Risk Factors for Child Maltreatment Essay

Introdution

According to the Mikton and Butchart (2009), child maltreatment constituents all kinds of abuse on a child that includes emotional ill-treatment, physical abuse, exploitation, neglect, survival, potential harm, sexual abuse, abuse of trust and power. The above-mentioned ill-treatment in many ways emanates from risk factors that may include child factors, co-occurring risk factors, family factors, caregiver or parent factor, recurrent child neglect and abuse in addition to environmental and community factors. An understanding of the above factors plays a critical role in helping and working with families and children who identify with high-risk circumstances and conditions in order to come up with intervention measures appropriate for the situation. Although some of the factors mentioned may identify with a given family, it does not point to the presence or occurrence of child maltreatment. However, it is worthy to note that children brought up in such situations have a high probability of maltreatment.

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Caregiver or Parent Factors

According to the Mikton and Butchart (2009), no individual characteristics lead to child maltreatment. However, certain dispositions such as the inability to control anger may lead to a parent or caregiver to maltreat a child due to short tempers. At the same time, unfriendly attitude may lead a caregiver or parent to treat a child unfairly due to the inability of the adult to connect with the child. On the other hand, irresponsible behaviors such as drug abuse and excessive consumption of alcohol may expose the child to maltreatment from the caregiver or parent. A parent under the influence of drugs may not have what it takes to provide for the child basic needs such as the provision of food at the right time. Such a scenario may expose the child to malnutrition and suffering in the long run. Other characteristics may include impatience, inability to handle pressure, lacks understanding, poor communication skills, irrational decision making, and selfishness among others. A child exposed to such an individual may find himself or herself in a very uncomfortable environment with increased levels of maltreatment. Problematic personality attributes such as mental illness increase the chances of a parent or a caregiver mistreating a child. Depression, especially maternal stress is a strong factor that increases child maltreatment. For example, parents and caregivers with a strong history of psychiatric challenges have a high chance of maltreating their children as compare to children born and raised by mentally stable parents.

Environment and Community Factors

Social isolation, poverty, and unemployment are critical factors that may contribute to child maltreatment. According to Mikton and Butchart (2009), economic and poverty play a critical role in how a child is treated with research indicating that children born and raised up in an economically challenged environment have increased chances of maltreatment as compared to children born in well-off neighborhoods. Similarly, social attitudes and violence-prone areas in addition to the media have a high risk of children's exposure to physical abuse. According to WHO, often and many a time, frustrations and the inability to provide for the family play a critical role in child abuse with physical harm leading in addition to emotional maltreatment such as neglect? At the same time, poorly organized and crime-prone neighborhoods pose greater risks to child maltreatment with research showing that children raised up in dangerous environment tend to suffer most from abuse. According to Mikton and Butchart (2009)

if economic challenges are combined with other factors such as social isolation, drug abuse, frustrations, and depression, the likelihood of child maltreatment increases.

Family Factors

Some factors in a child's life such as single parenting, stressful events, and domestic violence play a critical role in the likelihood of child mistreatment. The situation may be made worse if and when the parent or caregiver is isolated, is economically challenged, lacks adequate emotional support, and is constantly under pressure. Within the family also other factors such as the household and care giving structure such as childrearing approaches and parental attitudes often place the child in a high-risk environment of maltreatment. Families that experience spousal abuse and violence child maltreatment often take place (Mikton & Butchart 2009) Children in such environment may experience the violence itself or may be neglected or may suffer constant emotional abuse from the very harsh environment they live. Even if the child may not be maltreated directly, they often suffer emotionally as a result of what they witness.

On the other hand, large family size increases the probability of child ill-treatment with studies indicating that children born in a family of more than four children have increased chances of maltreatment. Families with less than two children record a low rate of child maltreatment as compared with families with a higher number of children. Families with more children experience a high rate of stress levels in addition to responsibilities. A parent with more responsibly and demands are prone to depression that increases chances of child maltreatment. At the same time only children have increased levels of maltreatment since they are at the hands of inexperienced young parents.

Child Factors

Factors such as emotional, mental, physical, and social development may play a critical factor in exposing a child to maltreatment. For example, infants, as a result of their small physique and constant need of care may be very vulnerable to many kinds of maltreatment such as medical neglect, head trauma, and physical neglect. Due to the high demand of attention they need, their caregivers, may feel overwhelmed and neglect them. At the same time, children with physical disabilities or those with special needs may put pressure on their caregivers and parents that may lead to frustrations and depression. Such demands may further expose the child to many forms of ill-treatment from their own caregivers and parents.

Co-Occurring Risk Factors

Co-occurring risk factors entail those factors that take place at the same time. For instance, a parent's disposition of drug abuse and family factors may all occur at the same time. At the same time, difficult economic conditions and parenting such as a single parent may feature prominently in a child development and rearing. Recurring risk factors often place with children at high risks of ill-treatment and may further be made worse by factors such as isolation, few social interactions. These further increases abusive levels as the caregiver or parent may have no one to turn to for support or involvement with the local community. Mikton and Butchart (2009) argue that isolated and distant parents often vent their anger and frustrations due to lack of emotional support from close family members. Such recurring patters often lead immediate family members to avoid such parents further increasing the chances of abuse on the child from the caregiver or parent.

Reference

Mikton, C., & Butchart, A. (2009). Child maltreatment prevention: a systematic review of reviews. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 87(5), 353-361.