By Norman Rey G.

Reyes
Child
Biologically, a child is generally a human between the
stages of birth and puberty. Every human being below the
age of 18 years unless under the law applicable to the
child, majority is attained earlier. The legal definition of
"child" generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a
person younger than the age of majority.
In many countries, there is an age of majority when
childhood officially ends and a person legally becomes an
adult. The age ranges anywhere from 13 to 21, with 18
being the most common.
The United Nations
Convention on the Rights of the Child defines a child
as "a human being below the age of 18 years unless
under the law applicable to the child, majority is
attained earlier."Ratified by 192 of 194 member
countries. Biologically, a child is anyone between
birth and puberty or in the developmental stage of
childhood, between infancy and adulthood. Children
generally have fewer rights than adults and are classed
as not able to make serious decisions, and legally must
always be under the care of a responsible adult.
Attitudes toward children
Social attitudes toward children differ around the world in
various cultures. These attitudes have changed over time.
A 1988 study on European attitudes toward the centrality
of children found that Italy was more child-centric and
Holland less child-centric, with other countries, such as
Austria, Great Britain, Ireland and West Germany falling
in between.
Age of responsibility
The age at which children are considered responsible for
their own actions (e.g., marriage, voting, etc.) has also
changed over time, and this is reflected in the way they
are treated in courts of law. In Roman times, children
were regarded as not culpable for crimes, a position later
adopted by the Church. In the nineteenth century, children
younger than seven years old were believed incapable of
crime. Children from the age of seven forward were
considered responsible for their actions. Therefore, they
could face criminal charges, be sent to adult prison, and be
punished like adults by whipping, branding or hanging.
Surveys have found that at least 25 countries around the
world have no specified age for compulsory education.
Minimum employment age and marriage age also vary. In
at least 125 countries, children aged 7–15 may be taken to
court and risk imprisonment for criminal acts. In some
countries, children are legally obliged to go to school until
they are 14 or 15 years old, but may also work before that
age. A child's right to education is threatened by early
marriage, child labor and imprisonment.
Mary Ellen’s Legacy
She is a bright little girl, with features indicating unusual mental
capacity, but with a care-worn, stunted and prematurely old look. Her
apparent condition of health, as well as her scanty wardrobe, indicated
that no change of custody or condition could be much for the worse.
…….On her examination [in court] the child made a statement as
follows: “Mamma has been in the habit of whipping and beating me
almost every day. She used to whip me with a twisted whip – a raw
hide. The whip always left a blue and black mark on my body. I have
now the blue and black marks on my head which were made by
mamma, and also a cut on the left side of my forehead which was made
by a pair of scissors. She struck with the scissors and cut me; I have no
recollection of ever having been kissed by any one…I have never been
taken on my mamma’s lap or caressed or petted…I do not know for I
was whipped – momma never said anything to me when she whipped
me…” --New York Times April 10, 1874
Mary Ellen’s tragic story was made public in the winter of
1874 , prompting citizens to discover that animals were
protected from mistreatment, but children were not.
Almost 100 years passed, however, before the scope of
the problem of child maltreatment gathered the attention
of scientists and practitioners, following a seminal paper
on the battered child syndrome in the early 1960s by
pediatrician Henry Kempe and his colleagues. Soon
thereafter, legislation clearly defining and mandating the
reporting of child abuse and neglect was introduced,
launching efforts to identify and assist abused and
neglected children throughout North America.
The context of child maltreatment includes societal,
cultural, and socioeconomic factors, as well as those
closest to the child’s social world – the parent-child
relationship and the family. To understand the
developmental importance of child maltreatment, one only
has to recognize how the parents’ failure to provide
nurturant, sensitive, available, and supportive caregiving
makes any form of maltreatment particularly harmful to
child development.
 What is
Child Maltreatment?
Child maltreatment is behavior toward a child that is outside
the norms of conduct and entails substantial risk of causing
physical or emotional harm. Four types of maltreatment are
generally recognized: physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional
abuse (psychological abuse), and neglect.
According to World Health Organization (WHO), Child
maltreatment, sometimes referred to as child abuse and neglect,
includes all forms of physical and emotional ill-treatment,
sexual abuse, neglect, and exploitation that results in actual or
potential harm to the child’s health, development or dignity.
Within this broad definition, five subtypes can be distinguished
– physical abuse; sexual abuse; neglect and negligent
treatment; emotional abuse; and exploitation.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of
commission or omission by a parent or other caregiver that
results in harm, potential for harm, or threat of harm to a child.
Most child abuse occurs in a child's home, with a smaller
amount occurring in the organizations, schools or communities
the child interacts with.
The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act of 1974 led
to a federal definition of child abuse and neglect. This Act
provided definitions for all types of abuse and led to greater
public awareness and response to problems associated to child
maltreatment. This federal definition was changed in 1996 by
the U.S. Congress. Child abuse and neglect in the United States
is now defined as "any recent act or failure to act on the part of a
parent or caretaker, which results in the death, serious physical
or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation, or an act or
failure to act which present an imminent risk of serious harm"
Physical Abuse

