What to do with parents who abuse their children Essay Example

What to do with parents who abuse their children? Essay In Florida, three year old Caylee Anthony was last reported seen in mid-June of 2008. Caylee’s remains were found a few miles from the home of Caylee’s grandparents. Caylee’s mother, Casey Anthony is alleged with her daughter’s murder (Polonko, n.d.). An Eleven weeks old infant, Aaron was brutally murdered by his father. The stressed father took out his anger on the crying baby  giving him bruises on the brain which killed him (Polonko, n.d.). Somewhere in the Midwest, a distressed girl complains to her mother that her father is harassing her. The father accuses the child of lying and after the mom leaves, he ties his daughter to a tree and runs the lawn mower over the cat after he partly buries her. The child screams at the horrendous sight and promises to be good and take her words back if he lets the poor animal live (Polonko, n.d.). We will write a custom essay sample on What to do with parents who abuse their children? specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on What to do with parents who abuse their children? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on What to do with parents who abuse their children? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Somewhere else, a little boy’s hands are tied behind his back to discipline him. The father forgets to untie his son’s hand as a result of which the little boy’s hands had to be surgically removed. On returning from the hospital after the treatments, the innocent child promises to behave well and in return pleads for his hands to be given back to him (Polonko, n.d.). In Thailand, an eight year old girl is sold by her parents into sexual slavery where she is required to engage into sexual customers with at least fifteen customers a day. In Abu Dhabi, a couple was sentenced for beating their 9 year old daughter to the point that she became 80% immobile (Polonko, n.d.). These are the stories that no one wants to hear. These are the realities that no one wants to discuss. In the daily newspaper, our eyes are met with gruesome photographs of children who have been assaulted or battered by parents. Parents, the most often perpetrators: According to the reports of National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System, more than 900,000 children became victims of abuse or neglect in the U.S in 2003. In 2006, an estimate number of 905,000 children in the United States were reported to be assaulted and neglected. According to reports, parents which include birth parents, adoptive parents and stepparents were eighty percent of the perpetrators. Child abuse is prevalent in any social, cultural, or economic class. An approximately equal number of men and women abuse children. Although it is important to remember that children can be abused or assaulted by anyone, but most often, when a child is injured, the perpetrator is someone known to the child. Only one in five harmful acts to children are on account of strangers. The finger is in most cases pointed to the child’s primary caregivers- who are most often the child’s parents. In the year 2004 in Texas, parents were the accused perpetrators in 77 percent of the cases of child abuse or neglect. Statistics also show that 80% of child deaths each year are the result of  parental maltreatment (Administration of Children and Families, n.d.). There are numerous reasons why children abuse their children. Abusive parents may themselves have been the subject of abuse as children. With very limited parenting skills, they may have been relying solitarily upon corporal punishment for discipline. These parents want their children to behave ideally and they get frustrated in their efforts. Stress that is associated with divorce, unemployment, or other family crises makes child abuse more likely. Parents who have a tendency to abuse their children are even more likely to do so under stress. Actions to be taken: The nature of the problem of child abuse is severe. Child abuse damages young lives and has serious consequences which may remain as ineffaceable pain throughout the victim’s lifetime. In addition to the injuries inflicted on the children as a direct result of the abuse, they also suffer from a variety of negative problems. These include degraded self esteem, higher levels of aggression and violence, poor academic performance, alcoholism and an increased likelihood of becoming the batterers of the next generation. Every child has the right to grow up healthy and safe. Thus, it becomes necessary to tackle the problem of child abuse. Since parents are the most likely abusers, the question most prominently addressed in the paper will be: What to do with parents who abuse their children? Generally, there two ways directed at parents who abuse and neglect their children. The first is taking criminal action against parents or prosecuting them. The other more humane approach is treatment to help victims of child abuse and their parents (Costin, 1998). Criminal action against parents who abuse their children: In Abu Dhabi, a nine-year old girl, Nouf suffered from burns, bruises and knife cuts at the hands of her parents. Nouf’s father accused the girl of playing with her genital and told authorities that he beat the little girl to discipline her and to prevent her from doing sins. The girl’s parents were charged and sentenced behind bars for 10 years and the court demanded the parents to pay a compensation of Dh160, 000 