Issue Related to Parenting and Parenthood-Child Abuse and Neglect

byWiredufred Published:

Child Abuse 

By the end of this post, the reader should be able to:

·              Describe the sources of child abuse and neglect.

·              Identify the signs and symptoms of child abuse and neglect.

·              Describe the effects of child abuse and neglect.

·              Identify the agencies that give support to victims of child abuse and neglect.

·              Explain child labor and activities that constitute child labor.

·              Identify child rights and responsibilities.

·              Describe the effects of child labor on the child, the family and the nation.

·              Explain the concept of generation gap and the reasons for it.  

·              Examine the consequences of generational gap.


Child Abuse and Neglect

Child Abuse: Involves adults intentionally treating children in a cruel and violent way. Child abuse is the practice whereby adults subject children to all forms of domestic violence, mental, physical punishment, and denial of basic human rights, maltreatment and defilement. These inhuman treatments have forced many children to become street children, truants or simply rebellions (rebellious).

Neglect: When parents do not give enough care and attention to their children. Or when parents completely abandoned their children. Total neglect is the result of broken homes and single parenting. The child is left to totally or partly fend for himself or herself and this leads to the development of criminal behvior in children.

Cruelty, violence and neglect constitute abuse.

 

Types Of Child Abuse


Physical Abuse

This refers to any act of violence that causes injury or damage to any part of a child's body e.g. cuts, broken bones, burns, bruises, etc. Physical abuse include:

(i) Severe beating of the child

(ii) Denial of basic needs e.g., food, clothing, etc.

(iii) Performing activities that are beyond the capabilities of the child

(iv) Being sold into slavery to perform slave labor.

(v) Not adequately clothed and therefore exposed to harsh weather conditions.

 

Mental / Emotional Abuse

This refers to any act that affects the mental state of mind of the child and puts him in an imbalanced mental situation.

Mental abuse include:

(i) Maltreatment by adults e.g., Adults using abusive or negative remarks on children

(ii) Not being sent to school. This has mental and emotional effect on the children as they see their friends and colleagues being sent to school whiles they are made to stay at home.

(iii) Conditions in the home that cause stress to the child e.g., working for long time without rest especially in the night.

(iv) Withholding affection or disregarding the child

(v) Extreme punishment. e.g., tying a child or locking a child in a dark room.

(vi) Forcing or compelling the child to witness or take part in inappropriate behavior. e.g. drug or alcohol abuse or armed robbery.

 

Sexual Abuse

This occurs when children are forced by an adult to engage in sexual activity in whatever form. OR It is any sexual act or misuse of a child by care-takers or family relation or adults. It includes oral sex, incest, general contact, molestation, fondling, vaginal penetration, exposing genitals, showing pornographic movies, etc.

 

Signs and Symptoms of Child Abuse and Neglect

(i) Physical injuries

(ii) Retardation of mental growth and development.

(iii) Physical and emotional instability including feelings of rejection.

 

Causes of child Abuse and Neglect

(i) Due to poverty, parents are not able to provide children's basic needs and this leads to neglect.

(ii) Ignorance of parents with regards to proper child care and development as well as children rights does sometimes lead to child abuse and neglect.

(iii) Marital stress, financial crises or parents with low self-esteem vent their frustration on the children.

(iv)      Parents raised by violent and abusive parents tend to vent their emotions through physical and other types of violence.

 

Effects of Child Abuse and Neglect

(i) The child may drop out of school.

(ii) The child's mental and physical growth stunted.

(iii) May result in permanent disability both physically and mentally if abuse is severe.

(iv) May bring about waywardness, etc.

(v) Children who engage in mining activities may suffer from tuberculosis or Asthma and serious occupational accident.

(vi) Children may be exploited sexually or raped, this may not only cause emotional and physical damage but they may be infected with STDs like HIV/AIDS.

(vii) Children leave home and join other street children whose activities may include armed robbery, gambling, drug usage and pushing, etc.

 

Agencies That Give Support

(i) Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit of the Ghana Police Service.

(ii) Department of Social Welfare.

