Understanding Child Abuse

Developmental Stages

Physical development in children is marked by the growth of larger muscles faster than the new muscles. Piaget purports that children should be provided with a conducive environment that enables them to try new things such as riding bicycles or running faster (Lourenço, 2015). Victor’s situation at home is however detrimental to his physical development. What Victor lacks is an environment that will ensure his physical growth and development. Even though in good health, Victor suffered from multiple lacerations, bruises, and welts that were undergoing various stages of healing. As a result, Victor’s cognitive development is affected by the constant quarrels between Richard and his mom and the harsh treatment he receives from his stepdad. According to Piaget cognitive development theory, he implies that children minds contain neurons that develop depending on how they interact with the environment (Lourenço, 2015). As his mom is afraid of Victor following the footsteps of his stepdad, she had to look for a job to move away from that environment that will affect Victor’s cognitive development. The last thing her mother wishes is Victor to turn out to be a drug dealer and a violent person. Social and emotional development on the other hand in children exhibits different characteristics in toddlers that includes the development of temper tantrums that are usually short-lived  (Lourenço, 2015). Emotional development is characterized by the personality of the child and its relationship with others (Lourenço, 2015). Victor’s social and emotional growth is not healthy as his mother notices actions of back talking after she resolves to hit him whenever he defies to follow her directions. What he needs is love and caring to enhance his growth in social and emotional development.

Vulnerable Group

Victor belongs to a vulnerable group of children with family issues. Children are long faced with challenges that either affects their growth and academics. Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues (2016) implies that unless adults actively participate in pediatric research, parents will not be able to offer effective interventions that affect this vulnerable group. Children are prone to be manipulated and exploited by adults on matters they cannot consent to. The result is attributed to lack of developed cognitive capacity amongst children to be aware of their rights, and are always at the mercy of adult domination and authority (Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues, 2016). Concerns raised on these vulnerable group is the ability to protect children from neglect, sexual and physical abuse. Sexual abuse involves any activity that a child cannot understand or is too young to be exposed to, as set forth by the law. Concerns raised include acts of groping, oral-genital contact, exposure to pornography and exhibitionism ( Bright, 2017). Research indicates that one in eight boys or girls are usually sexually violated before they turn 18 years old (Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues, 2016). Physical abuse occurs through inflicting harm to a child’s body through hitting, burning, whipping or any other form of force. Physical abuse is evident in the case study as his mother Monique frequently whips him as and causes wounds and lacerations giving a clear illustration of violence. Furthermore, children face neglect that includes failure of parents or adults to show love, emotional abuse and failure to produce food clothing and shelter (Crosson-Tower, 2013). With such concerns raised by many pediatricians and children rights associations, it is essential to care for the children to achieve the optimum best in them.

Cultural Gender and Class Issues

The cases study exhibits different cultural, gender and class issues that expose Victor to constant abuse. Victor confesses to the CPI that his mother and grandmother frequently whipped him with a belt anytime he did wrong. Both his mother and grandmother used the belt as a means of corporate punishment to instill discipline to the child that further illustrated their cultural practices in disciplining infants. In what other cultures consider unlawful, whipping Victor using a belt caused numerous injuries, bruises, and lacerations. Bright (2017) argues that corporate punishment in the United States ceases to be one when children discipline measures to inflict injuries to infants. 

Furthermore, it is evident how class issues affect Monique's responsibility in bringing up her children. She is forced to stay in her husband house with her mother and children regardless of the constant violation she faces due to poverty. Monique has no job and is looking forward to securing an employment opportunity to save herself and her children from his husband. Richard, on the other hand, needs to sell drugs to bring up his children, Monique, and her mother. Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues (2016) argues that child abuse in the form of physical neglect is constant in low-income families due to lack of enough finances to adequately cater for the children needs. Infants resolve to work at a tender age to assist their families and make ends meet. The situation is evident in how poverty exposes Monique children to psychological torture and brutal treatment at the hands of Richard. They can only get a better life if Monique gets employed and moves at her place.

Additionally, Monique constantly disciplines Victor compared to her other two daughters. The act suggests a possible gender-related child abuse, whereby the male child is best thought to acquire discipline through violence, force, and whipping. The fear of Victor turning out to be like his stepdad creates more reasons for Monique to resolve in whipping him.

Risks and Protective Factors

Bright (2017) defines risk factors as characteristics and actions linked with child abuse while protective factors are aspects that lessens the chances of an infant being violated or abused. Monique is an unsupported mother who wishes to secure a job opportunity to provide her children with a conducive environment away from Richards’s violence and presence. Furthermore, Richards’s history of selling drugs exposes Victor and his siblings to an environment of substance abuse. As Victor confesses that Richard loves throwing items at people, he lacks the mental capacity to bring up the children in a safe environment, suggesting a likelihood of exposing his children to child abuse. Additionally, overcrowding and the presence of arguments and violence in the house raises red flags of risk factors that eventually may lead to child abuse.

In light of the psychological, mental and physical torture that faces Victor and his siblings, the law acts as protective factors from further child abuse. The CPI had Victor interviewed and noticed the physical harm he was put through under the care of his mother and grandmother. Acting against the law, corporate punishment should not inflict penalties to children that eventually lead to physical harm (Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues, 2016). The law protected Victor by arresting his mother and grandmother for brutally whipping him. Therefore, the case study suggests that the law is always ready to protect infants from violation as child abuse is not a practice that will be condoned.

Safety Issues

Safety issues present for Victor is physical harm that may eventually lead to permanent physical disabilities. Victor confesses to the CPI that his father Richard likes to throw objects to people whenever he is angry, creating an unhealthy environment for his existence. Furthermore, the school teacher reports redirection of Victor away from his academics, and she is worried he would fail in the first grade. His mother on the other hand only thinks of whipping him brutally as the only way of instilling discipline and prevent David from adopting negative attributes of Richard. Therefore, such incidences in the case study only prove beyond doubt that Victor is already in danger of child abuse.

References

Bright, C. (2017). Defining child vulnerability: Definitions, frameworks, and groups. Children's Commissioner.

Crosson-Tower, C. (2013). Understanding Child Abuse and Neglect. New York: Pearson Publisher.

Lourenço, O. (2015). Developmental stages, Piagetian stages in particular: A critical review. New Ideas in Psychology, 123-137.

Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues. (2016). Vulnerable Populations in Safeguarding Children: Pediatric Medical Countermeasure Research. Safeguarding Children.