Child Abuse - A Personal Problem
According to the CDC, at least 1 in 7 children in the United States have experienced abuse in the last year. Because so many cases go unreported, that number is probably higher. Almost 2000 children died in 2020 because of abuse and neglect. These young victims suffer from physical injuries but are also plagued by emotional and psychological problems.
There’s a greater incidence of abuse and neglect in lower socio-economic groups; the CDC believes it’s FIVE TIMES greater.
I was one of those children; my brothers and sister were as well. My father was the abuser, and while he put a roof over our heads and food on the table – we were fortunate in that respect – he neglected us, physically and emotionally abused us and abused our mother in front of us and, as we learned later, cheated on her, threatened her and almost got her killed.
The CDC also states that prevention of child abuse is a societal issue, one that needs to be addressed at the individual and community levels. Back during my childhood, there weren’t a lot of people looking out for kids like us. And it wasn’t likely that anyone who knew us would’ve called the Department of Child and Family Services, an abuse hotline or even the police. In my parents’ generation, abuse either wasn’t acknowledged or wasn’t recognized. Parents could “discipline” their children any way they wanted, and few friends, family, teachers or neighbors would intervene, even in extreme cases.
We know better now, but as the statistics I stated before prove, we haven’t eradicated child abuse, even though we have agencies and procedures that deal with it. We still need to deal with the systemic causes of this abuse, but recognizing that it’s an issue is at least a first step.
Fortunately, my siblings and I survived that childhood abuse, but it was not without lingering baggage. I recount those long-term effects, especially for myself, in Jack in the Box.
If you wish to report child abuse:
In Louisiana, the DCFS Child Abuse/Neglect Hotline – 855-4LA-KIDS (855-452-5437)
Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline – 800-4-A-CHILD (800-422-4453)