Child Abuse: Failure to Report and How it Affects the Lives of Young Ones (Essay Sample)

Literature Review on Failure to Report Child Abuse
Name
Institution
Introduction
Child abuse, otherwise known as child maltreatment, is one of the most alarming trends globally, with almost 3 out of every four children aged up to four years experiencing some form of child abuse, according to the World health organization(WHO, 2020). Child abuse affects the child's physical and psychological well-being, leading to conditions such as low self-esteem, anxiety, stress, depression, and trauma. In most cases, the trauma left by child abuse persists into adulthood, affecting the individuals' lives in the long term. When child abuse occurs, the victims undergo a stressful period that can only be improved by undoing therapy, counseling, and learning healthy coping mechanisms. All these services are available at the centers when the cases are reported. However, it is appalling that some child abuse cases go unreported either due to fear, ignorance, or cohesion. Traditionally, child abuse reporting was placed in the hands of those associated with child protection, such as social workers or children protective services. However, today child abuse reporting is a duty for everyone, including parents, teachers, neighbors, siblings, and even strangers. It is expected that any witness to child abuse reports the same to the relevant authorities, including child protective agencies. Still, research shows that some cases of child abuse go unreported. Failure to report such cases makes the coping and healing process difficult as these children never get the help they need to move on. This paper will review the literature on child abuse concerning failing to report child abuse and how such affects the lives of young ones.
Definition of Child Abuse
According to Baker, in the Social Work Dictionary, child abuse is defined as "the recurrent