Child Abuse and Maltreatment during School-Age Years (Essay Sample)

Child Abuse and Maltreatment during School-Age Years
Child abuse is a form of physical or emotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse, desertion or any other form of abuse that causes in harm to a child. Children between six and twelve years are considered school age. This is the age whereby children grow at a slower rate than the other ages. Types of child abuse are broken into four categories that are as follows; physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse or psychological abuse and neglect of the child. Kyle (2008) argues that child abuse and violence contribute majorly to mental illness in children.
According to Rudd and Kocisko (2014), physical abuse is an injury that arises due to physical aggression. Physical injuries can be due to beating of the child, slapping, pushing the child, kicking, suffocating or any form of physical harm caused to the child. Kyle (2008) states that sexual abuse is the involvement of the child in any activity that provides sexual satisfaction to the adult. These activities include penetration, intercourse, rape, sodomy and many more. Other examples of sexual abuse can include touching or kissing the child’s private areas, forcing the child to undress, doing sexual acts in front of a child or exposing a child to prostitution. Emotional abuse is a continuous ill-treatment of a child by causing severe emotional development on the child. Emotional ill-treatment includes, telling a child face to face that he or she is worthless or unloved, frightening a child or causing danger to the child. The last category of child abuse is neglect, which is a constant failure to meet a child’s, needs especially adequate food, clothing and shelter, failure to ensure there is adequate and appropriate medical care.
Warning signs and physical and emotional assessment seen by nurses that indicate child abuse
Videbeck, Sheila. (2014) suggests that family violence, detection and accurate recognition are the first steps that might lead a nurse to knowing child abuse. Some of the signs are serious injuries like bone fractures, parents not seeking treatment for an injury of a child, parent giving an inconsistent report of a serious injury of the child, unusual injuries for the child’s age and level of development. The other signs are signs of urinary tract infections, swollen genitals; bruised vagina or rectum can indicate sexual violence.
Conte (2014) argues that nurses and physicians encounter many parenting practices that are perfect examples of child abuse, which include physical damage and corporal punishment. There are societal practices that are damaging to the child like female genital mutilation, cupping and moxibustion. These practices are forms for child abuse but nurses misidentify them.
Nurses are mandated reporters of child abuse, The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act gives funds to states that adhere to the minimum guidelines on child abuse. Every nurse is supposed to be familiar with child abuse laws and hotline to report any suspected child abuse and neglect.
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