Physical abuse is the non-accidental infliction of physical

injury to a child. The abuser is usually a family member or
other caretaker. It can involve punching, striking, kicking,
shoving, slapping, burning, bruising, pulling ears or hair,
stabbing, choking or shaking a child. Shaking a child can cause
shaken baby syndrome, which can lead to intracranial pressure,
swelling of the brain, diffuse axonal injury, and oxygen
deprivation; which leads to patterns such as failure to thrive,
vomiting, lethargy, seizures, bulging or tense fontanels, altered
breathing, and dilated pupils. The transmission of toxins to a
child through its mother (such as with fetal alcohol syndrome)
can also be considered physical abuse in some jurisdictions
Most nations with child-abuse laws consider the infliction
of physical injuries or actions that place the child in
obvious risk of serious injury or death to be illegal.
Beyond this, there is considerable variation. The
distinction between child discipline and abuse is often
poorly defined. Cultural norms about what constitutes
abuse vary widely: among professionals as well as the
wider public, people do not agree on what behaviors
constitute abuse.
However, the definition may be as specific as stating that the
injuries are inflicted by particular acts such as hitting, biting,
kicking, or slapping; and/or occur through the use of objects
such as belts, sticks, rods, or bats. These more specific
definitions are usually the result of laws created to protect
children. For instance in Spain the 21/87 Act improved the
consistency of definitions used throughout the country in
identifying child abuse (De Paúl and González 2001). In Israel
in 1989 an amendment was passed known as the Law for the
Prevention of Abuse of Minors and the Helpless. Specific types
of abuse were defined within this amendment, creating a more
definitive classification of each type of abuse in Israel (Cohen
2001). In many countries, the definition of physical abuse
involves the presence of a physical mark created by intentional
physical contact by an adult. One advantage of clear definitions
is that they result in a more accurate reporting of physical
abuse to authorities (Kasim 2001).
Physical abuse also includes acts of exploitation. This type
of physical abuse is prevalent in a number of countries
such as Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Thailand where
sexual exploitation of children is well documented (de
Silva 2001). Exploitation is also seen in the form of child
labor in a number of countries, such as India (Segal 2001),
and in the conscription into the military of children in Sri
Lanka (de Silva 2001). Finally, one less common form of
psychical abuse results when a caretaker fabricates a
child's illness, known as Munchausen Syndrome by
Proxy. The pattern of events accompanying this syndrome
often results in physical injury to the child (Wiehe 1996).
Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy has been identified in a
number of different countries (Schwartz-Kenney, Mc-
Cauley, and Epstein 2001).
Psychological or Emotional
Abuse
Any harm to a child’s emotional or intellectual well-
being. The common acts are cursing, belittling,
scapegoating, rejecting, ignoring, isolating, or terrorizing
of children, all of which have the effect of eroding their
self-esteem. Such examples are name-calling, ridicule,
degradation, destruction of personal belongings, torture or
destruction of a pet, excessive criticism, inappropriate or
excessive demands, withholding communication, and
routine labeling or humiliation).
The strongest expert-supported definition of psychological
maltreatment is presently in the APSAC Guidelines for
Psychosocial Evaluation of Suspected Psychological
Maltreatment of Children and Adolescents (1995). These
guidelines include the following conceptual statement and
psychological maltreatment categories:

