Child Abuse

According to The Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, child abuse and neglect, at the minimum, are defined as: "any recent act to failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation" or "an act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm" (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2008). It can be categorized into three forms: physical, sexual, and emotional. The definition has been highly contested. Intentional and obvious signs of child abuse, physically and sexually, provide irrefutable evidence, while other actions and situations remain ambivalent. Circumstances, such as the use of cocaine during pregnancy and the negligence of wearing a seat belt, conform with my views of child abuse. The fetus, while disregarded as a child by many, is being subjected to undue harm. The mother of the child is neglecting her responsibility to provide for the well being of her child.

Darlene Barriere, a former victim and current advocate of child abuse, constitutes over-feeding a child to the point of obesity child abuse. She states that, "Parents must provide many basic needs. One of these is food, but it is food for nourishment, not food to the point of excess and obesity," (Barriere, 2007). On her website, Barriere provides numerous examples of children facing extraction from their homes due to obesity and over-feeding by the parent. Her explanation and my definition of child abuse coincide, leading me to agree with her position. Child abuse, in my opinion, is any action that causes harm, physically or emotionally to a child or puts them at risk of harm or death. As parents, they are responsible to look out and support our well-being while keeping us from risk or harm. They continually make decisions that affect how we grow, develop, mature, and interact. Their intentions, whether purposeful or unknowing, affect the lives and future of their children.



Barrier, D. ( 2007, August 17). Child abuse effects. Retrieved from
http://www.child-abuse-effects.com/childhoodobesityandchildabuse.html


US Department of Health and Human Services. (2008). Child welfare information gateway. Retrieved from
http://www.childwelfare.gov/can/defining/federal.cfm

After talking with Mrs. Gilara, it was noticed that my position on the situations provided in the prompt were not clearly stated. In addition to my original post, please also consider the following:

The use of cocaine and other drugs or alcoholic substances during pregnancy conforms with my views of child abuse or neglect. While the child is still a fetus in the mother's womb, she is making decisions that are drastically affecting the outcome of her child. For example, mothers who drink alcohol during pregnancy are putting their child at risk for contracting fetal alcohol syndrome. During pregnancy, alcohol is easily passed through the placenta to the fetus. This greatly affects the child's ability to develop and growth, both in the womb and out of the womb. Symptoms include: decreased muscle tone, poor coordination, delayed development in thinking, speech, movement, and/or social skills and various heart defects (Carlo, 2012). Mothers who ingest alcohol during pregnancy are harming or putting their child at risk of harm, before they exit the womb. The use of addictive drugs during pregnancy can also lead to the birth of children whom are already addicted to harmful substances.

When considering obesity as a form of child abuse, it's important to consider the age and stage of development of the child. For example, a young child of approximately 9 months may be considered overweight in regards to their percentile. However, considering the child's amount of physical activity and rate of growth, this situation may soon dissipate after beginning to walk and continuing to grow as a toddler. Also, obesity can not always be linked to actions of the parents. A slow metabolism or larger framed individual may naturally weight more than other individuals who are their age. In this case, it is no direct fault of the parent.

Carlo, W. (2012, August 08). Pubmed health. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001909/