CHILD ABUSE

INTRODUCTION

There's no accepted definition of child abuse or cruelty to children. This results in confusion about which
behaviors and intentions are abusive. Only the legal or health professional can label a person or family as
abusive by using different criteria. Differences between physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse
and neglect often times confuse the situation. One useful definition of child abuse is, "any child who
receives non-accidental physical injury as a result of acts or commissions on the part of his parents."
Physical, emotional and sexual abuse can neglect a fore found immediate and long-term effects on a
child's development. Higher rate of psychiatric orders, increate rates of substance abuse, and a variety of
severe relationship difficulties. Child abuse and neglect are entered generational problems. The
procreators of abuse and neglect who's most frequently victim of abuse and are profoundly damaged
people. Links between neglect and abuse are clear and later psychological, emotional, behavioral and
interpersonal disorders are manifested. The basis for this linkage is the impact on the brain development
of the abuse and neglected children.

Abused child - "any child who receives non-accidental physical injury as a result of acts or

commissions on the part of his parents."

The brains of abuse and neglected children are not as well integrated as the brains of man abused children.
This is the reason why they have significant difficulties with emotional regulations, integrated functioning
and social development. Their early interpersonal experiences have also a profound impact from the
brain. The effects of early maltreatment on a child's development are profound and long-lasting. It is the
impact of maltreatment on a child's developing brain that causes effects seen in a wide variety of domains,
including social, psychological and cognitive development. This discussion strongly suggest that parents
should have an effective treatment that requires an effectively up tuned relationship with children. Their
children feel secure; hence their development is balance.

1. Child Abuse - refers to the maltreatment of a child, whether habitual or not which includes any of the
following, psychological and physical abuse, sexual abuse, cruelty, neglect, and emotional maltreatment.
Act which can either be by words or deeds which the basis, degrades or demeans the intrinsic worth of a
dignity of a child as a person. Deprivation of the child basic needs unreasonably for survival such are food,
clothes and shelter. No medical treatment is given to an injured child which results in a serious impairment
of his growth and development or in his permanently in capacity or death.

2. Sexual Abuse - any sexual act between an adult and a minor or between two minors when one exerts
power on the other.
3. Battered Child Syndrome - refers to child abuse and neglect.

FORMS OF CHILD ABUSE

The kinds of child abuse are:

1. Physical Abuse - also known as child battering. Any act which results in non-accidental and
unreasonable encrypting of physical injury to a child which includes but are not limited to lacerations,
fractures, burns, strangulation, human bites, and similar acts.

2. Psychological Abuse- It is any harm to a child’s emotional or intellectual functioning through verbal
assault which includes but are not limited to cursing, belittling, rejecting, and other similar acts.

3. Deception - deprivation of children's proper learning opportunity by giving them incorrect ideas and
concepts. As a result, they may develop and inclination to solve problems through violence, promiscuity
or drug abuse.

4. Child Trafficking - act of engaging in trading and dealing with children including but not limited to the
act by buying and selling a child for money or for any consideration or barter.

5. Neglect - deprivation of child's basic needs, unreasonably such as food, shelter, clothing, education,
medical, general care, love and concern and supervision by parents, guardians or custodians.

6. Child Labor - children below 15 years of age are employed, allowed or permitted to suffer from work
in any public or private establishment not directly under the responsibility of their parents or guardians
or employing minors as artist, actors, actresses, entertainers and alike without a work permit. The number
of child workers under the age of 10 is far from negligible, although the international recommended age
for work is 15years old according to ILO Convention #138. Almost all the data available on child labor
concerns that 10-14 age groups.

