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Makenzie Matthews

English 2010
Beatty
Evaluation

Matthews 1

Evaluating Child Abuse in Religion


Child abuse and neglect damages the well-being of children all around
the world. The maltreatment and the failure to care for a child are unlawful in
todays society. Religious practices allow child abuse and neglect to occur.
Numerous children consequently fall victim to abuse in religion due to laws
failing to protect them. Religion is a major contributor to neglect and abuse
that results in thousands of deaths per year and prevents proper
development in children.
Federal legislation has a set minimum standard definition of child
abuse while each state defines abuse individually either at or beyond the
federal definition. CAPTA, or, The Federal Child Abuse Prevention and
Treatment Act defines Child Abuse as [a]ny 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 [a]n act or failure to act
which presents an imminent risk of serious harm (Child Welfare Information
Gateway). Maltreatment can commonly be divided into one of five
categories being physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse,
psychological abuse, and neglect (Department for Child Protection and
Family Support). Every type of abuse exists in religion with neglect being the
most prominent form.
With definitions of maltreatment differing state by state and territory,
many cases are overlooked due to religion. Neglect is the failure of a

Makenzie Matthews
English 2010
Beatty
Evaluation

Matthews 2

caregiver to provide the needs for proper development. These needs include
food, clothing, shelter, supervision of health and safety, and medical care
(Child Welfare Information Gateway 3). However, since states define
maltreatment laws, the definition of neglect differs state by state. Twentyfive states including Utah, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Puerto
Rico, and the Virgin Islands also classify failure to educate as neglect. Nine
states, Arkansas, Mississippi, Iowa, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma,
Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia, and American Samoa define medical
neglect as failing to provide any special medical treatment or mental health
care needed by the child. . . . four other states, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota,
and Montana, define it as the withholding of medical treatment or nutrition
from disabled infants with life-threatening conditions (Child Welfare
Information Gateway 3). By the definition of child abuse and neglect
differing state by state it creates confusion in the law which results in abuse
to occur more often, especially in cases of medical and educational neglect.
Many religions denounce medical treatment and use faith healing as a
replacement. One such religious group is called Church of Christ, Scientist
otherwise known as Christian Scientists who believe in treating diseases
such as leukemia with only prayer through a practitioner. On June 5, 1988,
twelve year old girl Elizabeth Ashley King died of bone cancer. She had been
removed from school for seven months where a tumor had grown to fortytwo inches as it spread its way through her bones and genitals. Her parents

Makenzie Matthews
English 2010
Beatty
Evaluation

Matthews 3

John and Katherine King were charged with child abuse but were not charged
with manslaughter as the Grand Jury stated Were not prosecuting them to
attack their religion (CRI). In another case, Nancy Brewster developed a
lump on her neck at the age of five a Christian Science practitioner insisted
her illness was an illusion and prayed for her. Nancy never received pain
relievers, was forced to exercise in one-hundred degree weather, was
occasionally beat for not healing, and was not comforted. She died at the
age of seven. At the time of her death, Nancys mother stopped mentioning
her and did not even hold a funeral. She later became a practitioner and
never faced charges of any kind (Children's Healthcare Is a Legal Duty, Inc.).
Church of Christ, Science practitioners receive just two weeks of religious
instruction and are often covered by insurance companies (Bottoms).
A large number of faiths practice genital alteration at birth or
adolescence. While there is no benefit for genital alteration in either men or
women, the procedures injure female genital organs for no medical purpose
and are usually performed before the age of fifteen (World Health
Organization). Female genital mutilation has four major types including
clitoridectomy being either the complete or partial removal of the clitoris,
excision or removal of at least a portion of both the clitoris and the labia
minora but not the labia majora, infibulation which is the surgical narrowing
of the vaginal opening by repositioning either or both labia possibly removing
the clitoris in the process, or any other harmful procedure to the genitals.

