Assignment: Child Abuse as a Social Issue

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Question:

About Child Abuse as a Social Issue

This unit enables students to examine the way in which child abuse has become a public issue. It considers the assumptions, values and interests which underlie definitions of abuse as well as intervention and prevention strategies promoted to protect children from abuse. In order to do this, students will examine constructions of childhood, the positioning of children and attitudes towards children and families. They will explore the various responses to child abuse in contemporary systems, policies and practices that work to address child abuse. Students will develop the skills required to ensure that children are active participants in decisions made for their protection.

Approach to Learning

This unit has adopted a ’flipped’ mode of delivery that promotes dynamic and varied learning experiences. Online lectures are delivered as 2-3 online ’content grabs’ per fortnight. There is a range of associated online activities, videos, readings and exercises that prepare students with background knowledge for group work and discussion in the fortnightly workshops.

Learning Outcomes

1 Identify and describe the ideologies in society that shape child abuse discourse including social constructions of children and childhood

2 Critically analyse the child protection system (policy, research and practice) including the roles of key stakeholders; agencies, families, the State, the media and children themselves.

3 Evaluate the role of children in child protection contexts; children’s rights, children’s views and children’s participation particularly in relation to decision-making

4 Recognise and examine the impact of social, cultural, political and contextual factors on the position of children; issues of CALD, disability, Aboriginality, class, gender)

5 Demonstrate critical thinking skills required to respond to the needs of children in a child protection context

Assignment: Child Abuse as a Social Issue – Sample Draft Solution:

Introduction

Child abuse and sexual assault is one of the burning issues in the Australian as well as world scenario. It has been noticed that in Australia the incidents of sexual abuse of children are increasing in spite of implementation of strict rules. It has been monitored that the incidents of sexual abuse of children are increasing along with the passing time. A common phenomenon that has been monitored by the sociologists that the victims in most of the cases know the offenders, who perform such heinous activities. This has raised significant concern amongst the sociologists as well as the government, as they can understand the difficulty of addressing the issue where the victims are in close affinity to the criminals. Hence, the primary method that the Australian government has taken up is to build public awareness amongst the Australians. The present discussion hence will focus on the importance of Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

Overview

In order to address the issues of child sexual abuse, the Australian government has established a commission that will effectively work towards eliminating the issues of child assaults and sexual abuses (Cossar, Brandon and Jordan, 2016). The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse is a statutory body that has been established in the year 2013 by the government of Australia.

Aim

The primary aim of the commission is to reduce and eliminate the incidents of child assault and sexual abuse from the country. Moreover, the commission also acknowledges the sufferings of the victims and their family members. In this regard, it can be said that the commission also works towards providing sufficient moral and medical support to the victims of child sexual abuse (Head 2011). The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse also aims at running effective rehabilitation programs to the victims. The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has pointed out that child abuse does not only affect them but it will also affect the whole community in the future.

Reasons behind Child Assault

The child abuse and mainly the sexual child abuse are done by the people around the individual. They are the people whom the individual trusts. In 90% of the cases of child abuse the child knows the person who abuses them sexually (McConnell and Sigurjónsdóttir 2010). Reports suggest that the people who abuses sexually are also victim of child abuse in their childhood. Therefore, it can be seen that it forms a chain and how it affects the society. Some abusers who abuse the children have mental problems, they see themselves as kids too, and they do not know what they are doing. This type of abusers has a strong desire for sexual activities with the kids. This is a mental disease and is known as pedophilia (Ainsworth and Hansen 2012). The sexual abusers are usually the men, and it is shocking as the children are having a huge respect for them and they trust them. Some of the abusers have stated that they are struggling to meet their sexual needs with other adults so they turn on the children to meet their needs who are innocent and cannot fight or stop them. Rough childhood and lack of care and attention in the society also makes the abusers to fulfill and gain attention from the children. Children with no parents are highly prone towards sexual abuse as they do not have anyone to take care of and people think that they are a way of meeting their sexual desires (McDowall 2013).

Global Condition

Every day there is 1100 cases are reported of child abuse around the world (Bessarab and Crawford 2012). Children having rough or abusive childhood can prove to be a danger in the near future. Each year there are 400,000 cases of childhood cases are reported. Statistics suggests that there are two of every three people who are convicted of murders of first degree have had a history of serious physical and mental abuse in their early days (Cossar, Brandon and Jordan, 2016). Prostitutes are reported that they are abused sexually in their childhood and which led them to come in this profession as the society does not accept them. There are many juveniles who said that they are having a tough time to adjust with the society as they are being physically assaulted and punished in their home in their childhood days.