Psychological maltreatment means a repeated pattern of

caregiver behavior or extreme incidents that convey to
children that they are worthless, flawed, unloved, unwanted,
endangered, or only of value in meeting another's needs.
Psychological maltreatment includes:
 (1) spurning (i.e., hostile rejecting/degrading verbal and nonverbal caregiver acts
that reject and degrade a child);
 (2) terrorizing (i.e., caregiver behavior that threatens or is likely to physically hurt,
kill, abandon, or place the child or child's loved ones or objects in recognizably
dangerous situations);
 (3) isolating (i.e., caregiver acts that consistently deny the child opportunities to
meet needs for interacting or communicating with peers or adults inside or outside
the home);
 (4) exploiting/corrupting (i.e., modeling, permitting, or encouraging antisocial
behavior);
 (5) denying emotional responsiveness (i.e., caregiver acts that ignore the child's
attempts and needs to interact and show no emotion in interactions with the child);
and
 (6) mental health, medical, and educational neglect (i.e., ignoring the need for,
failing, or refusing to allow or provide treatment for serious emotional/behavioral,
physical health, or educational problems or needs of the child).
These six categories of psychological maltreatment are further
delineated through detailed subcategories that clarify their
meanings (APSAC 1995). Empirical and conceptual support
for these categories and definitions will be found in child-study
research (Rohner and Rohner 1980; Claussen and Crittenden
1991; Egeland and Erickson 1987; Binggeli, Hart, and
Brassard 2001); and in expert- and public-opinion research
(Burnett 1993; Portwood 1999).
Victims of emotional abuse may react by distancing themselves
from the abuser, internalizing the abusive words, or fighting
back by insulting the abuser. Emotional abuse can result in
abnormal or disrupted attachment disorder, a tendency for
victims to blame themselves (self-blame) for the abuse,
learned helplessness, and overly passive behavior.
Sexual Abuse
Psychologists define child sexual abuse as any activity
with a child, before the age of legal consent, that is for the
sexual gratification of an adult. This includes fondling a
child’s genitals, intercourse, incest, rape, sodomy,
exhibitionism, and commercial exploitation through
prostitution or the production of pornographic materials.
Sexual abuse may be underreported because of the secrecy
or conspiracy of silence that so often characterizes these
case.
Sexual abuse accounts for 12 to 15 percent of confirmed abuse
cases. In multiple surveys, 20 to 25 percent of females and 10
to 15 percent of males report that they were sexually abused by
age 18. Research studies conducted in schools show that for
every 3 Filipino children, one child experiences abuse. During
the first semester of 1999 alone, there were 2,393 children who
fell prey to rape, attempted rape, incest, acts of lasciviousness
and prostitution.
Most sexual abuse offenders are acquainted with their victims;
approximately 30% are relatives of the child, most often
brothers, fathers, mothers, uncles or cousins; around 60% are
other acquaintances such as friends of the family, babysitters,
or neighbors; strangers are the offenders in approximately 10%
of child sexual abuse cases.
 Children’s reactions to and recovery from sexual abuse
vary, depending on the nature of the sexual assault and the
response of their important others, especially the mother.
Many of the acute symptoms of sexual abuse resemble
children’s common reactions to stress, such as fears,
increased anger, anxiety, fatigue, depression, passivity,
difficulties focusing and sustaining attention, and
withdrawal in interest and participation from usual
activities.
Neglect
Neglect, the failure to satisfy a child's basic needs, can assume
many forms. Physical neglect is the failure (beyond the
constraints imposed by poverty) to provide adequate food,
clothing, shelter, or supervision. Emotional neglect is the
failure to satisfy a child's normal emotional needs, or behavior
that damages a child's normal emotional and psychological
development (such as permitting drug abuse in the home).
Failing to see that a child receives proper schooling or medical
care or lack of proper supervision is also considered neglect.
Slightly more than half of all reported abuse cases involve
neglect. Neglect also includes inadequate emotional care,
where a child experiences a continuous lack of response to his
or her crying or any other behavior in need of a response.
A UNICEF report on child wellbeing stated that the United States
and the United Kingdom ranked lowest among industrial nations
with respect to the wellbeing of children. It also found that child
neglect and child abuse were far more common in single-parent
families than in families where both parents are present.

In the USA, neglect is defined as the failure to meet the basic needs
of children including housing, clothing, food and access to
medical care. Researchers found over 91,000 cases of neglect in
one year (from October 2005 to 30 September 2006) using
information from a database of cases verified by protective
services agencies
Child Labor
Refers to the employment of children at regular and
sustained labor. This practice is considered exploitative by
many international organizations and is illegal in many
countries. In many developed countries, it is considered
inappropriate or exploitative if a child below a certain age
works (excluding household chores, in a family shop, or
school-related work). An employer is usually not
permitted to hire a child below a certain minimum age.
This minimum age depends on the country and the type of
work involved.
Sexual Exploitation
Refers to hiring, employment, persuasion, inducement or
coercion of a child to perform in obscene exhibitions and
indecent shows or to pose or act as a model in obscene
publication or pornographic materials.
In November 2009 The Philippine government signed into law
of Republic Act 9775, also known as the Anti-Child
Pornography Act of 2009, by Philippine President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo. This landmark legislation provides the full
legal armor against producers, transmitters, sellers and users of
child pornography in whatever form and means of production,
dissemination and consumption, in public and private spaces.
Child Prostitution
Refers to the act done to children, who, for money, profit
or any other consideration or due to the coercion or
influence of any adult, syndicate or group, indulge in
sexual intercourse or lascivious conduct.
Child trafficking
The trading and dealing with children including the act of buying
and selling a child for money, or for any other consideration or
barter. Human trafficking and the prostitution of children is a
significant issue in the Philippines, often controlled by organized
crime syndicates. Human Trafficking in the Philippines is a
crime against humanity.

