Child Welfare And The United States Department Of Justice

In the United States child maltreatment is a common universal problem that can effect children of all ages (Fang, Brown, Florence, & Mercy, 2012). Additionally, it is responsible for the main cause of mortalities among children who are the age of five years and younger with majority of the injuries inflicted by an adult caregiver (Schnitzer & Ewigman, 2005). Prior to the twentieth century, there were a number of non-governmental organizations committed to providing support to child abuse victims. However, due to the lack of resources by the organizations and state regulations, numerous children did not receive support and remained defenseless, hence “modern prosecutions for child abuse were virtually nonexistent” (Nelson, 2012, p. 191). Meanwhile, this put a lot of pressure on the federal government to get involved and help ensure that children who were victims of abuse would receive the proper aid and treatment. As a result, the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) is recognized as the first nationally passed bill regarding maltreatment and neglect of children. The purpose of CAPTA is to provide knowledge of child abuse awareness and administer state funding to programs available on a federal level. The objective of this paper is to discuss the impact of maltreatment on children, how maltreatment is a public health

Violence affects a healthy family’s relationship, state of mind and well-being, in other words, it’s normal functions. Because of violence, children are forced to endure and cope with mental, physical and emotional trauma leading to a display of impacts on health, development, and wellbeing. The effects build up over time and can impact on every aspect of their life.  How many children and innocent lives must suffer from something unnecessary? Imagine walking into a home late at night to find a child hiding in a corner, with a bloody face and cuts all around their body saying they were self-inflicted or making up other silly excuses like falling down the stairs out of extreme fear. Up to 75% of all acts of domestic violence occurs between the ages 18-24. No child should ever see domestic violence as normal because the moment that happens a future perpetrator has been born. We need to take a stand and refuse to let domestic violence become something we ignore.

Many children are victims of violence; this violence may be physical, or emotional, direct or indirect. In certain situations, the child’s experience

The demographics of this population are broad and broken down into the categories of “victims” and “perpetrators”, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Administration for Children and Families Administration on Children, Youth and Families Children’s Bureau, commonly known as the ACF (2012). The ACF reported that children in their first year of life experienced the highest rates of maltreatment, with a ratio of 24.4 per 1,000 children in that age bracket, in the United States (2012). This shows that the youngest children are the most vulnerable in the target population that CAPTA serves to protect. While children in their first year are the most vulnerable, it is also reported that children under the age of three make-up nearly 25% of the population of child maltreatment and abuse in the United States, and not only were these children more at risk of being abused, but also more at risk of fatality as a result of abuse. The ACF reported that in 2014, 71% of all child abuse and neglect fatalities were children under the age of three (2012). Age is an important factor in the demographics of mistreated children; however, there are other factors that can increase the likelihood of maltreatment, such as gender and race. Child abuse rates between boys and girls tend to be similar, yet

I interviewed Charles Blake of the Child Protective Services. The Child Protective Services is one of the state agencies dealing with issues relating to child and family. This is one of the oldest humanitarian organizations in the California. Established in 919, Child Protective Services is one organization that has been on the forefront in making positive changes in protecting children, championing for the interest of the family and ensuring that animals are not neglected or abused. Today, the agency is also involved in various research aimed at exploring the interactions between humans and animals and how such interactions can positively impact on the society. As the pioneer advocate for rights, Child Protective Services has been able to

This reading evaluate the trends for violence, crime, and abuse in the lives of children. This study provides updated estimates for exposure to a wide variety of offenses, including violence, crime, and abuse. This exposure is wide spread in the short term and over the developmental life course. Children and youth are exposed to violence, abuse, and crime in varied and extensive ways, which justifies continued monitoring and prevention

The United States criminal justice system is broken. “People around the world face violence and inequality—and sometimes torture, even execution—because of who they love, how they look, or who they are. Sexual orientation and gender identity are integral aspects of our selves and should never lead to discrimination or abuse” (LGBT Rights). Laws and policies should protect everyone’s dignity and all people should be able to enjoy their rights fully. Around the country, police departments have had incidents of excessive force and profiling. The LGBTQ community is among those that suffer from these incidents. “Discrimination and stigma in society, workplaces, families and communities force LGBT people into unstable situations that leave them

