Psych 221 Article Critique
CHILD ABUSE 1
Sexual Child Abuse and the Effects on Children Development
Psychology 221 LUO
Katelin Presley
Professor Houts
July 16, 2012
CHILD ABUSE 2
Sexual child Abuse and the Effects on Children Development
Sexual abuse in children is a significant problem not only in the United States, but in other countries as well. In 1997, the National Institute of Justice released a report revealing that of 22.3 million children in the United States between the ages of 12-17, 1.8 million were the victims of sexual abuse. (Dominquez,Ph D. et al.,2005) According to a 2009 study in Clinical Psychology Review, out of the children who were sexually abuse 19.7 % were girls and 7.9 % were boys. (Wikipedia, 2012). Believe it or not, Africa is the country with the most reported child abuse cases at a 34.4% (Wikipedia, 2012). The question that seems to arise when sexual abuse is brought up is: What exactly is sexual abuse? When looking up “child sexual abuse”, it is defined as being a criminal offense in which any adult engages in any sexual activity with a minor or uses the minor for sexual gratification. There have been cases in which the attacker has tried stating the victim in question consented to what was done. However, according to The American Psychiatric Association “children cannot consent to sexual activity with adults.
The effects of sexual abuse in a child’s life into adolescence and adulthood are long lasting and will leave a permanent scar that will never heal. Physical, psychological, emotional, and social effect are short and long term effects that can cause harm to a child’s life. The most
Sexual Child Abuse and the Effects on Children Development
Psychology 221 LUO
Katelin Presley
Professor Houts
July 16, 2012
CHILD ABUSE 2
Sexual child Abuse and the Effects on Children Development
Sexual abuse in children is a significant problem not only in the United States, but in other countries as well. In 1997, the National Institute of Justice released a report revealing that of 22.3 million children in the United States between the ages of 12-17, 1.8 million were the victims of sexual abuse. (Dominquez,Ph D. et al.,2005) According to a 2009 study in Clinical Psychology Review, out of the children who were sexually abuse 19.7 % were girls and 7.9 % were boys. (Wikipedia, 2012). Believe it or not, Africa is the country with the most reported child abuse cases at a 34.4% (Wikipedia, 2012). The question that seems to arise when sexual abuse is brought up is: What exactly is sexual abuse? When looking up “child sexual abuse”, it is defined as being a criminal offense in which any adult engages in any sexual activity with a minor or uses the minor for sexual gratification. There have been cases in which the attacker has tried stating the victim in question consented to what was done. However, according to The American Psychiatric Association “children cannot consent to sexual activity with adults.
The effects of sexual abuse in a child’s life into adolescence and adulthood are long lasting and will leave a permanent scar that will never heal. Physical, psychological, emotional, and social effect are short and long term effects that can cause harm to a child’s life. The most