to the girl, who according to medical report became 80% physically disable as a result of the abuse. Prosecution of parents in such cases is common and justified. Criminal prosecution is mostly used in cases of sexual abuse and fatalities. It is often essential Prosecution of sexual offenders to protect the victim from successive abuse. It is also argued that strict laws should be enforced in order to purge the widespread social problem of child abuse. There has been a call to outlaw corporal punishment in the home. Australian psychologists believe that smacking leads to homicide so if parents were prevented from smacking their children child homicide rates would be slashed. Sweden banned smacking thirty years ago but after 15 years of the imposition there was not a single case of severe child abuse (Costin, 1998). Such laws are seen as effective and people who are for criminal action propose that prosecuting parents and terminating parental rights is an immediate way of ending child abuse whereas during the other approach, treatment, the child is still under the abusive parent and is at risk(Roberts,2004). Treatment is rendered ineffective if the parents do not accept that they have a problem and are reluctant to receive treatment. Before child abuse is diagnosed, parents apprehend getting caught because of the punishment and a good amount of social stigma attached to it. On being told of clinicians concerns, they may express hostility because of criticism directed at their child-rearing practices (Costin, 1998). Treatment of abusive parents involves convincing them to see themselves as sick. Ironically, treating child abuse as a sickness has made it more of a problem which is difficult to cure. Not enough therapists are available to resolve the innumerable diagnosed cases. Furthermore, most abusive parents do not have the time and money to spend on their rehabilitation. Nor do they have a temperament for long-term therapeutic treatment. Many such parents also lack pensive abilities which are required for successful psychological therapy. Also, the resources of the society which are in short supply are diverted to providing services for the rehabilitation of the abused parents (Costin, 1998). Rehabilitation, a better approach to ending child abuse Many states in the U.S have passed special criminal child abuse laws. States are increasingly trying to deal with child abuse and neglect by taking criminal action against the parents rather than providing rehabilitative remedies in family courts. For example in the last several years, child abuse arrests for imperiling the welfare of minors in New York City, has risen by 60 per cent. Although it is relatively rare that a parent is prosecuted and brought to court for child neglect but the message that criminal conviction sends is strong and significant(National district attorneys association,2009). Almost every civilized nation has laws enforced that require that child abuse cases be reported. The states in the U.S. demand that suspected cases are reported by whoever deals with the children and their families for example, physicians and teachers. When child abuse is proven and parents are found guilty, courts normally remove children from their home and sometimes give a jail sentence to the offending parent. Yet, after the sentence is over parents make a court appeal to regain the custody of the children and they do gain their children back. The concluding result is generally the child’s death. Five percent of the children are killed and Thirty Five percent are seriously reinjured if the abused child is returned to his parents and restored into the family without remedial treatment directed at the parents. It becomes plain and clear that mere punishment and strictly enforced law are not good approaches to solving this social problem. Instead, there is a dire need for a m ore humane and multi- disciplinary approach. This should include community efforts to craft support systems for families. Such efforts may consist of parenting education for abusive parents, and counseling and rehabilitation for the criminal parents, and of course the development of self-help groups. If Parents are convinced to see themselves as sick they may develop an agreeable attitude towards seeking help. Parents are more likely to accept themselves as sick than have a criminal label attached to them because there is less social disgrace with the former label (National district attorneys association, 2009). Instead of blaming abusive parents, an effective strategy would be to work to relieve their stress. We saw earlier that taking legal action or prosecution would not help end child abuse; after the sentence is over the parent’s fights to take custody of the child and when that does happen they get back at their children by abusing them or even murdering them.   