Pedagogy

Child abuse is the maltreatment of children and portends more than bruises or broken bones. Child abuse borders all angle of neglect and lack of care and is characterized by a host of dimensions with regard to physical as well as emotional abuse. While physical abuse seem to be the visible sign of child abuse, other forms such as emotional abuse  and neglect, leave far reaching effects and long-lasting scars. Research points out that certain symptoms of child abuse are more understated than others but however, by learning common forms of child abuse, parents and caregivers can come up approaches to reduce child abuse and thus make a big difference in the lives of children (Morris, 2001).

It is proven that family dysfunction, deviance behavior and many forms of school unrests are possible impacts of child abuse. Therefore, the earlier the abused child gets help, the better chance he or she has to heal from the scars of their abuse and help possible effects of child abuse in the later life of the child. It is imperative to learn the symptoms of child abuse and help end the problem. This paper seeks to examine the scope of child abuse problem, explore what constitutes emotional child abuse and highlight the possible association between poverty and child abuse.

The Scope of Child Abuse Problem
Child abuse is indeed a world-wide problem affecting children between the ages of one to 18 years. The most recent data in the U.S indicate that in 1995 alone, approximately 3.3 million children suffered child abuse (Pecora, 2000).This report indicate that incidences of child abuse are on the rise and as a result, there is much more inflicted trauma with more than 77 of children in the contemporary world.

While reports of alleged child abuse cases are not always substantiated during investigations, it is evident that many child abuse cases go unreported thus heightening the danger posed on these children and ostensibly perpetuating the cycle of child abuse. Pecora (2000) argues that the scope of child abuse as a problem transcends the ordinary abuses and goes deeper into emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and physical abuse among the rest. Accordingly, children themselves are incapable of communicating the harm inflicted on them by their own parent and to some extent caregivers. Other factors characterized in the scope of child abuse partake the element of fear, guilt and confusion about the abusers behavior continue to facilitate the harm caused by child abuse.

Ideally, surveys show that children of all ages suffer from child abuse but however, the risk factors show that it is likely that only certain age group of children can fall prey of child abuse. Some of these factors may include children with certain learning disabilities, language disorders as well as mental retardation are highly vulnerable to child abuse. In addition, children with congenital anomalies and chronic conditions as well as adopted children are likely to be abused more than normal children. However, the truth is that all children are victims of child abuse (Pecora, 2000).

Emotional Child Abuse
The National Center on Child Abuse understands emotional abuse to be acts of omission by caregivers and parents intended to cause serious cognitive, behavioral or emotional and mental disorders in a child (Morris, 2001). This may include for example, the parent or caregiver using extreme forms of punishment such as confining the child in dark closet. Less severe acts such as habitual scapegoating, belittling or even continual reprimanding of the child may cause harmful effects that many extreme forms of punishment could and thus, it all narrows to emotional abuse.

On the other hand, emotional abuse is a pattern of behavior that attacks the emotional development and sense of self worth of a child. Wolfe (1999) postulates that emotional abuse constitutes excessive, aggressive and unreasonable demands that place the expectations on a child beyond his or her capacity. Accordingly, constant criticizing, insulting, belittling, teasing and rejecting, forms some of the aspect that verbal attack can have on the emotional development of a child. In addition, Morris (2001) further asserts that emotional abuse may include the deliberate failure as a parent or caregiver to provide psychological nurturing that is necessary emotional growth and development of a child. Essentially, these may include lack of love from the parents or caregiver, as well as lack of support and guidance.

The American Medical Association postulates that emotional abuse is the condition when a child is continuously threatened, yelled at, ignored, humiliated, blamed or otherwise emotionally mistreated (Wolfe, 1999). For example, this understanding is succinctly captured in the situation where a child is made fun of, called names and always blamed for almost every fault. In essence, all these constitute emotional abuse. Just like any other form of abuse, child abuse is more than verbal abuse. According to researchers, it takes on the question of attaching the childs social and emotional development as well a security. Emotional abuse is therefore a basic threat to healthy and sound human development.

It plausible to argue that emotional abuse is the core of all forms of abuse and the long-term effects it poses stems from the abusive behaviors. According to Morris (2001) the psychological aspect of most abusive behaviors constitutes emotional abuse. For instance, think of a child breaking his hand. In this case, if the hand was broken in the event of the child riding a bicycle or just attempting to jump a ramp, it is evident that the child will heal psychologically and to some extent, the child will learn some valuable life-lessons in the whole process. However, if the same injury originated from a parents attempt to twist the hand of the child or worst still throw the child down stairs, the resulting affect will be psychological detrimental to the child. As such, the child will heal physically but may never get over it psychologically.

Another very concise example to draw is a comparative sexual abuse. If the childs genitals are touched by the doctor in the process of physical medical examination, there will be no resulting effect in terms of emotional abuse but if the same contact  was made by older person for purpose of fondling or sexual ratification, then the childs psychological and emotional well being will be abused. Irrespective of the facts that child abuse has far reaching impacts on the child, emotional abuse is the most difficult forms of abuse to substantiate or even prosecute. According to Wolfe (1999), given that the actual physical injury of the emotional abuse is required before the relevant authorities investigate and address this form of abuse it makes it hard for the perpetrators to face the law.

Association between Poverty and Child Abuse
Research suggests that children of families in all income levels suffer maltreatment and child abuse. However, it is important to note that the economic status of families is strongly related to increased cases of child abuse (Wolfe, 1999). According to a recent survey, children from families with annual income below 15, 000 are more likely to be endangered by child abuse more than those children from families with an annual income of 45, 000 (Morris, 2001). With regard to this, poverty clearly predisposes to child abuse.

Current social scientists have argued that poor families live in environments that necessitate child abuse. Accordingly, most of the poor families live in areas where there in acute competition for scarce resource and the notion of failure in life aggravate the concept of child abuse for their children (Morris, 1999). In addition, wealthier families have better access to legal counsel and thus, many perpetrators avoid abusing children from rich families for fear of the law. Arguably, children in foster care are from poor families and therefore, poor families involved in child welfare systems, have high rate of substance abuse, mental health and interpersonal violence. Accordingly, these families will subject their stress to children and in the event abuse them.

Child abuse is said to be behind numerous cases of child delinquency, deviance behaviors, suicidal cases and dysfunctional families. These effects are long-lasting and require quick intervention with the support of every member of the society. From the above discussion, it is evident that child abuse portends physical, emotional and sexual maltreatment to children from mainly parents, caregivers and other molesters in the society. Child abuse is characterized by emotional abuse with take on the forms of belittling the child, lack of love as well as support, being extremely cruel and many others. As such, children need to feel safe and loved in order to explore the world around them and learn to form healthy relationships in future. When these children experiences child abuse, their worlds cease to make sense for them thus affecting their social, emotional and intellectual developments are hindered.