Child abuse and neglect is a crime that occurs in all fifty states and territories (Dubowitz & DePafilis, p. 101). "Children are society's most vulnerable members. More than two million American kids may suffer abuse and neglect every year" (DeHahn, p. 13). It a shame that such a thing as child abuse happens. Children are a blessing from the Lord yet people take them for granted and even go to the extreme of mistreating them in awful ways through physical and sexual abuse, as well as neglect. In his book, Hubner makes a very compelling statement, he says, "children are defenseless and in this world terrible things happen to the defenseless" (Hubner & Wolfson, p.114). This is true but it is certainly not

Parents are responsible for taking care of their children by meeting their child's needs, physically, emotionally and by providing adequate education. Failing to do these things constitutes neglect. Child neglect is typically defined as "omissions in care resulting in significant harm or the risk of significant harm to children" (Dubowitz & DePanfilis, p. 10).

The maltreatment of children takes on the form of physical and sexual abuse as well as neglect and. Physical abuse is usually defined as non-accidental physical harm or injury (DeHahn, p.16). This could probably range from uncontrolled discipline of a child to downright unthinkable acts of torture. In his book, "The Lost Boy," Pelzer describes his experiences of growing up in an abusive home. In fits of anger his mother would scream at him, pinch him, and slap him. She would not allow him to move or cry or he would be "punished" and get worse treatment (chap. 1).

In the case of sexual abuse, there are two types of disclosure of the abuse: accidental and intentional (Sgroi, p. 17). Accidental exposure of child sexual abuse happens when a third party observes a child being abused and tells someone. An example of this may be if a father is in a room of the house with one of his children and a sibling walks in on the father engaging in abusive behavior toward his child, then the sibling would run out of the room and tell his/her mother. Purposeful/intentional disclosure of sexual abuse happens when a participant of the abuse makes a conscious decision to tell an outsider about the abuse (p. 19). Most the time it is the child who discloses the fact that they have been sexually abused. A child may reveal this information for a variety of reasons. Perhaps the child is getting older and getting fed up with being manipulated into engaging in such disturbing behavior so he/she tells a teacher or other adult of the abuse that had been occurring.!

A third kind of child abuse is that of child sexual abuse. Sexual abuse of children is something that most likely has always been a part of our society. It has always been present but it has not been until fairly recently that this horrible issue is being confronted (Hubner & Wolfson, p. 114). This crime against children is one that has grown over recent year, either that or more cases are being brought out into the open and made aware of. A study done in 1955 estimated that there was only one incest victim for every million people (p. 114). C. Henry Kempe proved that estimation wrong with his article, "The Battered Child Syndrome," in which he found that today at least fourteen percent of substantiated abuse cases indicated sexual abuse (p. 114).

In answering the question of what exactly is child sexual abuse, it is "a sexual act imposed on a child who lacks emotional, maturational, and cognitive development. The ability to lure a child into sexual relationship is based upon the all-powerful and dominant position of the adult or older adolescent perpetrator, which is in sharp contrast to the child's age, dependency, and subordinate position" (Sgroi, p. 9). Child sexual abuse occurs when an adult using his/her authority, directly or indirectly, to coerce a child into sexual compliance (p. 9). This is obviously an

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Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)