Child Abuse Types and Manners: It’s Negativity on The Globe

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume IV, Issue VII, July 2020 | ISSN 2454–6186

Child Abuse Types and Manners: It’s Negativity on The Globe

Barr. (Mrs.) Mary L. Effiong, Ph.D.¹, Edidiong Ime Inyang^2
1Director, Center for Counselling and Human Development, Obong University, Obong-Ntak, Etim-Ekpo Lga, Akwa-Ibom State, Nigeria
²Department of Linguistics and Communication Studies, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

I. INTRODUCTION

In earnest, children’s maltreatments from parents/caregiver were generally accepted all over the world for centuries perhaps because under English Common Law, children were seen as the sole property of the parents, as such, could enjoy especially fathers, limitless latitude of decisions over penalties/sanctions to be declared on the Child until 1870s, when an eight year old New York orphan, by name Mary Ellen Wilson protested over what she viewed as maltreatment. In fact, American colonies even incorporated same practice into their early Laws in the United State. Until then, animals were more valued and appreciated than children because of American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animal (ASPCA) law. But from the intervention of attorney for the ASPCA, the judge having listened to the evidence of maltreatment in form of frequent beating, wrongful locking in bedroom and of been asked to lie on the bare floor from Mr. Conollys who happens to be Mary’s foster father. Charging them of Assault and Battery, sentenced her fostered mother of a year imprisonment with hard Labour. Then it significant alongside with the publicity of Wilson’s case, led to the establishment of New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. Then come the following year, the Legislature passed a statute that authorized such society to file complaints of child abuse with law enforcement agencies. From that period henceforth, children’s welfare became a thing of concerned to all. First of such is the article from Dr. Henry Kemp in the journal of American Medical Association.
Later on, every state by 1970, enacted laws requiring certain professionals like teachers and doctors to report any kind of child abuse to law enforcement agencies. Beside these agencies, in 1974, another called, Federal Child Abuse Preventive and treatment Act became law authorizing federal funding for state to identify child abuse and to offer protective services for abused children. Based on these various laws, it became imperative to streamline this actual phenomenon called Child Abuse. Despite increased legislation and penalties for child abuse, extreme cases continued to appear and to sustain the debates over child abuse laws. One of such cases include the Schoo case in suburban Chicago, which received widespread media coverage.

Read More