Child Abuse Act Researh Paper

Introduction

Child mistreatment at home is one of the most devastating social issues in the American society. Over the years, cases of child abuse have continually increased, prompting the government to implement strategies to protect the lives and interests of minors. In 2015, it was estimated that approximately 1600 children died from neglect and abuse in the United States (Farrell et al., 2017). Child abuse poses grave physical, emotional, and psychological effects on the children. Most of these issues affect the well-being of the children well into their adulthood. The children Act ensures the protection of children against of all forms of abuse.

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The Child Abuse Act was signed in to law in 1974 by President Nixon (Eckenrode, Smith, McCarthy, & Dineen, 2014). It aimed to provide frameworks for the prevention, identification, and treatment of abused and neglected children. The legislation authorized studies in strategies aimed at the reduction of child mistreatment and improvement of care of victims of abuse. Through the years, the law has been amended severally to fit the modern socio-economic issues.

Goals and Objectives of the Child Abuse Act

In most cases, the safety and security of children usually depend on the combined efforts of government, non-governmental entities, and members of the society. One of the primary objectives of the Child Abuse Act is to increase societal awareness and education about child abuse and enlighten individuals on the most effective strategies for prevention, treatment, and intervention (Farrell et al., 2017). With proper knowledge about the safety and security issues facing children and minors, involved parties can embrace concepts aimed at protecting children from harm. Another objective of the Child Abuse Act is increased community coordination and communication pertaining child abuse. Involved parties must be able to effectively communicate about issues facing the society, especially those that threaten the safety and security of children (Fiket et al., 2012). Co-ordination requires networking with relevant organizations tasked with the protection of the lives and interests of children. The primary goal of the Child Abuse Act is the protection of the target group from different socio-economic backgrounds. Several scholars have argued that cases of child abuse are more rampant in marginalized communities, a factor contributed by social issues such as drug abuse, prostitution, high crime rates, and low economic income, among others (Fiket et al., 2012). Further, the law aims to educate members of these societies, to ensure that they understand the effects of different forms of abuse in the community and the nation.

Forms and Benefits to be Delivered

The legislation offers several services aimed at protecting children and minors from physical, emotional, and psychological forms of abuse. Some of the areas this legislation focuses on are;

Stigmatization

Studies conducted by several scholars have linked stigmatization to child abuse. The existing literature shows that children and minors with a history of neglect and violence are more likely to engage in alcohol and substance abuse. For instance, a study conducted by the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network revealed that most cases of abuse perpetrators are individuals close and well-known by the victims, which is a factor that discourages the abused from reporting the attacks (Fiket et al., 2012). Lack of intervention, treatment, and counseling leads to stigmatization, which in turn leads to more pressing social issues. To remedy this issue, the legislation requires health facilities and the children department to report any cases of child abuse to the necessary authorities for action.

Adequacy, Equity, and Efficiency

The policies of the Child Abuse Prevention and Protection Act apply to all American and non-American persons below the age of eighteen residing in the United States (Newton & Gerrits, 2011). It also seeks to protect children from all socio-economic grounds. The legislation, also, intends to reduce cases of racial or gender prejudice during the treatment, prevention, and intervention processes.

Fit with the Social Problem Analysis

Even with the government and non-governmental policies in place, studies have shown an overwhelming number of child abuse cases in the modern society. The legislation thus purposes at reducing this number by ensuring the conviction of abusers as well as educating the society on issues that influence cases of child abuse and strategies that can be used to protect the lives and the future of the younger generation.

Eligibility Rules

Target Efficiency

While this legislation seeks to influence both the majority and the minority groups, studies show that its efficiency is severely limited by issues such as social stratification and cultural factors, among others (Crosson-Tower, 2017). Child abuse cases, especially among the minority groups, are severely affected by other factors such as racial discrimination and police profiling. In most cases, individuals from these societies tend to be less cooperative with the police and the children department.

