Child Abuse Prevention And Treatment Act - 1159 Words

Child Abuse Crisis in America What is the difference between discipline and abuse? The Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), (42 U.S.C.A.  §5106g), as amended and reauthorized by the CAPTA Reauthorization Act of 2010, defines child abuse and neglect as, at minimum: â€Å"Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation; or an act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm (What Is Child Abuse, U.S.).† When applied by legal and mental health professionals in real-world situations, however, the definition of abuse may vary according to the developmental age of the child victim, the frequency or†¦show more content†¦Physical neglect includes refusal of, or delay in, seeking health care, food, clothing, or shelter; abandonment; expulsion from the home or refusal to allow a runaway to return home; and inadequate supervision (Child Abuse, Primavera). Educational neglect includes the allowance of chronic truancy, failure to enroll a child of mandatory school age in school, and failure to attend to special educational needs (Child Abuse, Primavera). Emotional neglect includes such actions as marked inattention to the child’s needs for affection; refusal of or failure to provide needed psychological care; spouse abuse in the child’s presence; and permission of drug or alcohol use by the child (Child Abuse, Primavera). Whether the caregiver is guilty of over-discipline or did not mean to intentionally cause harm to the child, abuse is abuse. With abuse, there is a sense of unpredictability, lashing out in anger, and the use of fear to control behavior (Child Abuse, Smith). Spankings are not considered abuse as long as the individual administering it does not leave bruises or marks of any kind on the child. The position or situation a family is a major factor of child abuse. Socioeconomic status should be considered in deeming what abuse is. A family’s socioeconomic status can is a powerful predictor of child abuse. Among low-income families, those with family exposure to substance use exhibit the highest rates of child abuse and