We will now look at another reason why criminal prosecution does not work for parents who abuse their children. Sometimes, we can identify the underlying cause of child abuse. We can then work upon treating the underlying cause instead of taking criminal action which does not eliminate the underlying cause. Some child abuse cases arise out of poverty. A high and strong correlation exists between poverty and child abuse and neglect. In a case which concerned a mother and her six children who were supported by aids and welfare benefits, the child welfare departments straight away took custody of the mother’s children when her youngest child, Christopher dies from an unidentified cause. The authorities took custody filing a petition that each child was neglected. The petition claimed that the defendant’s apartment was filthy with roaches roaming around and that the children occasionally came to school without having eaten breakfast (Costin, 1998). Now instead of taking action by terminating parental rights of the mother and accusing her of neglect, a better approach would have been to relieve the threat to children which was stemming from their impoverished living conditions. It is both pointless and unfair to impose criminal punishment without addressing the offenders’ deprivation (Child abuse prevention network, 2006). In some cases, the father is sentenced to jail for keeping his children in an unhygienic environment such as a room full of bad odor and urine and feces lying in a bucket in a corner. The poor father who cannot afford a toilet is charged and put behind bars. In such cases, children are better off living in filthy conditions than living without a father supporting them. When dealing with cases of child abuse in indigenous families, an ethical approach would be to address the issue of poverty. Lawbreakers should not be excused because they are poor but proper treatment strategic treatment which involves alleviating poverty should be given to such families rather than springing to action and resorting to prosecution(Costin, 1998). Similarly, if a child is neglected or abused by a parent who is alcoholic or addicted to drugs than proper treatment should be provided to parents such as referring them to rehabilitation programs and making sure they are present in sessions that follow.   Parents sometimes resort to lashing their children if their stress and anger gets out of control. Instead of taking criminal action, a better methodology would be to encourage them to recognize their problem and to register themselves with life skills clinics which have programs for stress, anger and anxiety management (Child abuse prevention network, 2006). Parents who use corporal punishment as a means of disciplining their children should also be treated. They should be educated about better parenting techniques and encouraged to use non-violent methods of disciplining (Amer, 1978). Abusive parents are reluctant to seek help but they do want it. Their only trepidation is that they will be pressed with criminal charges and they will no longer have custody of their children. They need to be informed that help is available and that there will be no consequences they need to fear. The goal of family protection programs is to knit the family together and children are mostly permitted to remain with their parents or in some cases there is a temporary removal of children from homes. We can conclude from this that family protection programs are more sensitive to the feelings of parents and do not hurt families during the process of treatment. Punishment in contrast is harsher and insensitive to the family system (Costin, 1998). Community supports are offered to parents in various forms. There are hotlines on which staffers lend a sympathetic ear for parents who want to talk about what they are going through. This service is provided 24-7 and responses such as sending out a police car or ambulance is also provided. Then, there are emergency shelters which offer children refuge when parents want to take a break. Then, there are homemakers who go into homes and help parents better manage their duties of household and childcare (Child abuse prevention network, 2006). The most successful are self-help groups. The best known of the self-help groups is Parents Anonymous. It is a group run by parents and abusive parents gather and talk about their positions with other parents who have similar problems. It develops a friendly atmosphere where parents accept and assist each other. Therapy can also be recommended to parent where psychotherapists can help parents explore ways of finding happiness; satisfying the needs of their children together with their personal needs (Muehlenberg, 2009). Another reason as to why treatment of parents is a better strategy in ending child abuse than punishment is that it benefits the society. There will be few criminal prosecutions if the society looks at the abusive parents are patients who are sick and want treatment.   The reports of child abuse will then be reported to the welfare department and this will mean that the police department have adequate resources to deal with other society concerns (Costin, 1998). Conclusion: It was not until the 19th century that laws were introduces granting children the same legal status as household animals. These laws were made to protect child cruelty and neglect. All the states in the United States have enforced laws that demand the reporting of suspected child abuse. Statistics reveal that Parents are seen as the most prominent perpetrators of child abuse. Should parents be punished for abusing children or should rehabilitation services be provided for their treatment in order to restore the family system? For cases where child abuse is mild or where children are neglected, remedial treatment for parents through programs would prove effective. For severe abuse cases, a good approach would be to allow state intervention which involves prosecution of the parent followed by corrective treatment of parents. For court intervention without treatment is incomplete and treatment is incomplete without court intervention. Both complement each other in an attempt to restore the family system.