7. Abusers and Neglecters

a. The Special Parent - parent who has the potential to be abusive, most often has also been abuse during
his childhood days. Described as emotionally immature, lacking self-esteem, inexperienced and having
unrealistic expectations of the child like having in mind that a child should be someone to love me and
never leave you.
b. The Special Child - child is viewed differently from other children in the family. The child maybe
physically handicapped or maybe regarded with special meaning (A child of a former marriage who
resembles a negatively regarded person)

Characteristics of Abusive Parents

1. Inadequate parenting skills and lack of knowledge concerning normal child development are exhibited;

2. Emotional maturity with poor impulse control is often demonstrated;

3. They are socially isolated, especially from community resources and lack of social support system; and

4. They often come from families with violent parents.

Helping the Young Child Cope with Child Abuse

The child who is a victim of sexual abuse will seldom share her or his ordeals. The best thing a parent can
do is to tell the child the he or she believes her or him, and failure to believe can be far from devastating
than the abuse itself.

1. The most significant factor that can reduce the negative impact of sexual abuse is the support and
belief by parents and significant other adults.

2. Stay calm. (You should not show to your child that you are shocked of what he discloses to you and
don’t get hysterical)

3. Let the child now that she/he is not to be blamed for what happened. (Do not blamed the child, let
her understand that it is not her fault)

4. A child’s own internal coping resources will have an impact effect if the child has not had any serious
life stressor other than those she has already encountered, life stressors such as physical abuse and
domestic violence. (The self-esteem and resiliency of the child are already lowered, hence see faces even
greater difficulties from an additional stress of sexual victimization)

5. The child’s developmental level, age and gender influence, the effect of sexual behavior. (If the
victim is still young in chronological age and in the developmental stage, there are strong and strong
negative effects on the child. There is a strong impact on girl victims than on boys. The latter are more opt
to act out their anger about the abuse while the former are prone to keep their anger inside and direct it
to themselves)

6. The child who is sexually abused by the person whom she trusts and has a type o parental type of
relationship with the perpetrator has a more serious effect on the victim than a child who is a victim of a
non-friendly member.

7. The child appears to be more seriously affected when physical abuse, threats or intimidation
accompany the sexual abuse.
Sexualized Behaviors

Children who are sexually abuse at an early age are prematurely introduce to sexual acts. They experience
sexual stimulation and pleasure as they unable to understand and cope because of their young age. They
also tend to increase their interest in sexual matters. Their sexual behavior are unlearned response to
their experience from the perpetrator and sexual abuse acts.

The victims of sexual abuse appear to have more problem behaviors in the area of sexuality:

1. Acting out with peers sexually;

2. False or pseudo- mature sexual behavior;

3. Excessive masturbation;

4. Confusion on sexual identity and what is appropriate sexually between children and adult.

THE DANGERS OF PORNOGRAPHY

Introduction

Pornography comes from the Greek words:

"porne" - a harlot, prostitute, or whore

"graphos" - a writing or depiction

It is defined by (Makino 1983) as the very embodiment of the dominance which means that
pornography is the celebration, the promotion, the authorization and the legitimization of rape,
harassment, battery, and re-abuse of children for the sexual pleasure of men. Pornography eroticizes
dominance and submission of which rape, battery, sexual harassment and a sexual and a physical abuse
of children. It employs the enforcement of others powerlessness. It is also defined by (Russell 1993) as
material that combines sex and or the exposure of the genitals with abuse or denudation in a manner that
appears to endorse, condone, or encourage such behavior. (Stynem 1978) concludes that pornography’s
message is violence, dominance and conquest. It is sex being used to reinforce some inequality or to
create one, or to tell us that pain and humiliation are really the same as pleasure.