Makenzie Matthews
English 2010
Beatty
Evaluation

Matthews 4

This can also include pricking, piercing, incising, scraping and cauterizing the
genital area for no medical purpose (World Health Organization). Common
procedures that occur in some animist societies and the Muslim faith include
clitoridectomy, excision, and infibulation in attempt to dull her sexual
instincts (Hitchens 223). Female genital mutilation holds many risks including
severe bleeding, difficulty urinating, higher risk of cysts, infections, infertility,
and causing complications in childbirth (World Health Organization). While
genital mutilation is more obviously physical and sexual abuse, the practice
fails to account for the welfare of the children involved, showing that it is
also neglect. Since there is no medical value for genital mutilation in neither
gender as well as being damaging to healthy development in women and a
high number of religions including genital mutilation as a practice, many
children are put at risk.
As stated earlier, failure to provide acceptable healthcare and safety is
recognized as neglect. Vaccinations have been proven to decrease the
spread of disease. Polio and Diphtheria have been eradicated from the
United States due to vaccines (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
However, the percentage of children receiving vaccinations for deadly
diseases is decreasing. Between 2008 and 2009 the percentage of two year
olds vaccinated for diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis went from 92% to
90.6% (Online Masters in Public Health). Particularly pertussis, more
commonly known as whooping cough, can cause children under the age of

Makenzie Matthews
English 2010
Beatty
Evaluation

Matthews 5

one to be hospitalized, develop pneumonia, have seizures, and even suffer


brain damage. Between 2000 and 2012 there were 255 deaths reported
caused by pertussis (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). In a study
looking at the exemption rates between 2005 and 2011 it was found that
nonmedical exemptions have continued to increase and the rate of increase
has accelerated. (Omer, Richards and Ward). This also prevents Herd
Immunity from occurring making it easier for infants, pregnant women, or
immunocompromised individuals who cannot receive vaccines to get
seriously ill (Community Immunity "Herd Immunity"). Vaccinations have a
proven record of preventing disease but spiritual beliefs are causing more
people to get unnecessary exemptions. Religious exemptions have been a
major factor in the decrease of vaccinations, preventing children from
receiving adequate health care and allowing more children to get sick, falling
under neglect.
Religious practices fail to provide appropriate care for children,
permitting sickness and death to occur while also inhibiting healthy growth.
Current laws are failing to protect children from maltreatment within religion.
Faith often exercises beliefs that lead to the mistreatment of adolescents
who cannot yet help themselves. Abuse and neglect in religion is leading to
thousands of child deaths and suffering every year.

Makenzie Matthews
English 2010
Beatty
Evaluation

Matthews 6

Works Cited
Bottoms, Bette L. "In the Name of God: A Profile of Religion-Related Child
Abuse." Journal of Social Issues 51.2 (1995): 85-111. Web. 4 March
2015.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2015. Web. 9 March 2015.
"Child Abuse & Neglect Deaths in America." July 2012. Every Child Matters
Education Fund. Web. 9 March 2015.

Makenzie Matthews
English 2010
Beatty
Evaluation

Matthews 7

"Child Welfare Information Gateway." 2014 June. Child Welfare Information


Gateway Web site. Web. 9 March 2015.
Child Welfare Information Gateway. June 2014. Web. 9 March 2015.
Children's Healthcare Is a Legal Duty, Inc. 2015. Web. 4 March 2015.
Community Immunity "Herd Immunity". 2015. Web. 10 March 2015.
CRI. 2015. Web. 9 March 2015.
Department for Child Protection and Family Support. 9 August 2012. Web. 9
March 2015.
Hitchens, Christopher. God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything.
New York City: Hachetter Book Group, 2009. Print.
Omer, Saad B., et al. The New England Journal of Medicine. 2015. Web. 9
March 2015.
Online Masters in Public Health. 2015. Web. 9 March 2015.
World Health Organization. 2015. Web. 9 March 2015.

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