Community Health Issues Essays

Community Health Issues Essays Community Health Issues Essay Community Health Issues Essay Community Health Issues A Brief Synopsis: What’s Eating Gilbert Grape   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"What’s Eating Gilbert Grape† is a film directed by Lasse Haltstrom, released in 1993 by JM Entertainment. (IMDB, 2009) This film, starred in by Johnny Depp who played the lead role of Gilbert Grape tackles the kind of a dysfunctional community that suffers from broken down foundations impeding societal advancement and development. Some of the issues presented in the film delve into the issues that the community health practice should be concerned with, particularly the issues of obesity and mental retardation. This establishes the relevance of these issues to community health nursing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Gilbert Grape lives in Endora, a small town in the state of Iowa, with his family. Gilbert’s mother is obese weighing almost 500 lbs. Worsening her situation is the kind of lifestyle that she leads – that is, she enjoys staying home and watching the television. In addition, her behavior towards her life seems to be unenthusiastic caused by depression and aggravated by how the people in the community regard her as a person with weight problems. Gilbert’s brother, Arnie, is suffering from a mental disorder. Due to Arnie’s condition, he is sometimes uncontrollable and difficult to manage, particularly in containing his destructive behavior. Since his mother is unable to care for her children, Gilbert has taken the responsibility of looking after the Grape family neglecting his life in the process. (Blomquist Hallstrom, 1993)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The primary theme of the story is centered on the daily struggles of Gilbert as he takes on the responsibility of keeping together a family that is falling apart because of troubles that seem to be irresolvable. The inner conflicts that Gilbert’s mother has to deal with because of depression due to his husband’s death through suicide, and the difficulties in caring for his brother with mental retardation were both problems that Gilbert is forced to see through everyday of his life. (Blomquist Hallstrom, 1993) Gilbert’s life seem to be similar to living in a nightmare every single day with problems troubling you endlessly and never finding any solutions to make his life and his family’s any better. However, when Becky came along, a role played by Juliet Lewis, Gilbert was able to find hope in acceptance, redemption, and moving ahead, as her eccentric and energetic personality has influenced Gilbert to look at li fe differently. Community Health Issues   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The community health issues that are visible in the film include one of the health problems that the country is faced with – that is obesity – and the challenges of mental health problems especially in areas wherein access to mental health services are limited. In the case of Bonnie Grape, Gilbert’s mother, her issue with weight has something to do with depression caused by the death of his husband years back. It may be assumed that Bonnie preferred to stay home, never aware of the implications of lack in physical activity, that led her to become morbidly obese. Aggravating this societal issue was how the community in Endora regards people with problems of obesity. Instead of taking part in resolving the health issue at hand, the people in the community have worsened the problem by discouraging social interaction that might help in allowing Bonnie to seek help from health professionals regarding her condition. In addit ion, other factors that have contributed to Bonnie’s condition is the lack of information regarding the causes and implications of obesity and the Grape family’s socio-economic status which limits their capacity to seek for professional medical help.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another community health issue integrated within the film is the appropriate treatment of people with mental disabilities. Arnie was mentally retarded living in a family setting wherein the people around him are now knowledgeable in handling the challenges that his condition might pose. Arnie’s observable behaviors that mark his disabilities include problems with his speech, troublesome behavior that is difficult to control despite his family’s efforts, poor intellectual capabilities, and inferior skills in human interaction. Arnie’s troublesome behavior instantly concludes that there is a need for him and his family to seek professional medical attention in order to determine how to handle challenges of mental retardation as Arnie’s family, and to identify the best way to help Arnie out in terms of health care and developmental needs. Other reasons that have caused the worsened situation of Arnie and his family also include his family’s lack of knowledge regarding mental retardation and their socio-economic status. The Situations’ Impact on the Nursing Practice   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The community health issues aforementioned calls the immediate attention of the nursing practice in addressing the problems since they are not only issues that the health care community is concerned with, but also the society since the quality of life is affected by these issues. For instance, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC, their records obtained from surveying the issue of obesity in all states from 1985 until 2007 have revealed that the rate of obesity in the country has increased considerably. (CDC, 2007) The problem of obesity is identified to be caused by increased calorie intake but with low physical activity. Aside from natural factors that contribute to body weight such as genetics and heredity, and the rate of metabolism, the behavior of an individual towards health, the kind of environment that he lives in, his cultural beliefs or practices, and his socio-economic situations dictates how he sta ys healthy in terms of weight or unhealthy due to being overweight or obese. However, CDC stresses that behavior and the environment play a vital role in influencing the health of an individual under the conditions of obesity. (CDC, 2009)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This means that Bonnie’s situation could have been prevented or lessened had she been concerned with her health and had the community helped her resolve her weight problems. In the case of mental retardation, the CDC reiterates that individuals with this kind of condition need long-term professional care. CDC believes that subjecting individuals with mental retardation to long-term health care will help them lead healthy and productive lives. (CDC, 2005) This means that Arnie leads a life that is unsuited to his condition, requiring him to undergo long-term professional care services.