As defined by the U.S. Government, emotional abuse is “the pattern of behavior that impairs a child’s emotional development or sense of self-worth.” According to the Centers for Disease, Control, and Prevention (CDC), over 702,000 reported cases of children experiencing abuse of any form and/or neglect. Meanwhile, there are over 80% of Filipino children suffer different forms of violence. May it be from their household, school, community, or online. In addition to this, 7 out of 10 children are not aware of the vocal services meant to help them. This results in an increased number of unreported cases (Healthline, 2018).
Based on the recorded cases, most cases are caused by financial difficulties, single parenthood, separated parents, or exposure to substance abuse. In these cases, the child does not cause the abuse. It will always be the perpetrator’s mistake.
As the child suffers from emotional and psychological abuse, they have the possibility of:
Being diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Isolation from family.
Being developmentally and/or physically disabled.
Exposure to alcohol and/or drugs.
Poor parenting skills due to lack of knowledge and understanding regarding child development.
Creating conflicts in the family.
Losing control of the child’s usage of moods.
Ignoring child care responsibilities.
Effects of being emotionally and psychologically abused can cause:
ATTACHMENT ISSUES. Develops insecure attachment and can affect adulthood. This leads to a poor foundation of relationships due to a lack of knowledge in resolving conflicts.
BEHAVIORAL AND SOCIAL PROBLEMS. Develop delinquency and sexually aggressive behavior in young adults.
REPEATING CYCLE OF ABUSE. It can affect future children since it has already been an instinct for the victim to pass the abuse.
SUICIDE AND MENTAL ILLNESS. Victims are possible to be diagnosed with a mental illness/disorder and are likely to attempt suicide.
To detect if the child is abused. Observe and take notes of these signs:
Fearful to adults.
Confirming that they hate their parents.
Negative affirmations towards themselves.
Are emotionally immature.
Sudden changes in speech (stuttering) and/or behavior.
So as to detect an abuser, here are the signs:
Disregards the child.
Talks bad about their child.
Not affectionate.
Does not care about the child’s medical needs.
At present, it is a must for everyone to be aware of their environment. Because it is undeniable that we run into children that are experiencing abuse in our daily lives, we need to be well informed when it comes to this topic; therefore, gradually, the number of abused children will decrease until such time. In resolving these cases, it would be possible to have enough reasons to believe that there is the presence of abuse and seek help from professionals such as psychological and law-based.
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