In an effort to deal with the problem, the Philippines passed R.A.
9208, the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003, a penal law
against human trafficking, sex tourism, sex slavery and
child prostitution. Enforcement is reported to be inconsistent.
A 1997 report put the number of child victims of
prostitution at 75,000 in the Philippines.,[with other
estimates saying as many as 100,000.

According to the United Nations Children's Fund

(Unicef) an estimated 60,000 to 100,000 children in the
Philippines are involved in prostitution rings. According
to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) about
100,000 children are involved in prostitution is a high
incidence of child prostitution in tourist areas. An
undetermined number of children are forced into
exploitative labor operations.
The Philippines is the fourth country with the most number of
prostituted children, and authorities have identified an increase
in pedophiles travelling to the Philippines.

There are estimated to be 375,000 women and girls in the sex

trade in the Philippines, mostly between the ages of 15 and 20,
though some are as young as 11.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent

Societies state that there are more than 1.5 million street
children in the Philippines and many end up in prostitution and
drug trafficking in places such as Manila and Angeles City.
The Philippines is ranked under Tier 2 Watch List in the
2009 Trafficking in Persons Report of the United
States (US) State Department due to the Philippine
government’s alleged failure to show evidence of progress
in convicting trafficking offenders, particularly those
responsible for labor trafficking.
A special report from the Vatican states: The Philippines
has a serious trafficking problem of women and children
illegally recruited into the tourist industry for sexual
exploitation. Destinations within the country are Metro
Manila, Angels City, Olongapo City, towns in Bulacan,
Batangas, Cebu City, Davao and Cagayan de Oro City and
other sex tourist resorts such as Puerto Galero, which is
notorious, Pagsanjan, Laguna, San Fernando Pampanga,
and many beach resorts throughout the country. The
promise of recruiters offers women and children attractive
jobs in the country or abroad, and instead they are coerced
and forced and controlled into the sex industry for tourists.
Puerto Galera
There are numerous cases of pedophilia that have been
reported in Puerto Galera, a beach resort on
Mindoro Island three hours south of Manila. The area is a
favorite for foreign pedophiles seeking children. Puerto
Galera has been described as one of the Philippines top
five spots for child prostitution.
Angeles City
In 1991 a volcanic eruption of Mount Pinatubo forced an evacuation
and destroyed much of the Clark Air Base, a major United States
military facility located 40 miles (60 km) northwest of Manila, which
closed shortly thereafter. Most the of sex trade around the base closed
at the same time due to the loss of the GI customers. Mayor Alfredo
Lim proceeded to crack down on Manila's remaining sex industry,
causing many of these businesses to relocate to Angeles City, which
borders on the closed base, and was becoming a popular tourist
destination especially with former GI's.

By the late 1990s, UNICEF estimated that there are 60,000

child prostitutes in the Philippines, describing Angeles City brothels
as "notorious" for offering sex with children. In 1997, the BBC
reported that UNICEF estimated many of the 200 brothels in the
notorious Angeles City offer children for sex. In 2004, Police arrested
foreigners and Filipino`s and rescued 15 females of a child
pornography and cybersex ring in Angeles City.
Metro Manila
Go-go bars, massage parlors and prostitution were
prominent in the "entertainment district" of Ermita,
Manila.
Visayan Forum Foundation has established that most of
the children and young women trafficked to Manila from
rural areas in search of work are assured jobs as domestic
workers, but in a significant number of cases end up in the
sex trade.
Pasay
Childhope Asia Philippines, Inc. has a Community
Mobilization against Child Prostitution project to prevent
child prostitution in Pasay. Children as young as 14- and
15-year-olds are child prostitutes in Pasay clubs.
Subic Bay
In 1988 a Naval Investigative undercover operation based in Subic
Bay were offered children for sex as young as 4. Many of those
involved in the prostitution of children have been brought to justice
in the courts. Most of the 16,000 women estimated to have worked
the bars around the largest overseas naval base were forced into the
sex industry. One 16 year old child tells of her experience in Subic
Bay: She was locked in a room for a month, starved and force-fed
drugs and alcohol to ensure she was addicted and could be more
easily controlled. She was often beaten unconscious for refusing to
have sex with customers.
Pregnancy, abortion, the spread of disease and drug abuse were just
some of the indignities imposed on Filipinas. Despite the US pull-out
from Subic Bay in 1992, continues to fester, catering to a new
generation of civilian sex tourists. The former naval base, and current
visits by American military have been the subject of protests by
welfare groups and activists in Subic. Brandishing placards and
chanting slogans, members of WAIL and GABRIELA called for
justice for all victims of human rights abuses.
Child-organ trafficking
In 2008, the National Bureau of Investigation alerted the
public over the rampant smuggling of human organs in the
Philippines. The NBI said smugglers are now targeting
children who are kidnapped and taken abroad where their
organs are sold to foreign nationals. The World Health
Organization has identified the Philippines as one of the
five organ trafficking hotpots.
Microsoft has awarded over US$1 million through its
Unlimited Potential grants to non-governmental organisations
(NGOs) across six Asian countries, including the Philippines.
The latest round of grants will deliver IT training courses
specifically for people in human-trafficking hot spots across
the region.

UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy stated, The

Philippines is among the few countries that are making a dent
in the fight against the trafficking of women and children. She
also stated, "This is not going to be easy, Bellamy said. "We
are dealing with criminals and they are not stupid. There are
lots of money to be made and they will go to any length to
continue harming and exploiting children in this awful way".
Child in conflict with the law
A child who is alleged, as, accused of, or adjudged as having
committed an offense under Philippine laws.

RA 9344 or Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act 2006

The Philippines introduced a new juvenile justice system. Among the
many provisions seeking to protect children in conflict with the law,
the legislation calls for restorative justice to be an integral part of the
new system.

Under the new legislation, children under the age of 15 cannot be

charged with a crime. For 15- to 18-year-old juveniles, diversion
away from court is the preferred method for responding to crimes
that carry a possible sentence of six years or less.
Spiritual Abuse
The misuse of power, authority or trust by an person in a
position of spiritual power or authority through
controlling, coercing, manipulating or dominating a
child’s development.

Spiritual abuse often refers to an abuser using spiritual or

religious rank in taking advantage of the victim's
spirituality (mentality and passion on spiritual matters) by
putting the victim in a state of unquestioning obedience to
an abusive authority.
Incidence and Prevalence
Internationally, child abuse is more common than previously
acknowledged. Historically, it was hard for many to believe
that parents or caregivers would intentionally inflict harm
towards their children. Thus, in many countries child abuse and
neglect were often ignored or denied as a result of people's
acceptance of violence in a given culture or due to their belief
that the culture must focus on preserving the family (Schwartz-
Kenney, Mc-Cauley, and Epstein 2001). Some cultures simply
denied that child neglect or abuse occurred. For example,
Mohd Sham Kasim (2001) states that in Malaysia the problem
of abuse was at one time believed to be a problem only for
Western cultures. This stemmed from the idea that the strong
family ties and assistance from the extended family prevalent
in Malaysia prevented the problem from occurring.
Internationally, it has always been the case that the culture
had to acknowledge the problem of neglect and abuse
before national organizations concerned with prevention
and treatment could be created. Unfortunately, it took
many years (often decades) before many societies
recognized it as a problem worthy of governmental
resources. As mentioned above, the noted physician C.
Henry Kempe dramatically increased many countries'
public awareness regarding the abuse and neglect of
children in his lectures on the battered-child syndrome
(Kempe et al. 1962).
In Australia, 31 percent of reports were of emotional abuse, 28
percent included physical abuse, 16 percent consisted of sexual
abuse, and 24 percent represented neglect (Hatty and Hatty
2001).

This is compared to the prevalence reports in Ireland, where 34

percent of reports involved sexual abuse, 8 percent included
emotional abuse, 11 percent were identified as physical abuse,
and 47 percent were of neglect (Ferguson 2001).

In the United States, the Child Protective Services (CPS) state
that neglect is the most prevalent type of maltreatment,
accounting for 45 percent of all reports, followed by physical
abuse in 25 percent of cases, sexual abuse in 16 percent of
cases, and finally psychological abuse in 6 percent of all
reports.
Child abuse is a rampant problem in the Philippines. According
to a 2009 data culled by the country’s Department of Social
Welfare and Development (DSWD), a total of 6, 522 children
(aged 0 to 17) have been reported as abused.

The highest number of child abuse cases come from Region IX

or the Zamboanga Peninsula with 1, 485 reported cases,
followed by Region VII (867), the National Capital Region
(663) and Region III (660). The DSWD classified the abuse on
children as victims of abandonment, neglect, rape, acts of
lasciviousness, prostitution, pedophilia, pornography, cyber
pornography, maltreatment, child labor, illegal recruitment,
child trafficking and armed conflict.

Of the reported cases, most abuses happened to children aged

14 and below (1,862), with mostly girls as victims (1,491).
Sexual abuse remains as the top reported case in this age group.
Child Abuse Cases From all Member CPUs
Treated in 2007 by Age of the Victim
  