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Community health nursing may intervene in resolving these problems by carrying out its primary roles and responsibility to the community as a whole. The role of public health nursing is centered on resolving health issues through prevention strategies or techniques that helps out the community as a whole, and not in individual terms. Public health nurses are expected to immerse themselves in communities and help families alleviate their health situations and prevent their contraction of serious illnesses and diseases such as obesity and handle health problems including mental retardation in the family through the transfer of knowledge about health care and nutrition to families within the community, including the implications of obesity and the proper way to deal with individuals with mental retardation. In addition, public health nurses are also expected to focus on other institutions in the community that might help in the process. For i nstance, public health nurses should go to schools within the community to inform them of the need to include issues about obesity in their educational programs for the purpose of educating the children and preventing obesity. Other options include asking fast foods, restaurants, or grocery stores within the community to become conscious in their roles in preventing obesity through food and nutrition awareness. Overall, community health nursing is guided by concepts and principles that enable it to handle social issues on a wider scale efficiently. (Manitoba Health, 2008) References Blomquist, A. C. Hallstrom, L. (1993). What’s Eating Gilbert Grape. United States:   Ã‚  Ã‚   JM Entertainment. CDC. (2005). Intellectual Disability. Retrieved February 10, 2009, from Center for   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Disease Control and Prevention. Website:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   cdc.gov/ncbddd/dd/ddmr.htm CDC. (2007). U.S. Obesity Trends 1985-2007. Retrieved February 10, 2009, from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Website:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/trend/maps/ CDC. (2009). Obesity and Overweight. Retrieved February 10, 2009, from Center for    Disease Control and Prevention. Website:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/contributing_factors.htm IMDB. (2009). What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993). Retrieved February 10, 2009,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   from The Internet Movie Database. Website:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   imdb.com/title/tt0108550/ Manitoba Health. (2008). The Role of the Public Health Nurse within the Regional   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Health Authority. Retrieved February 10, 2009, from Manitoba Health.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Website: gov.mb.ca/health/rha/docs/rolerha.pdf

Texting and driving Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Texting and driving - Research Paper Example This paper shall exclusively try to relate texting while driving, and how the two must be kept separate when either one of these is committed into. Since texting is so common these days, the drivers do not feel the urge to park their cars at a safe location and then do the texting. Talking whilst driving might sound reasonable considering one receives the calls as and when these come, but texting can take a while to respond back. People need to realize the gravity of the problem that can linger on their heads and then find a solution to have a remedy for the same (Hermes, 2010). The remedy can be in terms of stopping one’s car and then finding the most appropriate place to park the car and do the texting bit. Recent accidents have proven that the drivers who were texting whilst driving have had more than 400 percent of their concentration diverted while doing this act. They completely block their minds and concentrate wholly and solely on what are written on the cell phone scr eens. They give up the idea that they are driving and respond to what all the content has been about. This is a grave situation which must be dealt with a stern hand, because many people can suffer on this count and are still suffering with each passing day, around the world. The cell phones can wait, they must and they should! After all, it is just a device which must not take one’s life. It does not have the power to take one’s life, but what is happening here is a totally different act altogether. The cell phones thwart the entire basis of a person’s concentration when he is driving. What this suggests is the fact that the cell phones are the attention diverters, and essentially break the ice between the concentration that the individuals have with the road and their car whilst driving (Squire, 2009). The sound of the cell phone message is enough for them to forget that they were on the car and start depending on what is written on the Inbox within their cell phones. This is a horrendous understanding which has been established by people in this day and age, where maximum concentration is laid on the fact that people need to be on their feet at all times, without any shortcomings coming to their fore, which is not humanly acceptable and possible. The birth of a social networking phenomenon has highlighted a number of negatives than bringing out any sheer advantages for the people. It is an acceptable proposition that the cell phones do create social linkages amongst people but this is no way means that the people can take their lives for granted, as well as the people who are around them (Author Unknown, 2010). A sense of empathy seems to be the missing ingredient within the thick of things, and for this proper efforts need to be made to make sure that sanity does creep in within the relevant equations. The social networking premise is such an important one that it will do away with the basics of spending a normal living pattern and bri ng into close proximity tools like cell phones and the like to remain in close contact with the people, no matter where they are and what kind of environments they are a part of. What must matter is the fact that cell phones do have to be used, and driving is no exception within the related folds. People need to unlearn what they have learned within the new dimension of cell phone usage and the