Article 1: Recognizing and Preventing child abuse

    In this article, "Recognizing and Preventing child abuse",  Melinda Smith and Jeanne Sega, talk about the myths of child abuse, how to understand child abuse and neglect, the effects of child abuse and neglect on children, types of child abuse, the warning signs and so much more. Facts have stated that abused children are more likely to repeat the cycle as adults, unknowingly repeating what they experienced as children. The author states that the results of being an abused child can cause lack of trust and relationship difficulties, trouble regulating emotions, and feeling "worthless" and "damaged". They then went into further detail explaining that growing up with trust and relationship difficulties cause the children to grow up thinking to themselves, if I can't trust my parents, then who can I trust. The problem with them not being able to regulate their emotions is caused from having to hold everything inside for so long, which could also cause them to lean towards drugs or alcohol when they get older, because it gives them that "numbing" feeling. As an abused child being told that you are "worthless", "stupid", and that you "can't" and "won't" ever amount to something in your life takes its tole on you, and once you've heard it so many times it makes it hard for you not to believe .. "Could this be true?" This causes many abused children to have very low self-esteem and not have the mind set to strive to do good in school or get a good job because they feel they "can't do it" or "don't deserve it." Some of the most common ways to tell if a child is being abused physically is frequent bruises, welts, and cuts. They are always waiting for something bad to happen. Flinch to sudden movement, or seems scared to go home. They will also wear odd clothing such as a long sleve shirt on a hot day. Some signs of a child being sexually abused is trouble walking or sitting, runs away from home, takes interest in sexual acts at an inappropriate age, and will make strong efforts to avoid or stay away from a specific person. Signs of an neglected child are filthy clothes, almost always late or missing from school, frequently left alone, and bad hygiene such as unbathed, matted unwashed hair, and so on. Emotionally abused children are often scared of being wrong, shows extremes in behavior, and won't seem as attached to their parent or gardian. The authors purpose for writing this text is to inform those who don't know about child abuse, or to let those who do know about child abuse, just how serious it really is. Melinda Smith and Jeanne Sega's work is important because it extends the knowledge of child abuse and its warning signs.

Smith, Melinda. Sega, Jeanne."Recognizing and Preventing child abuse."Helpguide.org. July 2012. 14 Oct 2012.<http://helpguide.org/mental/child_abuse_physical_emotional_sexual_neglect.htm>.