(iii) Non-governmental Organizations. E.g. UNICEF

(iv) Commission Of Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ)

(v) The Legal Aid Board.

(vi) Federation Of International Women Lawyers (FIDA - Ghana)

 

Child Labor

Child labor may be defined as engaging children less than 15 years in income generating activities that affect their physical, mental and social development. OR It refers to the engagement of a child below fifteen years in an income generating activity that will deprive the child of his health, education or development.

 

Activities That Constitute Child Labor

These include:

(i) Trading and hawking on the streets.

(ii) Engaged as laborers on farms and fishing activities.

(iii) Porters at markets.

(iv) Performing tasks that are beyond the physical capabilities of the child at home.

(v) Engaged as shepherd boys or in begging on the streets.

(vi) Cross border and migration across regions to engage in jobs.

(vii) Employed in mining and other paid jobs.

(viii) Engaged or employed in bars, restaurants, hotels and places of entertainment.

(ix) Being used as shepherd boys/girls.

child labour


Child Rights and Responsibilities

Rights are privileges conferred by law and nature on an individual because of his/her membership of a state. Or Rights can also be called freedoms and benefits that are guaranteed to people by law. The Children's Act 1998 (Act570), defines a child as a person below the age of eighteen years and states the following as the basic rights of children:

i. Right to education: Every child is entitled to receive compulsory basic education and equal opportunity for higher education.

ii. Right to health: Every child is entitled to good health, protection from illness and proper medical attention for survival, personal growth and development.

iii. Right to recreation: The child is entitled to adequate recreation (leisure and play) according to his/her age and culture.

iv. Right to basic needs: Every child has the   right to be provided with basic needs by the family such as food, shelter, clothing, health care, etc.

v. Right to security: Every child is entitled to protection from any act that interferes with his or her privacy, honor and reputation.

vi.. Non-discrimination: Nobody or person should discriminate against the child on grounds of race, age, religion, health, status, ethnic origin, etc.

vii. Right to social activity: The child has the right to participate in sports and other cultural, artistic and leisure activities.

viii. Right to opinion: The child has the right to form and express an opinion to be listened to and to participate in decisions which affect his well-being.

ix. Right to name nationality: Every child has the right to a name right from birth. The child also has a right to acquire nationality.

 

Causes of Child Labor

(i) Poverty: Harsh economic situations have compelled many children to drop out of school and are being used by parents and others in society to generate Income

(ii) Broken homes: Children from broken homes who find themselves in an unfavorable situation of fending for themselves are forced to engage in child labor.

(iii) Civil wars and conflicts: This has led to children losing their parents and have to fend for themselves.

(iv) Rural-urban immigration: Some children run from their parents from the rural to the urban centers with nobody to cater for them. They are forced to engage in menial jobs to survive.

(v) Peer pressure: Some children are lured into economic activities by their peers.

 

Responsibilities of a Child

(i) The child has the responsibility to go to school and study.

(ii) The child has the responsibility to report when sick.

(iii) The child has the responsibility to conform to societal norms.

(iv) The child has the responsibility to respect their parents and other elders.

(v) The child also has the responsibility to perform household chores e.g. sweep, fetch water and wash dishes.

 

Effects of Child Labor

(i) Drop out of school limiting the child's mental and social development. Children engaged in child labor will not be able to combine education with work and will therefore not be able to acquire knowledge or skill in a particular area.

(ii) Lack of skills limits the child's future opportunities for jobs. Lack of adequate training and education limits the child from being employed in the future.

(iii) Some jobs may be risky and the child may end up with physical and mental injuries. The child's life may be put into serious danger, since an accident may lead to their death.

(iv) Loss of human resources to the family and the country. Children who would otherwise have become lawyers, doctors, engineers, teachers, etc. are engaged in child labor because they are not in school.

(v) Children become wayward in the latter part of their lives.

 

Generation Gap

The general mistrust between adolescents and adults due to factors of education and societal changes. OR It is the general mistrust between young adults and adults in many societies across the world due to factors including education and social change.