The Harmful Effects of Pornography

1. sexual arousal
This is brought by visual and literary pornography. This effect has been shown both mentally and
physically. The malesome females are sexually arouse from material portraying nudity or sexual
acts according to the research of Keensay 1948
2. aggression
This is related to the idea of arousal but exposure to pornography leads men to greater levels of
aggression. BAndura 1973 hypothesized that emotional arousal would intensify aggressive
behavior. A number of experimental studies have sub tested this hypothesis.
3. desensitization
 Studies conducted by Dawnersign and Leens 1988 have found that prolong exposure to so called
slasher films desensitizes viewers to violence against women. Sexually violence slasher films that
were originally anxiety provoking and depressing became less, so repeated exposure. Men
exposed to slasher films also reported seeing less violence with continued exposure and films to
be degrading to women were judged to be less so after prolong exposure. by Capca and other
1997. Desensitization effects strongest among R rated slasher films which will containing sexual
scene were not pornographic.
4. attitude towards women
Exposure to pornography leads to anti-social attitudes about women.
5. decline in family values
Those massively expose to pornography will become dischasting to their partners and extended
relationship. There is also growing dissatisfaction with sexual reality. According to… 1993,
exposure to pornography fosters a lack of respect for social institutions such as the family and
traditional sex roles for the women.

6. causal model of rape

Russome 1993 argues that pornography predisposes some means to want to rape women by:
1. pairing sexually arousing stimuli with rape
2. increasing male’s self-generated rape fantasies
3. sexualizing dominance and submission
4. creating an appetite for increasingly stronger material
7. feminist ideological effects
This view grows out of the traditional feminist critic of patriarchy which finds that the oppression
of women is an institutionalize and socially constructed to which men use to maintain the status,
too. In short, the system of sexism, male power or male supremacy institutionalize so that men,
as a group have access to economic, social, sexual and political power that women do not have.
8. catharsis
Pornography prevents harmful effects like crate and other sex crimes. The cathartic effect of
pornography is believed due to a substitution effect by potential sex offenders receives sexual
gratification from pornographic content rather than from criminal act against individuals.

CYBERSEX

Every day, we are facing a new area of danger especially for the youths, the internet. The internet
is an exciting new territory for many young people well as adults, especially if they use it in cybersex or
computer sex. Many of our young women are hooked into cybersex. It is now being considered as one the
problems in our society in the urban as well as in the rural areas.

Cybersex or computer sex is a virtual sex encounter wherein two or more persons are connected
remotely via a computer network and send such sexually explicit messages describing a sexual experience
to one another. It is a form of roleplaying wherein the participants pretend to have an actual sexual
intercourse by describing what they are doing and by responding to their chat partners mostly in written
form with the intention of motivating their sexual feelings and fantasies.

Disadvantages of Cybersex
 1. Considering the fact that the Philippines is a Christian country, everybody believes that cybersex
could deteriorate the values of our youths if it will be allowed to continue.
2. It is also form of infidelity
3. While it does not involve physical contact, it explains that powerful emotions invoke can cause
marital stress especially when cybersex culminates in an internet romance
4. Internet adultery became the ground for divorce in the United States
5. There is also the separate risk factor of internet addiction which is perceive to be the cause of
social isolation and loss of work productivity.

Dangers and Advantages

Cybersex, according to its defenders satisfies the sexual desires without the risks of being contaminated
by sexually transmitted disease. It is a safe way for young people who have not yet engaged in sexual
activity to experiment. It allows husband and wife to carryout elaborate sexual fantasies even when they
are physically separated. Some people who are suffering from long-term illness including HIV, engage in
cybersex as a way to satisfy their sexual desire and gratification without putting their partners at risk.

POPULATION EXPLOSION
Introduction:

Population explosion - a boon or a curse?

For the European countries like Italy and Spain where the population is decreasing, this might be
considered a boon. However, for our country which is developing, population explosion is a curse and is
damaging the development of the country and its society. With the rapidly increasing population, the
developing countries are already facing a lack in their resources. The availability of which is reduced,
further that is leading to increase poverty, malnutrition and other large population related problems.

Population (Webster Dictionary, 1992) – the whole number of people or inhabitants in a country or
region.

Population explosion – a pyramiding of number of a biological population.

As the number of people in a pyramid increases, so do the problems related to the increased population.