Cases From all Member CPUs Treated in 2007
by Type (n=4456)
Child Abuse Cases From all Member CPUs
Treated in 2007 by Gender and Type
Fatalities
A child abuse fatality is when a child’s death is the result
of abuse or neglect, or when abuse and/or neglect are
contributing factors to a child’s death. In the United
States, 1,730 children died in 2008 due to factors related
to abuse; this is a rate of 2.33 per 100,000 U.S. children.
[31] Child abuse fatalities are widely recognized as being

under-counted; it is estimated that between 60-85% of

child fatalities due to maltreatment are not recorded as
such on death certificates. Some estimate that the number
is 3.2 times higher than the reported count.
Girls and boys, however, are killed at similar rates.
Caregivers, and specifically mothers, are more likely to be
the perpetrators of a child abuse fatality, than anyone else,
including strangers, relatives, and non-relative caregivers.
A number of policies and programs have been put into
place to try to better understand and to prevent child abuse
fatalities, including: safe haven laws, child fatality review
teams, training for investigators, shaken baby syndrome
prevention programs, and child abuse death laws which
mandate harsher sentencing for taking the life of a child.
Causes
Child abuse is a complex phenomenon with multiple
causes. Understanding the causes of abuse is crucial to
addressing the problem of child abuse. Parents who
physically abuse their spouses are more likely than others
to physically abuse their children. However, it is
impossible to know whether marital strife is a cause of
child abuse, or if both the marital strife and the abuse are
caused by tendencies in the abuser.
Researchers have identified a number of factors associated
with the physical abuse of a child, such as the
characteristics of individuals who abuse and the
characteristics of families in which child abuse occurs. In
the United States less than 10 percent of child abuse is
committed by non-family members (de Silva 2001).
In general, there are a number of individual perpetrator
differences that predict abuse in the West. Physical abuse
is also more likely to occur in family situations in which
parental knowledge of parenting skills is inadequate, when
high levels of stress are present, when parents are very
young, when parental expectations are too high regarding
a child's behaviors, when substance abuse is present,
and/or when adults in the family have low levels of
empathy towards a child. Abuse is found more often in
families with female children and in families with four or
more children. Finally factors such as economic distress,
lack of social support, and cultural or religious values
have been linked to incidences of physical abuse in most
countries that have addressed this problem.
Researchers have examined the characteristics of families
are also associated with neglect. One finding is that the
perpetrator of neglect in the United States and other
Western countries is likely to be female. This may be a
function of the fact that neglect is more likely to occur in
single-parent families and homes in which the mother is
young. Children born to women under the age of twenty
in the United States are 3.5 times more likely to
experience neglect and abuse than children born to older
mothers (Lee and Goerge 1999).
Substance abuse can be a major contributing factor to child
abuse. One U.S. study found that parents with
documented substance abuse, most commonly alcohol,
cocaine, and heroin, were much more likely to mistreat
their children, and were also much more likely to reject
court-ordered services and treatments.

Another study found that over two thirds of cases of child

maltreatment involved parents with substance abuse
problems. This study specifically found relationships
between alcohol and physical abuse, and between cocaine
and sexual abuse.
Effects and Consequences of Child Abuse
Children who are physically abused suffer from different
types of physical health problems later in life. They are
likely to receive bone fractures, particularly rib fractures,
some reportedly suffer from some type of chronic head,
abdominal, pelvic, or muscular pain with no identifiable
reason.. Some may have a higher risk of developing
cancer. Children who experience child abuse & neglect
are 59% more likely to be arrested as a juvenile, 28%
more likely to be arrested as an adult, and 30% more
likely to commit violent crime.
Children with a history of child abuse are also at risk of
developing psychiatric problems, or a
disorganized attachment style. Disorganized attachment is
associated with a number of developmental problems, including
dissociative symptoms, as well as anxiety, depressive, and
acting out symptoms. A study by Dante Cicchetti found that 80%
of abused and maltreated infants exhibited symptoms of
disorganized attachment. When some of these children become
parents, especially if they suffer from
posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), dissociative symptoms,
and other sequel of child abuse, they may encounter difficulty
when faced with their infant and young children's needs and
normative distress, which may in turn lead to adverse
consequences for their child's social-emotional development.
Despite these potential difficulties, psychosocial intervention can
be effective, at least in some cases, in changing the ways
maltreated parents think about their young children.
The effects of child abuse vary, depending on the type of
abuse. A 2006 study found that childhood emotional and
sexual abuse were strongly related to adult depressive
symptoms, while exposure to verbal abuse and witnessing
of domestic violence had a moderately strong association,
and physical abuse a moderate one. For depression,
experiencing more than two kinds of abuse exerted
synergetically stronger symptoms. Sexual abuse was
particularly deleterious in its intrafamilial form, for
symptoms of depression, anxiety, dissociation, and limbic
irritability. Childhood verbal abuse had a stronger
association with anger-hostility than any other type of
abuse studied, and was second only to emotional abuse in
its relationship with dissociative symptoms.
The long-term effects can be:

Shaken baby syndrome

Shaking a baby is a common form of child abuse. The injuries caused by
shaking a baby may not be immediately noticeable and may include
bleeding in the eye or brain, damage to the spinal cord and neck, and rib or
bone fractures (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke,
2007).

