Child Abuse

What is Child Abuse?

It refers specifically to an act of commission by a parent or caretaker which is not accidental and harms or threatens to harm a child's physical or mental health or welfare. The age of the child and the severity of injury are important factors in identifying abuse.

Under the law people should report when it appears there is reasonable cause to believe that child, legally defined as a person under the age of 18, has been non-accidentally physically or mentally injured, neglected or sexual abused. The statute defines child abuse or neglect as follows:

“Child abuse or neglect shall mean the injury, sexual abuse, or negligent treatment or maltreatment of a child by any person under circumstances which indicate that the child's health, welfare and safety is harmed thereby.” (RCW 26.44.020)

Negligence is further defined:

“Negligent treatment or maltreatment shall mean an act or omission which evinces a serious disregard of consequences of such magnitude as t constitutes a clear and present danger to the child's health, welfare and safety.” (RCW 26.44.020)

The effects of child abuse are enormous. Most of us are now aware from the many reports in the media regarding physical and sexual assault of children as well as child neglect by family members. These experiences inevitably result in harmful consequences for the children.

The problem, still remains, it is difficult if not impossible to state with any degree of confidence how a traumatic experience will affect a particular child. A minority of children shows very few observable effects from assault or neglect. The truth is many children suffer major effects, which continue or even worsen over time.

To explain these varied reactions, researchers have attempted to define abuse in a precise manner, but with a lot of questions. Example, is a single hard slap to the face worse than constant belittling and ridicule? Consider this, the fact that physical and sexual abuse often involves relatively brief acts which may or may not be repeated over time, while neglect and emotional abuse are typically of a more chronic nature.

Finally, research is acknowledging that for children to simply witness domestic violence in the home is severely detrimental and can be considered child abuse in itself.

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Teen Advocate

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24 Hour Crisis Line

Orcas Island (360) 376-1234

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If you know a child who is in imminent danger of being harmed call Child Protective Services CPS at 1-800-562-5624 for information and reporting and local contact number is 378-3283 for Dave Park, MS and Ellen Roberts, social workers for D.S.H.S.

Facts...

It is estimated that between 3.3 million and 10 million children in the U.S. witness physical violence between their parents each year. The types of inter-parental violence these children observe can range from overhearing some form of violent behavior from their bedrooms, to seeing severe acts of violence like chokings, beatings, rape or assaults with knives and guns. Many times, these children observe repeated acts of violence perpetrated by multiple partners throughout their childhood.

Children witnessing wife battering is not a new phenomenon, however, it is only within the past two decades that these effects have been documented.

The majority of research has focused on the impact of husband to wife violence on children, however children may also witness wife to husband abuse, although it is likely to be less severe (Archer, 2002). Researchers state “Children growing up in violent homes learn that violence is an appropriate and acceptable means of resolving conflict in intimate relationships.” (The Prevention Researcher, “Adolescents From Maritally Violent Homes”, February, 2005).

One prominent theme throughout studies of abused children is the link between their traumatic experiences and subsequent developmental problems, which are cumulative over time. This disruption or interference with normal developmental processes creates a domino effect on later abilities-failure to master important developmental tasks such as attachment to the caregiver. It can also set the stage for further relationship failure over his or her life span as well as a host of emotional, cognitive and behavioral problems.