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Literature Review Assignment: Child Abuse

Eugene Marshall III

Dr. Wynne
English 102-05
April 22, 2016

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Abstract

Child Abuse is when a parent (and or caregiver), whether through action or failing to act,
causes injuries, death, emotional harm or severe harm to a child. Child Abuse can be distributed
in a couple different ways. It can be distributed through neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse,
exploitation, and emotional abuse. All of these ways are detrimental to children of all ages. No
child is deserving of any type of punishment to the point where they can possibly lose their life.

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Literature Review Assignment: Child Abuse. Child abuse has been a reoccurring issue to the
United States for some time now. The United States does not take this act of crime lightly. Its a
very serious issue that unfortunately, the adults committing child abuse seem to take it lightly. No
matter what they think the issue is for doing it, they actually become the issue for doing. Child
abuse can really cause some harmful effects. The effects can have an impact on victims and nonvictims. Some of the non-victims may not be able to relate to the physical, mental, or emotional
harm a victim could have possibly went through. The amount of physical, mental, and emotional
issues can last a lifetime. To really learn more about Child Abuse, anyone must consider these
four important questions:
1. Has child abuse become medically relevant?
2. Are children afraid to get initial help for child abuse?
3. Why does child abuse happen?
4. What are the consequences or convictions of child abuse?
The following review on literature will: provide information regarding how Child Abuse has
become medically relevant, if children are afraid to get immediate help for child abuse, why does
child abuse occur, and what are some possible consequences for child abuse.

Has child abuse become medically relevant?

Child abuse has become medically relevant; but its not always the first thought when a
person thinks of when thinking of child abuse. In The Controversial Child Abuse Epidemic
Tearing Families Apart, Jody Allard speaks of how medical child abuse is breaking up families. It

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was also said that most health professionals only deal with at least one case of Medical Child
Abuse (MCA) in their whole career. It continues talking about how MCA was originally
extremely rare. Some parents have done it because they feel as though their children has not
received the proper treatment from doctors. So unfortunately, they take it into their own hands
and their children are the ones that pay for it. Its not the childrens fault and sometimes its not
the parents fault. Some parents selfishly know that they do it but others unfortunately dont.
The Controversial Child Abuse Epidemic Tearing Families Apart (2015)

In a New York Times article by Maxine Eichner, she wrote of her experience with MCA.
Her daughter had come down with an illness in which she and her husband were originally
unaware of. They didnt like what the doctors were giving her in regards to answers. At that
moment, she and her husband took matters into their own hands and tried to solve things on their
own. Eichner had stated that she and her husband are lucky that they did not get charged during
the eight years that they tried to figure out what mysterious illness that their daughter had. The
possible diseases that children can get from Medical Child Abuse is Munchausen by Proxy
Syndrome (MBPS). MBPS is a mental illness and a form of child abuse. The caretaker of a child,
usually a mother, either makes up fake symptoms or causes real symptoms to make it look like
the child is sick. Once doctors test patients for Medical Child Abuse, thats the first disease that
they test for. Medical Child Abuse is relevant but its not always likely. Eichner had told a story
of the Hill family from Attleboro,Mass. They unfortunately watch their 5-year-old daughter die
in 2011. This was from what two outside specialists concluded was a genetic disease that
affected mitochondrial function. The hospital where their daughter was being treated at had

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tested their 3-year-old son for the same type of disease. A hospital pediatrician had cited a pattern
that suggested that their parents fabricated about their sons medial conditions. This was still
after they had not spoken with outside doctors. Some of these parents nowadays are sick
mentally. Especially if theyre doing things like that to medically harm their child. In this
situation, one their children already died which again couldve been due to fabrication of their
childs issues. The New Child Abuse Panic (2015)

Are children afraid to get initial help for child abuse?

Children are afraid to get initial help for child abuse for many reasons. Sometimes a child
can feel a sense of confusion. They arent sure if they liked the physical and emotional feeling
from the abuser. Thats one thing that can keep them from speaking up. A child can also feel that
they were abused because it was their fault. They feel as though they allowed the abuse to
happen. Some children also value those that did it to them. They dont initially say anything
because they would like to protect them. Children feel as if they turn their abuser in they would
be betraying them or letting them down. Stop It Now (2016)

Children who deal with child abuse also have a tendency to not want to get initial help
because they dont want to feel as if they are a burden. Most children feel as though they are a
bother and dont want to make things a big deal. Most child abuse cases can result in families
being broken up. The amount of guilt and low self-esteem that a child feels doesnt make it
comfortable for them to speak up. Children also feel no one will believe them if they talk about it

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or try to report it. In the past, Abusers have gotten children to promise not to tell anyone what
happened. Child Safe of Central Missouri (2016)
In a personal interview with Amanda Albright (who is a Mental Health Counselor
at Hampton University) she was able to confirm why children could be afraid to get initial help.
She said that children do not seek initial help because they do not want their parent or the adult it
involves to get in trouble. Children who are older are able to realize that if they say something
that something very bad can happen. Younger children can have a tendency to think its normal
or it wont happen again which is why they dont say anything. Some children may have lack of
resources. They may not know how to get in contact with certain people to tell them whats
going on. Some parents take away anything and restrict them from as much as possible so they
dont have a chance to say anything.

Why does child abuse happen?