• Birth rate (Miller, 2000) – is the ratio between births and individuals in a specified population and
time.
• Death rate – is the ratio between the number of deaths and individuals in a specified population
and time.
• Migration – the number of people moving in (immigration) or out (emigration) of a country, place
or locality.
THESE THREE TO URBAN PLACES, ESPECIALLY TO METRO MANILA, ARE THE MAIN FACTORS
AFFECTING THE POPULATION CHANGE.

POPULATION CHANGE FORMULA:

POPULATION CHANGE = (Births + Immigration) – (Deaths + Emigration)

The recent increase in world population has been caused by the following major reasons.

MAJOR REASONS FOR THE RECENT INCREASE IN WORLD POPULATION:

1. Increase in birth rates due to medical improvements;

2. Decrease in death rates due to better medical facilities and advancements in the field of medicine;
and
3. Migration to urban cities due to several reasons like better job opportunities, rebellion, and natural
causes like floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, and so forth.

The Philippines being one of the third world countries, and still on the developing space has had to face
several economic and political challenges. One of this is population explosion which greatly affects the
lives of the people.

The population explosion has also led to following effects,

EFFECTS OF POPULATION EXPLOSION

1. Unemployment;
2. Poverty;
3. Malnutrition;
4. Air and water pollution;
5. Lack of education resources
6. Domestic violence;
7. Juvenile delinquency;
8. Shortage of basic needs; and
9. Increased death rates.

Measures to Control Population Explosion

With success of birth control, lies on the hands of women or mothers on their status. It is
imperative for them to be educated so that they can decide on how many children they can afford to raise
and be aware of the available birth control measures. They should be made aware of the impact on their
health, as well as on their children. Not only the young ones are to be educated but also, the older women
so that they can teach the right family planning to their own daughters.

JUVENILE DELINQUENCY

Introduction:

Juvenile Delinquency is one of the effects of population explosion and poverty. This is regarded
as a serious problem not only in our country but in many other countries as well. It is particularly wide
spread in highly industrialize nations that have large cities. Juvenile Delinquency refers to the violation of
a law by a juvenile. It includes those acts that would be crimes if committed by adults such as car thief
and burglary. It includes acts that are illegal for children like buying alcoholic beverages. Many people use
the term juvenile to include anything the youngsters do that violates the standard of the society regardless
to whether this are committed illegally or legally. The legal age to which a person is considered as a
juvenile varies from place to place. In most countries, it is under 17 years old.

- One of the effects of population explosion and poverty.

- Refers to the violation of a law by a juvenile.

- It includes acts that are illegal for children like buying alcoholic beverages and anything the
youngsters do that violates the standards of society regardless whether these are committed legally or
illegally.

- Legal age for juvenile varies from country to country; in most countries, it is 17 yrs. Old

What is juvenile delinquency?

The term Juvenile Delinquency was established so that young offenders could avoid the disgrace
of being classified as criminals to the log book of police headquarters. Juvenile Delinquency laws were
designed to provide treatment rather than punishment. A youngster can be branded as a delinquent for
breaking any of a number of laws ranging from running away from home to robbery. An act committed in
one place which is considered as a crime may be treated differently in another community. In other places,
the policemen may list or may just ignore children who are accused of minor delinquencies or refer them
directly to their parents.

PREDICTORS OF DELINQUENCY

The causes of delinquency are:

1. Community disorganization;
2. Availability of drugs and firearms;
3. Persistent poverty;
4. Violence in the home;
5. Problem behaviors;
6. Poor parental monitoring;
7. Inconsistent disciplinary parents; and
8. maltreatment
POLLUTION
Introduction

Pollution is something that is added to the ecosystem which has a detrimental effect. The high rate of
energy usage by a modern growing population is one of the causes of population.
Different kinds of pollution
1. Air pollution
2. Noise pollution
3. Water pollution
4. Land pollution

1. Air pollution - Substances which are accumulated in the air. It endangers human health once it is
insufficient concentration or produce other measured effects in living things and other materials. The
power and heat generations are among the major sources of pollution as well as the burning of solid
waste, industrial processes and especially transportation.

