Child Abuse / Interview with former county social worker about child abuse.

Essay by happy_bubblesCollege, Undergraduate December 2006

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What is child abuse? What if the abuser is a family member? What steps need to be followed to stop the abuse? How difficult is it to prove? Could my child be at risk? The first thought that came into my mind, this cannot happen to my child. I only leave her with close friends and family members, never with strangers. I thought only strangers abuse children. These and so many other questions and thoughts go through a parents mind when the subject of child abuse comes up. Knowing the answers and where to turn for help can alleviate many obstacles in the process.

In this day and age when sexual predators seem to be in every neighborhood, parents need to be extra careful watching their children. Law enforcement does the best to protect society from these individuals with the tools they have at their disposal. When a convicted sexual predator moves into a neighborhood, parents with children at notified and if the predator lives with a certain distance from a school, the school is also notified that a convicted child sexual predator lives within a certain distance of the building.

To the best of my knowledge, the name of the predator is withheld, but anyone can look up on the Internet the name, address and picture of the predator.

To identify if a child is at risk, we must first identify what child abuse is. Abuse can take several different forms from verbal, emotional, and physical, and/or sexual. Verbal forms of abuse include yelling at a child instead if talking to a child. It can also include constantly telling a child that he/she is stupid, unworthy of love and respect. Emotional abuse is often related to withdrawn behaviors, fear of going to certain places, or with certain individuals. Physical...