The reasons of why child abuse takes place can vary from a range of different things.
Alcohol and drug abuse are the main reasons of child abuse for a long time. Some parents dont
know how to conduct themselves when under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. Their
actions are uncalled for and sometimes they cant control the affect that the alcohol and the drugs
have on them. Parents of child abuse lack parenting skills. This can be from lack of parenting
when the parent was growing up. Parents who lack those skills realistically do not know right
from wrong because thats not what they were taught. Children can also suffer from child abuse

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if they dont reach a certain expectation from their parent(s). "Why Does Child Abuse Happen?"
Queensland Government (2015)

A parent can feel as though they are right by disciplining their child for not reaching their
potential or their expectations. The discipline is excessive and doesnt end so well. Stress can
play a major issue as well. Child Abuse can consist of a combination of psychological, social,
and economic factors. This can also come with the mental physical and mental conditions of
whos abused and the abuser, contribute to the occurrence of abuse. Its also very unfortunate that
certain parenting methods are passed down from generation to generation both intentionally and
unintentionally. In other circumstances, the abuser depends on who is being abused. They depend
on them materialistically and psychologically. Some researchers have discovered that abusers of
the elderly (adult children) have the possibility of having more personal issues than non-abusers.
The Clark County Prosecuting Attorney (2016)
In a personal interview with Amanda Albright (who is a Mental Health Counselor at
Hampton University) she was able to confirm some of the reasons why child abuse occurs. She
was able to reiterate that child abuse can happen most times due to frustration. The frustration of
parents can come through them possibly being in poverty. They could have either lost their job or
theyre not getting paid as much as they think they should. Any little thing a child can say get
them really mad and anything can happen from there. Its not right, but it unfortunately happens.

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What are the consequences or convictions of child abuse?

The consequences of child abuse can differentiate depending on the abuser, the degree of
the abuse, and the consistency of the abuse. A criminal record is received upon being convicted
of child abuse. If convicted of child abuse, it is required that for the rest of ones life that they
must register as a sex offender. If you have a child who you abused, you must have supervised
access to your child. You could even have your parenting rights terminated as well as your
reputation as a person tarnished. There is a chance of continual involvement with a child
protective service agency. The possibilities of consequences are endless. "Child Abuse Penalties
and Sentencing FindLaw (2016)

Parents who are convicted of child abuse could regain custody of their child but it
wouldnt be full custody. They would get what is considered to be visitation rights. So they can
visit their child to spend time with them but it wouldnt be full custody and they wouldnt be
alone when they visit them. The only way that a parent convicted of child abuse can regain
custody of their child is if they have a clean record and prove that that theyve changed their life
around. Even though a parent may lose custody of their child, they still to resume their
responsibilities as a parent. They would have to pay child support and also other medical and
health expenses. "Felony Conviction & Child Custody Rights Williams (2015)

An interview was conducted by Oprah of someone who was excessively abused when
they were younger. Their name was Clayton Moss. Clayton Moss was chained, locked in a

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closet, he starved and got peed on by his Father. In the case of Clayton Moss, his Father was
supposed to do a great amount of time in jail. His father was supposed to spend at least four and
a half years in prison. Unfortunately, his sentence was cut short to about less than two years.
Clayton says that he shouldve spent the rest of his life in jail. For a crime such as child abuse
four years would not suffice. Clayton was chained, locked in a closet, peed on, starved, and went
through a plethora of different ways of abuse and neglect. That deserved more than just less than
2 years in prison. This happened a little over 15 years ago. If this situation happened now,
Claytons Father wouldve definitely received more years in prison with being released early.

Conclusion
Child abuse is not favored in any way shape or form. It isnt right and no child deserves to go
through it. We come to find out that Medical Child Abuse is relevant but not as relevant as
physical and mental child abuse. Children tend to be afraid of getting initial help because they
dont want to feel as though theyre starting trouble or becoming a burden. Child abuse can for
the most part occur due to severe mental illness as well as other life issues. The different
consequences of child abuse can vary due to the degree of the crime. Consequences can be
subject to change due to other circumstances.

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Citation
Allard, Jody. "The Controversial Child Abuse Epidemic Tearing Families Apart
The Establishment." The Establishment. 26 Oct. 2015. Web. 1 Mar. 2016.
Albright, Amanda , Personal Interview 13 April. 2016
"Child Abuse Penalties and Sentencing - FindLaw." Findlaw. Web. 3 Mar. 2016.
Eichner, Maxine. "The New Child Abuse Panic." The New York Times. The New York Times, 11
July 2015. Web. 1 Mar. 2016.
"Reasons Why Children Do Not Tell." - Child Safe of Central Missouri, Inc. Web. 28 Feb. 2016.
"Why Does Child Abuse Happen?" Child Safety Services, Department of Communities, Child
Safety and Disability Services (Queensland Government). Web. 27 Feb. 2016.
"Why Does It Happen?" Why Does It Happen? 29 April. 2015. Web. 2 Mar. 2016.
"Why Don't Children Tell If They Have Been Abused?" Why Don't Children Tell If They Have
Been Abused? Web. 1 Mar. 2016.
Williams, Jon. "Felony Conviction & Child Custody Rights." LIVESTRONG.COM.
LIVESTRONG.COM, 17 May 2015. Web. 4 Mar. 2016.