Index IntroductionDefining Child AbuseReporting Child AbuseThe CycleStrategiesChildren are abused in this country every day. Studies into what constitutes abuse and the effects, both long and short term, are ongoing and have been ongoing for many years. There are real problems both in defining abuse and in the potential strategies and implementations that should be put in place to reduce current cases of child abuse. The abuse could be physical, emotional, or sexual. With current barriers to defining child abuse and reporting it, as well as privacy concerns associated with investigating and stopping abuse, we are not getting very far in reducing this epidemic plaguing our country. More research and action needs to be taken to protect children. Turning your head won't change anything. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Introduction Child abuse has been an ongoing epidemic in the United States for many years. Every year, hundreds of thousands of children are victims of physical, emotional and sexual abuse. Unfortunately, there are still many children who suffer in silence and cases go unreported. New laws are passed regularly to attempt to address the ongoing child abuse, however, there are still many questions about what constitutes child abuse, what the punishments for abuse should be, how intrusive the law and individuals can be in investigations, how to report suspected abuse, and how to stop cycles that may or may not be passed down from generation to generation. This document will discuss the facts, figures and arguments related to child abuse. Defining Child Abuse Over the years there has been much controversy and speculation about what constitutes child abuse. Depending on the culture, religion and background to which an individual belongs, his definition will in most cases be very different from that of an individual from another area, culture or religion. Punishments for unacceptable behavior are socially constantly evolving. While it may have been socially acceptable to spank a child twenty years ago, it is not necessarily socially acceptable today. Many parents continue to spank their children and believe that this does not constitute abuse. Some families believe that their children should be able to stay home alone or be left unattended in a vehicle 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 adolescence. While many individuals cannot and do not agree on the right age to leave a child unattended, or what forms of discipline are acceptable and which constitute abuse, there is broad consensus that sexual assault or inflicting serious injury actually constitutes child abuse. If an individual is seen hitting or molesting a child, they should report child abuse because not only is it morally and ethically wrong, but it is also against the law. Opinions about what does and does not constitute child abuse have changed continually and will most likely continue to do so. Another example of this is the working conditions and terms of employment of minors. Not long ago, children were expected to work long hours and doing so was not socially frowned upon. This is also now considered child abuse by many. Child abuse cannot be easily defined. While unacceptable to most if not all of society, the actual definition andprovisions of what does and does not constitute child abuse are not defined and there is no general consensus. Privacy issues also made identifying and reporting potential child abuse difficult. The study of child abuse began in the 1960s and has continued to this day. Another obstacle to identifying and defining child abuse arises from the debate over whether physical abuse is necessary. Emotional abuse has also been studied. Consequences or punishments are still being determined for many aspects of child abuse. There is little information available about what officially constitutes emotional abuse versus physical and sexual abuse of children. Reporting Child Abuse Various community, city, state, and federal organizations have resources for reporting suspected child abuse. Unless a child reports the abuse themselves, or others in the community or neighborhood, there are not many ways to readily identify it. Doctors, teachers, counselors, and family members may suspect abuse, but there may be reluctance to report it. Reluctance may arise from not having seen the abuse firsthand, from a child denying any abuse has occurred, or from a lack of a clear definition of what does or does not constitute abuse. They may also believe that nothing will be done to address the abuse. There are numerous stories appearing in the news of children suspected of being victims of child abuse 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 own children and grandchildren. There are also people who may believe that things would be much worse if they reported the abuse, with the child potentially getting taken away from the home and placed in much worse situations. Statistics show that there are hundreds of thousands of children who are abused every year in the United States, but this number may not be accurate with all the situations that continue to go unreported. In many of the cases where children have been placed in equally or more abusive homes after being removed from their families, agencies often complain that they are underfunded and understaffed. Agencies are unable to fully investigate alleged abuses, or are unable to fully assess situations if they do not have sufficient resources, funding and staff. This only adds to the already ongoing problems and turmoil that children are facing. Welfare agencies continually complain that they do not have enough resources, funding and staff to do everything they are entrusted with. Children are ultimately the ones who suffer the most. The Cycle Statistically, individuals with lower income tend to be more closely associated with more frequent child abuse situations. (Eckenrode, Smith, McCarthy, & Dineen. 2014). With lower income, opportunities to provide adequate care and housing for children also decrease. If a single mother is raising three young children alone, she cannot adequately pay for good child care to work a full-time job and provide healthy meals and a clean, safe home to live in. Child care is expensive, just as it is adequate. housing in safe neighborhoods and food on the table. Often a mother has to choose between working or caring for her children. If she works, there is no one to care for her children, which could lead to charges of neglect and endangerment that constitute abuse. If he stays at home, he will have to live on the help of agencies that do not have sufficient funds to provide.