 

Reasons for the Generational Gap

(i) Differences in the value system between adults and adolescents bring about mistrust. What parents see as good and desirable for the adolescents may conflict with what they have in mind. E.g., Attitude towards life in general and the use of time and other resources

(ii) Differences in the level of education and experiences e.g., adolescents having acquired knowledge through formal education and gained exposure to a broader outlook of life through reading materials, the internet, movies, excursions, etc. look at things differently from adults.

(iii) Differences in maturity e.g., mental, physical and emotional maturity. Science and technology has made it possible for children of today to mature intellectually and physically than that of previous generations.

(iv) Differences in expectations and sometimes contradictions e.g., adolescents may consider themselves as adults but may be perceived as younger and incapable of taking certain actions.

(v) Adolescents tend to over react to situations due to inexperience e.g., intentional disobedience to parents.

(vi) Double standards of adults: Adults fail to set good examples for the younger generation to copy or emulate e.g. They tell the younger generation to desist from smoking, drinking and having too many friends and do the exact opposite.

(vii) Changing societal values e.g., Disrespect for older people, and younger ones putting up behaviors of older people (or adults).

 

Consequences of Generational Gap

(i) Misunderstanding leading to conflicts among family members e.g. parents/adults and teenagers.

(ii) Emotional and mental stress leading to adolescents leaving home and sometimes taking drastic actions e.g. suicide.

(iii) Adolescents in mistrust of parents resulting in leaning on peers and peer groups.

(v) Adolescents are not able to share feelings and problems with adults.

 

SSCE, WASSCE Past Questions and Answers on Child Abuse and Neglect

l. a. What do you understand by the term child-labor ( 1994)

Solution

Engaging a child or children less than 15 years in income generating activities that affect their physical, mental and social development. Child labour hinders the growth and development of the child.

 

b. Identify six activities that can be classified as child labor 

Solution

(i) Trading

(ii) Hawking

(iii) Engaged as laborers on the farms and fishing activities. (iv) Porters at markets

(v) Employed in mining

(vi) Quarrying

(vii) Sex work (prostitution)

(viii) Cart pushers or kayayo, etc.

 

c. Give and explain five reasons why child labor is a danger to the individual or to society

Solution

(i) School drop-out rate will increase leading to increase in illiteracy.

(ii) Child labor encourages teenage pregnancy.

(iii) Lack of skills limits the child's future opportunities for jobs.

(iv) Some jobs may be risky and the child may end up with physical and mental injuries.

(v) Children may attract disease which may make them liabilities to society e.g. prostitution leads to AIDS, etc.

(vi) May lead to high delinquency which may lead to crime e.g. armed robbery

 

2.a.      What is child labour? (1995)

Solution

It involves engaging children under the age of 15 years in income generating activities or gains to their detriment e.g. house help, hawking, cart pushing, etc.

 

b. State two reasons why child labor laws are difficult to enforce

Solution

(i) Parents of the children usually engage them in these activities of hawking, trading, cart pushing, etc.

(ii) Children must work to contribute to household income, for their own up keep, etc. because of the economic situation of the family.

(iii) Some of these children are engaged in fishing, farming, mining, etc which take place in the hinterland and thus very difficult to trace and find out. Some of them work to raise money to pay their school fees.

(iv) There is no clear definition of what is considered excessive and exploitative.

 

c. Describe or explain four ways in which a child's development can be hindered

Solution

(i) Child's education is hindered leading to inability to develop intellectually.

(ii) Child may not develop the required and appropriate skills for life.

(iii) Excessive abuse and exploitation may affect the child emotionally.

(iv) The physical growth of the child may be stunted because of poor nutrition.

(v) The child may not be prepared psychologically for adulthood. Once they earn money, they think they are adults and tend to live as such (as adults).

(vi) The child is also exposed to a lot of health and other hazards.

(vii) Child may also be exposed to prostitution or sexual abuse which may lead them to contracting various diseases e.g. STDs.

 

3.a. Discuss, given ways that differences in value system between adults and adolescents bring about conflicts in the family ( 1999)

Solution

(i) Differences in the level of education brings about conflict between adults and adolescents in the family.

(ii) Adults sometimes tend to underrate or under estimate the knowledge or intelligence of the young adults and this can cause conflict in the family.

