This page is presented in hopes that you will come away with a better understanding of the problem of child abuse and, in the process, gain the desire to help those who need help with this devastating problem, both the Children and the Caregivers, alike.
Each and every child born unto the world is SPECIAL and has the undeniable right to be raised in a secure, loving environment.
So how is it that so many children live in fear-filled environments, instead??
We all start out in the world as vulnerable, defenseless children, dependent on the adults in our lives for the barest essentials for survival.
And, while most children are fed and provided shelter adequate enough to survive; many children are not given the wherewithal to THRIVE!!!
Instead, many children are neglected and abused. And, as each maltreated child grows up into adulthood, they carry with them the scars of a hurtful childhood and the wrong set of tools in which to raise their own children.
As children grow, they learn fundamental life lessons from the dominant adult figures in their lives. When these adults are not using the nuturing tools of unconditional love, compassion, temperance, patience, maturity, unselfishness and understanding, the children under their care, more often than not, grow up unequipped to provide such nurturing tools to their own children.
And, this self-perpetuating cycle continues on...
What can be done?? You ask...
We all have heard others label people who neglect or abuse their own children as MONSTERS who should be locked away Forever.
The TRUTH of the matter is... Most people accused of child neglect or abuse are Good people behaving badly!!!
As previously discussed, some learn the patterns of abusive behavior in childhood; many are habitual subtance abusers; some have low frustration tolerance levels that prevent them from coping well with the demands of child raising; others have various emotional or mental disorders that, most often, can be alleviated with appropriate counseling and/or prescription medications; still others have physiological conditions such as chronic pain or bio-chemical imbalances that may cause them to lose control easily; and many direct their feelings of rage, fear and hopelessness toward those weaker than themselves, toward those who can't fight back.
Whatever the reasons for a person's abusive behavior, the BOTTOM LINE is:
In most instances, the abusers are NOT Evil Monsters but regular people who love their children and despise themselves for the way they mistreat them but are also people who lose control easily and unwittingly lash out at the most vulnerable, available people around them--the children!!!
Child maltreatment is not so much a crime as a Sickness!!! And it should be treated as such.
There is HELP!!!
As previously mentioned, abusive adults can receive help through counseling services and prescription medications. Also, there are organizations, such as Parents' Anonymous, that provide a forum in which to discuss child care-giving issues in a supportive environment. Further, having supportive family members or friends available to talk to and care for the children when care givers feel on the verge of losing control is extremely important.
The welfare of EACH AND EVERY CHILD is the Responsibility of EVERY ONE OF US!!!
If you ever witness or even suspect that a child is being neglected or abused -- GET INVOLVED!!!
Don't ever hesitate to Help a CHILD IN NEED!!!
Contact: crisis hotlines, child protective services, law enforcement agencies, schools, and churches in your area plus consider talking with responsible family members of the child/ren involved. Do whatever is Necessary to PREVENT the children from being further abused or neglected!!!
Not only will you be saving a Child, you may be saving an entire Family!!!
Early intervention is of extreme importance because the longer abuse is allowed to continue, the more set abusive patterns may become to the point that they can evolve into conditioned responses to certain stressors in abusive persons' lives.
REMEMBER: GET INVOLVED!!! The child will receive help in the process; the abusive care giver will more than likely receive help, as well.
And don't hesitate to offer your assistance to the care givers. They need help, too, but oftentimes are too ashamed or afraid to ask for it.
Remember...We ALL are affected in one way or another by neglected and abused children. Many of them grow up to perpetuate the cyle of abusive behavior with their own children who may end up marrying YOUR CHILDREN or YOUR GRANDCHILDREN. And there are always those who will lash out at society for the hurts they have endured; at which point, it does truly become everyones' problem!!!
Please, don't Blame Anyone...Rather, HELP those unable to help themselves!!!
THANK YOU for taking the time to read about this EXTREMELY IMPORTANT ISSUE and earnestly considering what you may do this very moment and in the days, months and years ahead to help stop this devastating cycle!!!
This very moment, the Children are CRYING FOR HELP!!! The Caregivers are CRYING FOR HELP, too!!!
PLEASE DO WHAT YOU CAN!!! THANK YOU!!!