The CAPTA attempts to ensure that those needs are met by parents for children. In addition, CAPTA assists states and private organizations in identifying, investigating, and preventing child abuse and neglect ensuring that accusations of child abuse and neglect are properly investigated to meet the wellbeing and safety needs of all children. The policy goals of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act is “To strengthen the identification, reporting, and investigation of child maltreatment. To monitor research and publish information about child abuse and neglect” (Chapin, 2014, p. 373). The Department of Health & Human Services identifies the purpose of the Child Abuse and Prevention and Treatment Act is, “To support community-based efforts to develop, operate, expand, enhance, and coordinate initiatives, programs, and activities to prevent child abuse and neglect and to support the coordination of resources and activities, to better strengthen and support families to reduce the likelihood of child abuse and neglect; and to foster an understanding, appreciation, and knowledge of diverse populations in order to be effective in preventing and treating child abuse and neglect” (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2010). Overall the child welfare system is specifically addressing the

“Every year more than 3 million reports of child abuse are made in the United States involving more than 6 million children (A report can include multiple children). The United States has one of the worst records among industrialized nations- loses on average between four to seven children every day due to child abuse and neglect” ("National Child Abuse Statistics."). There are numerous children who are suffering from child abuse, but determining what child abuse is for each state differs. This makes it harder to determine how to solve the issue of child abuse and the fact that it has existed for so long. To help solve the issue of child abuse, innovative programs are being created every day. Some of those programs are using culture to determine whether or not it is a factor.

Every year, 1 in 10 children will suffer child abuse and in the United States each year there are over 2.9 million reports of child abuse. Every year, children are being disciplined and as a result, there is more abuse. Different races and ages think discipline and abuse is good for the children, but the majority of the time, child abuse and discipline all begins with stress and alcohol.

Children in urban areas are affected emotionally, mentally, and physically because of various forms of violence they are subjected to on a daily basis. In the article, “The Impact of Violence on Children,” Joy Osofsky discusses violence relating to children from findings from previous research on this subject. In this article, Osofsky is trying to persuade other scientific professionals, health care physicians, and counselors or psychiatrists of the importance of researching and evaluating prevention and intervention programs to fully understand victims of violence. Osofsky makes it clear that she firmly believes that research is vital in finding better ways to understand violence. She argues that research can clarify the numerous ways that children can be exposed to violence, and how different types of violence can be handled to achieve the best way to help children cope. In this article, Osofsky effectively persuades her audience to invest in research to further expand the knowledge, prevention and intervention programs to help children exposed to violence through her use of pathos, logos, and ethos.

There are overlapping forms of violence and risks adolescents may encounter with over their life span. Children living in disadvantaged neighborhoods are at a higher risk than those who don’t. More youth witness serious violence within disadvantaged neighborhoods. Studies shows youth of color are at a higher risk of violence exposure. Children outcomes can vary by the severity and duration of the exposure itself and by the age of child at the point of exposure. Violence exposure affects children outlook on life especially their future.

“In 1976 more than three million victims were reported to CPS making 1.5% of the country’s children victims of child abuse” (“Opposing”). In 2013, 79% of child abuse cases were reported from neglect (“Gale”). Abuse has increased 18% more and more than 1,000 children die each year (“Opposing”). 6.4 million children are abused each year and 114,000 are removed from their homes (“Gale”). “40 million of them

Children learn very early about right and wrong. The exposure to violence at a young age can have an effect on a person’s development and behavior as an adult. Children who witness violence often are more aggressive. Those rejected by their parents are more likely to experience PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) and problems with social information processing, which can lead to violence toward their intimate partners. A violent upbringing and a lack of early positive experiences, increases a child’s tendency to become violent in the future.

A traumatic childhood may predispose a child to violence against themselves or against others, in adolescence or adulthood. This information is and has been off the records, but so far no known relationship between the magnitude of traumatic experiences and different forms of violence at puberty. A study published in Pediatrics, which involved 136,549 U.S. students between 12 and 17 has been commissioned to evaluate this relationship. The researchers sought to determine six adverse experiences for which they had passed the boys in childhood and physical and sexual abuse, witnessing abuse or problems at home by alcohol or drugs taken by a relative. Then he saw the violent behavior at puberty: crime, harassment, bullying, dating violence,