Abuse of Children Essay Example

Oprah Talks to Child Molesters. Retrieved from http://www.oprah.com/own-oprahshow/oprah-talks-to-child-molestors-part-2-video

This interview is one of the strangest interviews that have ever happened concerning the issue of child molestation. While watching this interview, I felt very disgusted with the way children, as vulnerable as they are, become manipulated and molested helplessly by those who would have helped them instead. It is terrible! Anyway, I learned about four main things concerning child molestation. First, most of the child molesters are not strangers to their victims. They are family friends, neighbors, brothers, uncles, or even the biological fathers. Only a few cases of child molestation involve strangers. According to Oprah, this accounts for only 10% of the total number of cases. Second, it is vivid that child molesters do not select their victims anyhow. They know how to spot vulnerable children and develop trust between themselves, the child, and possibly the child's parents. After gaining trust, these child molesters can seduce their victims without arousing any suspicion from the victim or their parents. It takes a very calculated move which in most cases, usually is deliberate. The desperation in a child can result from neglect by the parents thereby giving the molester a window of opportunity to get into the world of the child and later molest them. Third, child molesters can sometimes be very conniving. They know how to groom the victim in such a way that makes them view the molestation as something that is okay and normal. Lastly, the interview reveals that parents should be on high alert to prevent child molestation by listening to the child's plea concerning such issues. The interview reflects various concepts in chapter 6. As children develop socially, morally, and emotionally, they try to seek acceptance. When neglected by their parents, they can innocently fall in the trap of child molesters. In this interview, the four admitted child molesters portrayed the concepts of intrafamilial and extrafamilial sexual molestation that were addressed in chapter 6. Multiple factors including deviant sexual interests, cognitive distortion, and lack of empathy for the child can be considered as factors intensifying child molestation. Chapter 6 explains that juvenile sexual offenders try to cover their acts through repudiation. The Oprah's interview with the admitted child molesters confirmed this concept. For example, the first time when Darren's daughter complained that her father abused her, Darren confesses that he refused and lied his way out of the issue.

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Psychological Maltreatment of Children.

Psychological maltreatment of children refers to the emotional abuse of children by adults. A psychologically maltreated child displays the following characteristics. First, the child is depressed. The emotional abuse disorients the child's emotional stability making a depression to set in. The child becomes dull, dismayed, and lacking joy. In addition to that, a psychologically maltreated child looks worried, uneasy, agitated and nervous. The child may also tend to separate from others due to the feeling of unworthiness and lack of eagerness to mingle with others. Psychological maltreatment may occur in many repeated patterns; the following are five main patterns. First, consistent verbal castigation can make the child feel unloved. Second, lack of responsiveness to the child distorts their emotions and makes them feel worthless to be heard. Third, neglect to the child's troubles may make the child feel emotionally broken and may end up feeling lonely and depressed. Fourth, unreasonable expectations of a child can make them feel inadequate because they fail to meet the parent's high expectations. Fifth, when a parent calls a child funny or bad names, the child may feel worthless and flawed thereby reducing their self-esteem and courage. As a result, a child may become so much depressed due to emotional distortion. Parents might emotionally abuse their children due to the following reasons. First, excessive drug abuse can make a parent hurt their children emotionally due to low levels of reasoning when under the influence of drugs. Second, constant marital conflicts may make a parent depressed and have distorted moods. Hence, they may end up uttering words that belittle or demoralize the child leading to emotional abuse. In addition to that, heavy burdens caused by poverty can also force a parent to neglect the child. Neglect occurs in this case because the parent cannot manage to provide the child with food, education, or medical treatment, which are the basic needs. Therefore, the child ends up being emotionally maltreated.