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CHILD ABUSE CASES IN MALAYSIA

Child abuse cases can be defined as intended or unintended to a child under the age of 18 by another person who maybe parents, relatives, or guardians. The types of child abuse include four main categories which are physical abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, and emotional abuse.

According to the Social Welfare Department of Malaysia, the cases in Malaysia are getting serious. Each year at least 10000 children are reported as victims. The possible causes of child abuse are when the abuser has a basic inability to nurture on a consistent basis. Abusers lack coping skills, are often selfish, not understanding child development, have been abused themselves and sometimes on drugs or alcohol. The issue will give negative effects to society and the image of the country. Furthermore, this big problem will give serious impact on the child’s physical and mental health, well being and the development throughout their lives. Therefore, children will live in violence, harm, and exploitation. The solution to this problem are the government must organize child abuse preventing campaigns which help them to escape from abuse and also educate public to love the children.

In conclusion, children are the hope for the future of the country and the well being of children is very important. Children must have the opportunity to stay healthy and happily. Therefore, all people must cooperate to solve this problem to live in peace.

The Solutions of Child Abuse

As an individual and as a member of our community, we have the power to prevent child abuse and neglect. Here are some ways we can use to prevent child abuse. Firstly, organize prevention campaign. The government and non-government agency such as Social Welfare Department of Malaysia (WAO) must organize more child abuse prevention campaign to help parents or people to escape from abuse and also educate public to love the children. The organizations can have seminar and give brochure to public so that they can be more aware about child abuse cases in Malaysia.

Besides that, build the support programme that support families. The government and non-government also must build this programme to give the skill to parents on how to care and teach their children. For examples,  parents education, respite care services and community center programme can help parents to develop new parenting skill, especially they can learn how to manage and control their emotions. So parents must donate their time and money to join the programs.

Furthermore, report suspected and neglect. Community members must be concerned about their neighbour, know their neighbour names and the name of their children. As a community members also we must cooperate to call the police or report to local child welfare agency when a child is being abused or neglected. Therefore if community members doing so it can may save a child and families.

Moreover, the role of school counsellor is important. School counsellors or teachers must help to educate their students, give motivation and give advise if students have problem. Teachers also must be cooperate with parents through PIBG and plan some activities that involve parents and their children. So that it can make a good relationship between them. As a result child abuse cases can be prevented.

Lastly, the role of media. Electronic and print media must advertise about child abuse whether the causes, the effects or the signs if the child is being abused and give tips how to solve this problem. Media such as internet or television must show drama about child abuse, so that the parents and public are alert and more aware about this case.

• example image of solution child abuse:

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pamplet:

responsible of parents:

causes of child abuse

There are several factors which lead to cases of child abuse. Do not understand parents responsibility, mental illness, financial problem or unemployment, drug use and many more.

Lack of parenting skills. Some caregivers never learned the skills necessary for good parenting. Teen parents, for example, might have unrealistic expectations about how much care babies and small children need. Or parents who where themselves victims of child abuse may only know how to raise their children the way they were raised. In such cases, parenting classes, therapy, and caregiver support groups are great resources for learning better parenting skills.

UNEMPLOYMENT and FINANCIAL PROBLEMS. The 1975 National Family Violence Survey found rates of child abuse that were considerably higher among families suffering from unemployment than among those in which the husband was working full time. Families in which the husband was not working had a significantly higher rate of child abuse than other families This finding did not recur, however, in the 1985 survey, although wives of unemployed husbands did have a higher rate of abuse than wives of husbands working full time. Strauss said that this higher rate for wives might have been caused by added family stress because the father was unemployed. For more examples, when returning from heavy work, poor work environment and less salary, feeling and emotions may be unstable. Consequently, parents especially the father cannot control his anger and end with furious temper and harassment. Alcohol and drug abuse. Living with an alcoholic or addict is very difficult for children and can easily lead to abuse and neglect. Parents who are drunk or high are unable to care for their children, make good parenting decisions, and control often-dangerous impulses. Substance abuse also commonly leads to physical abuse.

Untreated mental illness. Parents who suffering from depression, an anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, or another mental illness have trouble taking care of themselves, much less their children. A mentally ill or traumatized parent may be distant and withdrawn from his or her children, or quick to be angry without understanding why.

Less aware from community.
Some people do not want to know what happen to their neighbourhoods. They just do their own work without being concerned about what happen to other families. Consequently , when the child is hit by their parents and crying, they just think that is a normal situation without expect something negative.

Others factors :

There are other factors which might lead to child abuse.

Domestic violence
When domestic violence is present, one parent may not be able to protect the child from another parent's abusive behavior because that parent is also being abused. Children may be harmed while trying to protect a parent from domestic violence or as a result of the violence.

Single parents.

The NI'S-3 study found that children of single parents were at higher risk of physical abuse of all types of neglect and were overrepresented among seriously injured, moderately injured, and endangered children. Typically, a single parent family has less income than a two-parent household and the single parent is trying to do the job of two parents. Thus, in the worst cases, their lack of adequate social and economic support may make the conditions ripe for abuse.

Low self-confidence.
Parents with low self-esteem are more susceptible to abusing their children because they often see themselves as worthless and may take out their feelings of inadequacy on their children.