Six major types of pollutants:

1. Carbon monoxide
2. Hydrocarbons
3. Nitrogen Oxide
4. Particulate
5. Sulfur Dioxide
6. Photochemical oxidants

EXAMPLES:

1. Tobacco smoke - this is one of the major forms of pollution in buildings. It is not only the smoker who
is affected but also everyone who inhales it. Smoking and lung cancer has a very strong connection with
each other. Bronchitis is common among smokers. The unborn baby who is a smoker, also suffers from
the harmful effects of smoking.

2. Exhaust gasses of vehicles - pollution from exhaust gases which are emitted by vehicles is responsible
for 60% of all air pollution and in cities up to 80%. One of the most dangerous gases is lead which is present
in a large variety of harmful chemicals present in the air.

2. Noise pollution – also knowns as the unwanted sounds carried by the air. It has irritating and
detrimental effects on humans and animals. In order to control noise pollution, there should be careful
planning of streets and building constructions in busy roads.

• Combustion of coal- there can be serious consequences if the combustion of coal has no special
precautions. If the winds do not blow away the poisonous gases, they can have fatal effects on
people that may lead to their death.
• Acid rain- this is a pollution which is present in other countries. This is cause when sulfur and
nitrogen dioxide combine with atmospheric moisture to produce highly acidic rain, snow, hail for
fog. The acid, it’s into stone brick in metal articles and pollutes other resources. Coal in South
Africa is rich in sulfur and power station in the Mapumalanga Province could be responsible for
acid rain over other areas in said country.

Control measures:
 Through the concerted effort of the people, that we can combat or minimize air pollution. It is
through legislation where air pollution can be controlled efficiently.

The common measures enforced includes the following:

➢ Republic Act no. 9211

➢ Control over the kind of fuels used in cars, airplanes, power stations, and others

3. Water pollution – is the introduction of chemical, physical, or biological material into fresh or ocean
waters that degrade the quality of water and affects the organisms living in it. This process ranges from
simple ovation of dissolved or suspended solids that discharged the most insiduals or insidues and toxic
pollutants such as non-biodegradable, bio accumulative, chemical compounds, pesticides, and heavy
metals.

Examples:

1. Sewage disposal and domestic wastes – these are domestic and farm ways as well as sewage that are
flown into rivers and dams.

2. Mining and agricultural wastes – large quantity of acid water are thrown into the rivers and seas by
mines especially gold and coal mines. Agricultural pesticides, fertilizers, and herbicides may wash into
rivers and stagnant water bodies.

3. Industrial affluent – this is waters thrown by factories and industries after having been used in
production processes. These waste water may contain acid alkalis, salts, poisons, and oils, and in some
cases, harmful bacteria.

Control measures:

➢ Cooperation of the people not to pollute water in any manner

➢ Education of the community people by the NSTP students
➢ Through research and legislation

4. Land pollution – is brought by the degradation of the earth’s land surface through misused of the soil
by poor agricultural practices – industrial waste dumping and indiscriminate disposal of urban waste and
mineral exploitation.

Example:
Waste disposal- this is an accumulated waste matter which invites household pests and turns urban areas
into dirty, eyesores, and unhealthy places to live in. This threatens the health of the people living in this
environment.

Control measures:

➢ An anti-littering campaign which can the make people aware of the effects of land pollution on
their health.
➢ Organic wastes should be thrown and dumped in places far from residential houses,
➢ Recycling of inorganic materials such as cans, glasses, plastic, paper and metals.

Note: Best example is the gathering of garbage in every barangay from their residence and the garbage
are already segregated properly.

UNEMPLOYMENT
Work, Employment, and Unemployment
Work is very essential in order for us to live. We will not be able support ourselves in our daily
sustenance as well as our families if we do not work. Work has been in existence from the time God
created the world. At the very beginning of the bible, God reveal himself as a worker. Hence, there is a
need for us to look in to the bible or bible doctrine of work. In Genesis 1: 26,28,31 Then God said, Let Us
make man in Our image, after Our likeness, to rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over
the livestock, and over all the earth itself and every creature that move along the ground. God blessed
them and said unto them “Be fruitful and increase in number. Fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the
fish of the sea and the birds of the air, and over every living that moves in the ground.” God saw all that
He had made and it was very good.