(iii) Differences in value systems of adults and adolescents results in mistrust and thus conflict.

(iv) Due to lack of experience and youthful exuberance, adolescents over react to situations resulting in conflict.

(v) Failure of adults to serve as role models and set good examples for the young adults to emulate or follow may result in conflict.

 

4. Explain any five problems teenagers face in life. (2004)

Solution

Teenager's face a lot of problems among which include:

i) The teenager is always faced with the problem of adjusting to his physical changes.

ii) He wants to be important and be recognized as a person of worth. That is he tries to achieve adult status yet he is not an adult.

iii) The teenager tries to gain independence from his parents and to become a self-directing person. iv) The teenager has strong sex drive with the opposite sex.

v) The teenager has a big problem trying to cope with peer pressure.

 

5.(a) What is generation gap?

Solution

Generation gap is the general mistrust between adolescents and adults due to factors of education and social changes. OR Disagreement or mistrust between adults and adolescents or the younger generation. OR The differences resulting or arising from conflicts in expectations between adults and the adolescents.

 

(b) Select and explain five factors that contribute to the development of generation gap between adolescents and their parents

Solution

(i) Differences in the value system between adults and adolescents bring about mistrust. What parents see as good and desirable for the adolescents may conflict with what they have in mind. E.g. attitude towards life in general and the use of time and other resources.

(ii) Differences in the level of education and experiences e.g. adolescents haven acquired knowledge through formal education and gained exposure to a broader outlook of life through reading materials, the internet, movies, excursions etc. look at things differently from the adults.

(iii) Differences in maturity e.g. mental, physical and emotional maturity. Science and technology has made it possible for children of today to mature intellectually and physically than that of previous generations.

(iv) Differences in expectations and sometimes contradictions e.g. adolescents may consider themselves as adults but may be perceived as younger and incapable of taking certain actions.

(v) Adolescents tend to over react to situations due to inexperience e.g. intentional disobedience to parents.

(vi) Double standards of adults: Adults fail to set good examples for the younger generation to copy or emulate e.g. they tell the younger generation to desist from smoking, drinking and having too many friends and do the exact opposite.

(vii) Changing societal values e.g. disrespect for older people, and younger ones putting up behaviors of older people ( or adults).

 

6. (a)Explain the term street children

Solution

Street children are young boys and girls who do not live-in homes with their families but live on their own (providing their needs) with peers without parental guidance, control and supervision. They have freedom to do as they wish or want and indulge in reckless and frivolous activities

 

(b) State three reasons why children should not live on the streets

Solution

(i) The children may be exposed or lured in to early sex by their peers

(ii)They may also be exposed to Sexually Transmitted Infections / Diseases

(iii) They may become armed robbers

(iv) They may be exposed to drug abuse and sexual abuses

(v) They are likely to drop out of school

(vi) Some of them may end up as prostitutes or beggars

(vii) Some may also become addicted to both alcohol and drugs

 

7. Name three rights of a child in a society

Solution

(i) Right to education-: Every child has the right to go to school and study.

(ii) Right to health or good health care

(iii) Right to recreation

(iv) Right to shelter

(v) Right to be loved

(vi) Right to safety

(vii) Right to be clothed

(viii) Right to be fed and heard

 

8. Define the following terms

(a) Drug abuse

(b) Child labour

 

Solution

(a) Drug abuse: It is the deliberate use of drug for non-medical purposes, that is, taking drugs which have not been approved by the medical board or by a doctor or a pharmacist. OR It is the habit of taking drugs, which no doctor has prescribed

(b) Child labour: It involves engaging children below the age of 15 in income generating activities or gains to their detriment e.g  househelp, hawking, cart pushing etc.

 

EXAMINATION QUESTIONS

1. Discuss factors that have contributed to any two of the following problems that have been identified with the youth.

a. Drug abuse

b. Poor parent — child relationship

c. Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)

d. Teenage pregnancy (1998)

 

2.a. Explain the term child labor.

b. State five activities that are classified under child labor.

c. State and explain five effects of child labor on a society.

d. Write down three rights of a child in society (2003).

 

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