Impaired brain development

Child abuse and neglect have been shown, in some cases, to cause important
regions of the brain to fail to form or grow properly, resulting in impaired
development (De Bellis & Thomas, 2003). These alterations in brain
maturation have long-term consequences for cognitive, language, and
academic abilities (Watts-English, Fortson, Gibler, Hooper, & De Bellis,
2006). NSCAW found more than three-quarters of foster children between
1 and 2 years of age to be at medium to high risk for problems with brain
development, as opposed to less than half of children in a control sample
(ACF/OPRE, 2004a).
Poor physical health
Several studies have shown a relationship between various
forms of household dysfunction (including childhood
abuse) and poor health. Adults who experienced abuse or
neglect during childhood are more likely to suffer from
physical ailments such as allergies, arthritis, asthma,
bronchitis, high blood pressure, and ulcers (Springer,
Sheridan, Kuo, & Carnes, 2007).
Treatment
A number of treatments are available to victims of child abuse. Trauma-
focused cognitive behavioral therapy, first developed to treat sexually
abused children, is now used for victims of any kind of trauma. It
targets trauma-related symptoms in children including
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), clinical depression and
anxiety.

Abuse-focused cognitive behavioral therapy was designed for children

who have experienced physical abuse. It targets externalizing behaviors
and strengthens pro-social behaviors. Offending parents are included in
the treatment, to improve parenting skills/practices. It is supported by
one randomized study.

Child-parent psychotherapy was designed to improve the child-parent

relationship following the experience of domestic violence. It targets
trauma-related symptoms in infants, toddlers, and preschoolers,
including PTSD, aggression, defiance, and anxiety. It is supported by
two studies of one sample.
Other forms of treatment include group therapy, play
therapy, and art therapy. Each of these types of
treatment can be used to better assist the client, depending
on the form of abuse they have experienced. Play therapy
and art therapy are ways to get children more comfortable
with therapy by working on something that they enjoy
(coloring, drawing, painting, etc.). The design of a child's
artwork can be a symbolic representation of what they are
feeling, relationships with friends or family, and more.
Being able to discuss and analyze a child's artwork can
allow a professional to get a better insight of the child.
Prevention, Protection, Support
System
April has been designated Child Abuse Prevention
Month in the United States since 1983. U.S. President
Barack Obama continued that tradition by declaring
April 2009 Child Abuse Prevention Month. One way the
Federal government of the United States provides funding
for child-abuse prevention is through Community-Based
Grants for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect
(CBCAP).
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is on the ground
in over 150 countries and territories to help children survive
and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence.  The
world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries,
UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and
sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and
the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and
AIDS.  UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary
contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and
governments. UNICEF’s mission is to advocate for the
protection of children’s rights, to help meet their basic needs
and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential.
UNICEF is guided in doing this by the provisions and
principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has signed Proclamation
1137 declaring “Child Abuse Prevention Year” until October
2007, making the Philippines the first country to issue such a
declaration.

Republic Act No. 7610 known as the Anti-Child Abuse Law. An

Act Providing for Stronger Deterrence and Special Protection Again
Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination, and for other purpose.

On September 15, 2007, the Children and Youth Secretariat of the
Anti-Child Pornography Alliance (ACPA-Pilipinas) launched
Batingaw Network to protect and save children from all abuses and
exploitations. It is the biggest formation against child pornography
(cyber-sex dens; Internet shops with pornographic cubicles). It
declared September 28 as the "National Day of Awareness and Unity
against Child Pornography”.
Child Protection Unit, University of the Philippines, The
Department of Health established a system of nation-wide
regional CPUs, currently totaling thirty-nine. The National
Bureau of Investigation and the Philippines National Police
also opened centers for medico-legal evaluation. These CPUs,
their child protection specialists, and other hospital-based child
protection practitioners largely operate in isolation from each
other, with few established relationships among them - each
facing the challenges of child abuse and neglect single-
handedly, everyday. Dr. Bernadette J. Madrid is the Director of
the Child Protection Unit of the University of the Philippines
Manila - Philippine General Hospital.
Visayan Forum Foundation, Inc., is a non-profit, non-stock
and tax-exempt non-government organization in the
Philippines established in 1991. It works in issues of domestic
work, child labor and human trafficking especially of women
and children. It is licensed and accredited by the Department
of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to provide
"residential care and community-based programs and services
for women and children in especially difficult circumstances.
National and International Efforts in Mobilizing Social
Partners - Philippine and Southeast Asian Secretariat, Global
March against Child Labor and Convenor, Task Force on Child
Domestic Workers in Asia.
Bantay Bata 163 is a social welfare program of the ABS-CBN
Foundation. Launched in 1997, it aims to protect disadvantaged and
at-risk children through a nationwide network of social services.
Among these services is the national emergency hotline, '163', which
allows people to call in and report incidences of child abuse,
exploitation and neglect. Bantay Bata has offices in the major cities
in the Philippines which allows it to respond immediately to the
emergency calls. They are also able to offer online counseling for
child-family relationships and assist victims of child sexual
exploitation. The program also works with the national and local
government agencies such as, the Department of Social Welfare
and Development (DSWD). From its establishment, Bantay Bata
has become one of the most widely supported causes in the
Philippines. Some of their Projects are Children’s Crisis Center
providing temporary shelter to rescued children before their cases are
resolved legally, Children’s Village to house and care for children
who require further attention, and Child Trafficking.
Reporting an Abuse
In the Philippines, a report of child abuse to authorities must be made within 48 hours after there is
reasonable cause to believe that a child has suffered abuse.  All reports or other actions must be kept
confidential.