Stigma/Alienation

Following decades of racial discrimination and police profiling, studies show that members of the minority groups are in most cases, less co-operative with officials from the justice system. In the event cases of child abuse, members of this group are more likely to remain uncooperative for fear of alienation from the community.

Overwhelming Costs

In most cases, pursuing a child abuse case in a court of law incurs overwhelming costs regarding fees needed to hire a competent and skilled lawyer. Child abuse cases require a lot of time because of the child hearsay process, which can require litigation of several hearings and several witnesses to determine the evidence to be used in court (Newton & Gerrits, 2011). Good lawyers are expensive, and the costs required to pursue a successful case can be too high, especially for individuals with low economic incomes.

Administration and Service Delivery Structure

The legislation is used by various organizations involved with children's rights. Examples include Voices of American Children, Child Welfare League of America, Youth Justice Coalition, National Safe Place, Children's Rights Service, and Lawyer for Children, among others. Implementation of this law demands the involvement of government, non-governmental entities, and all members of the society (Farrell et al., 2017). All involved parties must understand the effects of abuse on the future of the victims, the community, and the nation. The government must ensure enough resources towards the implementation of strategies aimed at protecting children and minors from abuse. To ensure that all members of the society, and especially those from the minority groups, are involved in the implementation of these strategies, the government must provide organizations that deal with these communities with enough resources and information for the execution of the legislation.

Financing Mechanism

The resources set aside to aid in the fight against child abuse usually vary in each financial year. In 2016, a bill proposing $10 m towards child abuse prevention strategies was tabled in the parliament (Farrell et al., 2017). While the bill was not passed into law, it helped to show the need for the allocation of enough resources towards this initiative. So far, the level of funding has been insufficient, thus severely affecting child protection strategies. To address the funding problem, the government must allocate enough resources to each community, a factor that will be determined based on the number of child abuse cases reported in each group as well as the socio-economic position of the members.

Interview With Beneficiary

Following the influence of this legislation in the society, many people are familiar with its policies and based on their testimonies, and many believe in its assertions. The law has proven effective in educating the community on the need for the protection of children and minors from emotional, physical, and emotional abusers. It has also helped to reduce alcohol and substance abuse; both factors contributed by abuse. However, the policy has several shortcomings such as its inability to recognize dynamics of different groups, which have affected service delivery, especially among the minority groups. There is, therefore, an immediate need for allocation of more resources to ensure the disadvantaged communities are educated and sensitized on aspects about child abuse.

Recommendation

The Child Prevention and Protection Act achieved significant success in protecting children and minors from different forms of abuse. However, its shortcomings have continually affected service delivery. To address the legislation's goals, the government needs to allocate enough resources that will ensure both majority and minority groups have enough information concerning the rights of children and minors. In addition, the society is made aware of the issues surrounding child abuse in the modern society. If these issues are addressed, the nation will be in a better position to embrace child abuse prevention and protection strategies.

Conclusion

The Child Abuse Prevention and Protection Act as succeeded in protecting children and minors from different socio-economic backgrounds. The legislation has ensured partnership with various organizations dedicated towards the protection of children and minors in the United States. While the policy has several shortcomings that affect overall service delivery, it has significant success in protecting the lives and the future of the American society.

References

Crosson-Tower, C. (2017). Exploring child welfare: A practice perspective. New York,, NY: Pearson.

Eckenrode, J., Smith, E. G., McCarthy, M. E., & Dineen, M. (2014). Income inequality and child maltreatment in the United States. Pediatrics, 133(3), 454-461.

Farrell, C. A., Fleegler, E. W., Monuteaux, M. C., Wilson, C. R., Christian, C. W., & Lee, L. K. (2017). Community poverty and child abuse fatalities in the United States. Pediatrics, e20161616.

Fiket, C. S., Grotti, A. W., Stoltzfus, E, E., & Child Welfare Information Gateway (U.S.). (2012). The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act with a Summary of State Laws. Hauppauge, NY: Nova Science Publishers

Newton, S., & Gerrits, J. (2011). Child Abuse. St. Catharines: Crabtree Pub. Co.