Child Abuse and Neglect in Washington DC

Child Abuse and Neglect in Washington DC
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Abstract
When they are born, children are seen to be blessings from God. They bring joy and happiness in the lives and families in which they are born. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way as they grow up, something appears to change. Psychologists still struggle to answer the mystery of what causes child abuse and neglect. What is most is disturbing to note is that a lot the child abuse and neglect is often orchestrated by people close to the children. Rarely, will child abuse be done by people who are not known to the child.
A couple of years back child abuse came in the form of giving up children for slave trade. Parents would allow their children to be taken in for labor so that they could make money. When slave trade was abolished, other forms of child abuse emerged. Child abuse is any action or omission whose sole goal is to deny a child the rights that they are entitled to.
It also involves failure by a caregiver or guardian to provide proper care dependent on the age even though the guardian has the ability, financially and or otherwise to do so. Child neglect though often occasioned by parents and guardians can also be done by caregivers. Children rights have in recent times, more than ever before been upheld by the state. This is due to the rising cases of children facing mistreatment by their parents. It is therefore a serious crime punishable by law when a parent is found to have infringed on the rights of their children Some of the actions that are considered to be infringement of children rights include denial of basic rights. These include food, clothes, shelter, education and healthcare.
Introduction
Cases of children who are neglected and mistreated have been on the rise in recent years. Even with stringent laws that have been enacted to protect children, there are still reported cases of children whose rights are violated. In a journal article, Jane Waldfogel looks in great depths the issue of child abuse and neglect.
Background
In an attempt to ensure that children rights are protected, the federal government in America has set up systems that help to monitor the manner in which children are treated. Although the systems have been given mandate to follow through various cases, they still face various changes. Cases of child abuse have been increasing in America with mistreatment of children being the highest. Neglect of children is defined any act or omission therein that leaves a child unattended as they ought to.
The Study
A study was constructed whose purpose was to establish the extent to which children in Washington DC are mistreated and subjected to child abuse. The goal of the study was give findings as to whether the systems that the government has invested in have helped in combating the vice (Waldfogel, 2011). In conducting the study, the main methods employed were interviews and open forums. An interview on one hand involved asking direct questions both open and closed. The aim was to get a reaction from the children regarding the manner in which they are treated by their guardians.
On the other hand, open forums involved gathering children together and starting a topic of interest to them reg...