The report should be made prior to contacting the child’s family. It is the responsibility of the government
social worker to notify the family of the referral, unless assistance in doing so is requested.

Each incidence of possible abuse should constitute a separate referral.  Even if you have made a referral
on a child to the proper authorities previously, if there is a new incident or injury, you need to report it
again.

When making a report to the authorities you should include as much of the following information as
available:
o Child’s name, address, birth date and gender;
o Parent’s name, address, home phone (if possible) and work places;
o Nature and extent of the suspected abuse;
o Information on previous injuries or background data; and
o Identity of alleged abuser (if known).
The concerned agency then notifies the Department of Social
Welfare and Development (DSWD) or the CSWDO to determine
whether a child needs medical and legal attention, therapy or custody
and whether a complaint needs to be filed.
The DSWD, on the other hand, notifies the Philippine National
Police or the National Bureau of Investigation and the
Commission on Human Rights for investigation and filing of
complaint to the City Prosecutor's Office.
While the complaint is in progress, the DSWD formulates a
rehabilitation or treatment plan. When necessary, the DSWD may
call for a case conference with member agencies to collaborate in the
design and implementation of the rehabilitation/treatment plan.
Aside from implementing the rehabilitation plan, the DSWD is also
tasked to regularly assess the need for further rehabilitation. The
assessment report is later transmitted to the Anti Child Abuse
Network (Acan) for status reports. Following care termination, the
DSWD further designs and implements a reintegration program.
The City Health Services Office (CHSO), is tasked to interview a
victim of child abuse and assigns two physicians for medico-legal
examinations. The medico-legal services should be available on a 24-
hour basis.
The CHSO is also responsible in assigning resource speakers from
the Population Program Division to conduct special trainings on
effective parenting, pre-marriage counseling and adolescent
development activities, as may be requested by the Acan or other
member agencies.
It will also assist in identification and referrals of potential child
abuse cases, present physical/medical evidences in court and screen
minors at the Social Hygiene Clinic for identification of child
prostitution.
The Commission on Human Rights is responsible for the
investigation of complaints of child abuse victims and recommends
the filing of cases with the proper court, administrative office or
agency; provide free and immediate assistance to victims of child
abuse and see to it that the victims of child abuse will continue to
enjoy their most basic needs.
The Department of Education (DepEd) is tasked to conduct a
school-based interview, counseling, home visitation and refers
cases of child abuse to proper authorities.
The DepEd will also provide educational assistance programs
such as the Effective Affordable Secondary Education Program
(Ease), Open High School, school-initiated interventions during
the disadvantageous situation of child abuse victims, conducts
trainings on Child-Friendly School System in partnership with
Department of Health, DSWD, Department of Labor and
Employment, Parent Teacher Association, barangay officials
and their stakeholders and ensure implementation of the basic
education curriculum.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government on the
other hand, conducts interview of child abuse victims referred to
the office; refers the same to the CSWDO and organizes the
functionality of the Barangay Council in terms of protecting
child abuse victims. The DILG also has to ensure that child abuse
concerns are included in the barangay development plan.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT
ABUSE OF CHILDREN?
God is concerned for children. Matthew 18:6 says: ‘But if anyone causes
one of these little ones to sin, it would be better for him to have a large
millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea’.
Every child is a unique individual created in the image of God with inherent
worth. However, like the vessel being created at the potter’s wheel in
Jeremiah 18:4, this image can be marred by sin perpetrated on the child,
such as sexual abuse for example. The effects of this can distort children’s
personalities and potential. Like the potter, God is able to form the clay into
another vessel, as seems best to him. Scripture mentions sexual immorality
on a number of occasions, usually in the context of forbidding it
(Deuteronomy5:18, Matthew 5:27-28, 15:19, 19:18).
Child abuse casts a shadow the length of a lifetime.
--Herbert Ward

Child abuse does not go away, but 90 percent of child abuse

is preventable.
--Karen Adams