Table of ContentsIntroductionDefining Child AbuseReporting Child AbuseThe CycleStrategiesChildren are abused every day in this country. Studies on what constitutes abuse and its effects, both long-term and short-term, have been underway for many years. There are real problems both in the definition of maltreatment, as well as the potential strategies and implementations that should be put in place to reduce persistent cases of child maltreatment. Abuse can be physical, emotional or sexual. With current barriers to defining and reporting child abuse, as well as confidentiality issues associated with investigating and combating child abuse, we are not going very far in reducing this rampant epidemic. in our country. Further research and action must be taken to protect children. If you turn your head, nothing will change. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayIntroductionChild abuse is an ongoing epidemic in the United States and has been for many years. Every year, hundreds of thousands of children are victims of physical, emotional and sexual abuse. Unfortunately, many children still suffer in silence and these cases go unreported. New laws are regularly passed to try to combat current child abuse. However, many questions remain about what constitutes child abuse, what the penalties for child abuse should be, how intrusive the law and individuals can be in investigations, how to report suspected abuse, and how to stop to cycles that may or may not be passed down from generation to generation. This article will discuss the facts, figures and arguments related to child abuse. Defining Child Abuse There has been much controversy and speculation about what constitutes child abuse over the years. Depending on an individual's culture, religion and origin, its definition will in most cases be very different from that of an individual belonging to another region, culture or religion. Punishments for unacceptable behavior have constantly changed socially. Although it was socially acceptable to spank a child twenty years ago, it is not necessarily so today. Many parents continue to spank their child and believe that it does not constitute abuse. Some families believe that their child should be able to stay home alone or be left in a vehicle unsupervised, and that this does not constitute abuse. Others may disagree and believe that children should not be left alone in a vehicle or otherwise until they are teenagers. While many people cannot and do not agree on the appropriate age to leave a child unsupervised, or what forms of discipline are acceptable and which constitute abuse, there is broad consensus that Sexually assaulting or inflicting serious injury constitutes child abuse. If a person is seen beating or molesting a child, they should report child abuse, as it is not only morally and ethically wrong, but also against the law. Views on what does and does not constitute child abuse have continually changed and will most likely continue to do so. Another example is that of working conditions andconditions of employment of minors. Not so long ago, children were expected to work long hours and it was not socially frowned upon. Many now consider this to also be child abuse. Child abuse cannot be easily defined. While this is unacceptable to most, if not all of society, the actual definition and stipulations of what does or does not constitute child abuse are undefined and there is no general consensus. Privacy issues have also made it difficult to identify and report potential child abuse. The study of child abuse began in the 1960s and has continued to the present. Another obstacle to identifying and defining child abuse comes from the debate over whether the abuse must be physical. Psychological violence has also been studied. Consequences or sanctions are still being defined for many aspects of child abuse. Little information is available on what officially constitutes psychological abuse versus physical and sexual abuse of children. Reporting Child Abuse Various community, municipal, state and federal organizations have resources for reporting suspected child abuse. Unless a child self-reports the abuse, or other members of a community or neighborhood report abuse, there are not many ways to easily identify it. Doctors, teachers, counselors, and family members may suspect abuse, but they may be hesitant to report it. The reluctance may come from not witnessing the abuse, from a child denying any abuse, or from the lack of a clear definition of what constitutes and does not constitute abuse. They may also believe that nothing will be done about the abuse. There are many stories that appear on the news about children suspected of being abused, where the situations and suspicions were reported and nothing was ever done. Unfortunately, these stories usually end with the child dying from the abuse or continuing the cycle of abuse with their children and grandchildren. There are also individuals who may believe that things will be much worse if they report the abuse, with the child potentially being abused. removed from their homes and placed in much worse situations. Statistics show that there are hundreds of thousands of children who are abused each year in the United States, but this number cannot be accurate given all the situations that continue to go unreported. In many cases in which children have been placed in equally or more violent homes after being removed from their families, agencies often complain that they are underfunded and understaffed. Agencies are unable to thoroughly investigate allegations of abuse, or are unable to fully assess situations if they do not have sufficient resources, funding, and staffing. This only adds to the already persistent problems and troubles that children face. Social welfare agencies continually complain that they do not have enough resources, funding and staff to do everything that is asked of them. Ultimately, it's the children who suffer the most.The CycleStatistically, people with lower incomes tend to be more closely associated with more frequent child abuse situations. (Eckenrode, Smith, McCarthy and.