The Nurses Role in Child Maltreatment Prevention :: Child Abuse Prevention

Nurses who regularly see children in their pr coiffureice atomic number 18 currently treating victims of child insult, including versed abuse and neglect, whether they know it or not. The causes of child abuse and neglect are complex and varied, and occur in all types of families and settings. Nurses must always bear alert to the possibility that abuse may be occurring in some(prenominal) family, regardless of their socioeconomic status. Nationally, in 1993, averages of 42.9 children per 1,000 were reported to authorities as victims of supposed abuse or neglect. A 1995 Gallop Poll of 1,000 parents yielded the estimate that 3 million U.S. children were victims of carnal abuse by their parents, or about 44 per 1,000 children (The future of children, 1998). Child characteristics may include, the child was prematurely born, the child has disabilities, either mentally or physically, the child exhibits certain behaviors of infancy and childhood, such(prenominal) as persistent crying, the child is chronically ill, and the child has already been victimized. Family characteristics may include, in that respect is other violence in the home, substances, including alcohol, are step by the parents or caretakers, the parents of caretakers lack necessary maturity, skills or knowledge to care for the child, parental expectations are inconsistent with the childs developmental abilities, the caretaker is socially isolated, the family is experiencing high levels of idiom from events such as loss of a job, increased financial burdens, sincere illness, death in the family, separation or divorce, adult members of the family have themselves been abused as children (Ohio State Medical Association, 1992). Definitions of the major forms of maltreatment are as follows Physical Abuse- An act of accusation by a caregiver that results or is likely to result in physical harm, including death of a child. Examples of physical abuse acts include kicking, biting, shaking, sta bbing, or punching of a child. Sexual Abuse- An act of commission, including onset or penetration, molestation with genital contact, or other forms of sexual acts in which children are used to provide sexual gratification for the perpetrator. This type of abuse also includes acts such as sexual exploitation and child pornography. Neglect- An act of omission by a parent or caretaker that involves refusal or endure in providing health care, failure to provide basic needs such as food, shelter, clothing, affection, and attention, inadequate supervision or abandonment. Emotional Abuse- An act of commission or omission that includes rejecting, isolating, terrorizing, ignoring, or corrupting a child.