The Child Abuse. Justice Law Research Paper Essay Term Paper

Child Abuse
Author Name
Institution Affiliation
Abstract
With the passage of time, the number of cases of child abuse or child maltreatment has increased to an extent. The professionals working with abused children are often kept from performing their duties in a better way. If they are to drag the alleged abuser to the court, they must collect enough proofs before bringing the abuser before the criminal court. In this paper, I have mentioned how the investigating officers can see signs of child abuse and what are its leading causes. In some circumstances, abused children hesitate to speak of their minds. It is because they are pressurized by their parents or guardians to keep quiet before the investigating officer in order to save themselves from the legal action. The issue should be paid immediate attention too, and the criminal justice system of the country has to be strengthened so that children are helped, and their lives are saved (Hershkowitz, 2011).
Keyword: abuse, crime, abuser, child, maltreatment
According to Irit Hershkowitz, child abuse or child maltreatment is one of the most serious threats to society. It happens when children are tortured psychologically or physically by their caregivers, parents or other family members. Almost all jurisdictions have developed their own definitions of what constitutes maltreatment with an aim of saving the lives of children across the globe. The criminal justice system of different countries, including the United States, is not as effective as it should be when it comes to protecting children. In recent years, the number of kids being abused worldwide has increased from 2.2 million to 5.3 million and it is all because of the unsustainable criminal justice system (Hershkowitz, 2011). It is very unfortunate that a large number of children are left helpless or at the mercy of those caregivers or parents who are actually threatening or abusing them on a daily basis. Children who suffer repeated trauma often feel hopeless, scared, lonely, unloved, ignored and worthless, which is opposite of how they should be treated. Almost all abused kids become bitter, hollow and broken. Deep inside, they start hating people around them, and these kinds of wounds are far more dangerous than the physical injuries they may receive during torture. It looks like the current criminal justice system of the country is unstable, which is why a lot of cases of child abuse are reported every year.
Causes of Child Maltreatment or Child Abuse
Angela A. Robertson and Courtney S. Walker argue that there are more than enough causes for child abuse, but the most prominent ones are domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse, uncured mental illness, stress and depression, and lack of parenting skills (Robertson & Walker, 2018). It should be noticed that in different parts of the country, hundreds to thousands of children are hospitalized and lose their lives every year, and most of the cases of child abused are not reported in a timely manner. It is because parents contribute to the problem in a large number. Children who live with their parents for years are frequently abused by their jobless fathers or mothers. Men who are habitual of torturing their female partners are often found to be abusing their children too. Apparently, their female partners feel fear of them, so as the kids, which is why no one comes forward to file a report. Drug and alcohol abuse is yet another main cause of child maltreatment. Parents who have a history of drug or alcohol abuse are responsible for torturing their children physically or mentally. On an average, one million couples in the United States, Canada, and Europe misbehave with their children due to the reason that they have no money to buy alcohol or drugs of their choice. They often do not have jobs and spend all of their time doing nothing but abusing and torturing their family members, especially children. An uncured mental disease is another main cause of child abuse (Stanley, 2006). All over the world, there are millions of people with mental diseases, especially panic attacks and anxiety. In some situations, their illnesses remain uncured or untreated, and as a result, they become unstable and begin abusing their family members. Children are prone to becoming the victims of such abuses. It becomes the responsibility of the government to save them from their frustrated or mentally sick parents and...