once stated, “Child abuse casts a shadow the length of a lifetime.” In reflecting about the terms child abuse it is the harm or mishandling of a person ages birth through adolescents. Each State provides its own definitions of child abuse and neglect based on minimum standards set by Federal law.

According to the Child Welfare Information Getaway Child Abuse and Neglect is defined in Federal Law through “Federal legislation which lays the groundwork for States by identifying a minimum set of acts or behaviors that define child abuse and neglect. The Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), (42 U.S.C.A. §5106g), as amended by the Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003”.

“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. Most Federal and State child protection laws primarily refer to cases of harm to a child caused by parents or other caregivers; they generally do not include harm caused by other people, such as acquaintances or strangers.

High profile cases of child abuse reported such as Debra Luptak and younger sister Danielle Luptak were routinely brutalized, physically and emotionally on a daily basis. They were physically malnourished and beaten, emotionally and cognitively stunted, and completely without any nurturing or schooling. They were caged both physically in a closet and later in a basement, and mentally with pharmaceutical drugs and strong adult sedatives, they learned to survive.



China

“Physical abuse in Chinese families had increased over the course of the years. The highest rate of serve violence occurred among boys or children aged 3-6 years old; and were committed by mothers. When compared to U.S. families, Chinese families showed lower rates of minor violence but higher rates of serve violence towards children” (Tang 1998)

The China Post reports in TAIPEI, Taiwan cases of child abuse increased by about 30 percent between
2005 and 2009, according to statistics from the government and the Taiwan Fund for Children and
Families (TFCF) , a fund executive said yesterday, ahead of the April 4 Children's Da

The number of child abuse cases reached 13,400 in 2009, 35 percent more than in 2005. Most victims were elementary school children improperly disciplined by their parents, TFCF CEO Wang Ming ren said, citing statistics compiled by the Ministry of the Interior

Evidence showed that parents torn between the demands of the workplace and the family tended to be rougher when disciplining young children.
Pointing to a recent criminal case in which a girl in Pingtung County is suspected of colluding with her boyfriend to murder her father after being subject to long-term abuse, Wang said that if police and social services groups could have intervened earlier, the tragedy could have been prevented. There are many parenting problems involved in child abuse cases, such as lack of parenting skills, negligence and overly strict parenting,

He also said “parents who are inclined to improperly discipline their children are often overly demanding, alcoholic or have anger management problems”





Reference

Retrieved on January 28, 2012 from

http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/whatiscan.cfmRetrieved on January 28, 2012 from

 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0145213498000106 Catherine So-kum Tang

Retrieved on January 28, 2012 from

 http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/national/national-news/2010/04/03/250970/Reports-of.htm