In the verses mentioned, we have beautiful examples of God’s satisfaction in resort. In Genesis
28:15, we are informed how God planted the garden of Eden and put the man whom he had made in to
this garden, commanding him to teal it and keep it. This means that the man has to cultivate and protect
it. Just as what we have put to earth in general, into the care of man, now he put the garden of Eden in
particular mean to the care of man. In views of this revelations about God and man in Genesis 1 and 2,
God, the worker, as well as the man, a worker was made in the image of God, we must develop a biblical
doctrine of work.

Biblical Doctrine of Work:

1. Work is intended for the fulfillment of the worker.

This means that satisfaction in job is a biblical concept. The two sentences in Genesis 1:26 belong
together. God said, “Let us make man in our own image and let them have dominion.” This is
because we bare the image of God that we share the dominion of God. Therefore, being creative
for work which is our potential is an essential part of our God like humanness and work of some
kind is indispensable for our humanness. We are not considered human-beings if we do not work.
 It is further supported by Ecclesiastes 3;22 which states “There is nothing for a man than to enjoy
his work”.

2. Work is intended for the benefit of the community

Adam was able to feed and clothe himself and his family by cultivating the land. God gave Israel a
land flowing with milk and honey, and in doing so, He commanded that the poor, the alien, the
orphan, the widow, and other require people should share in the productivity in the soil.

3. Work is intended for the glory of God.

We view this as the highest level of work because in God’s creation, He deliberately humbled
himself in order to require the cooperation of man and woman in running the earth. He did not
create earth for his own benefit.

Unemployment - the percentage of the labor force unemployed at any time. It is endemic in every single
free market economy.

Types of Unemployment
1. Frictional unemployment - a type of unemployment caused by workers voluntarily changing jobs and
by temporary layoffs.
2. Structural unemployment - unemployment of workers whose skills are not demanded by employers;
they lack sufficient skill to obtain employment, or they cannot easily move to locations where jobs are
available.
3. Cyclical unemployment-business-cycle - a type of unemployment caused by insufficient total spending
(or by insufficient aggregate demand).

Causes of Unemployment
1. Social security benefits for the unemployed reduce incentives to work;
2. Fixed costs associated with hiring workers make it uneconomical to do so;
3. Changing industries require changing skills and geographic locations which the workforce cannot keep
up with;
4. Immigrants "taking all our jobs";
5. Exportation of jobs to the developing world; and
6. Overpopulation

The Contemporary Problems of Unemployment

Industrial psychologists describe various stages of the trauma in which unemployed persons have
experienced the loss of jobs as bereavement.

1. Shock - a feeling of humiliation. It is a real blow to the self-image.

2. Denial - the unemployed person starts to search for an explanation for why he is fired. He may be too
numb even to begin to understand. At the beginning of his unemployment, he is on a kind of holiday.
Denial from reality protects him from the deep hurt.
3. Frustration - the make-believe denial starting to shatter especially if the wife and the children are
starting to demand their needs.

4. Depression and pessimism - there can be anticipation and a feeling of optimism at the beginning of the
unemployed's search for a job. He scans the daily newspaper and sends his application and curriculum
vitae. After repeated setbacks, the unemployed become pessimistic and depressed.

5. Despair - after several years without work, the unemployed feel hopeless and bitter. He is demoralized
and dehumanized because he cannot find a job. Part of this despair is loneliness and he becomes isolated
from his former workmates. He goes to bed late and wakes up late too, to avoid observing the people
around him.

6. Resignation - there is a marked feeling of inferiority and submissiveness. Many lose the ability to "crack
a joke" and experience deterioration in health.