Helping Children Abuse and Neglect Victims

Introduction

Nowadays, many child abuse cases go unreported due to apathy by parents and society in general, leaving the victims suffering in silence. Thus, we create this blog to provide the information of child abuse and explain how to helping child abused and neglected victims. After you read the blog, we hope that our blog will help you to acknowledge the information of child abuse and pay attention to the problem of child abuse. 

Topics that are included in this blog: 

1) What are child abuse and child neglect?
2) Causes of child abuse
3) Parties that could help the abused and neglected children
4) Marks caused by abusing

What is child abuse?

Child Abuse is physical, sexual, or psychological mistreatment or neglect of a child or children. It may includes any acts or failure to act by a parent or other caregiver that results in actual or potential harm to a child, and can occur in a child's home, or in the organizations, schools or communities the child interacts with.

Three types are distinguished:

1) Physical Abuse

2) Sexual Abuse

3) Emotional/ Psychological Abuse

Physical Abuse

Physical abuse is that which results in actual or potential physical harm from an interaction or lack of interaction, which is reasonably within the control of a parent or person in a position of responsibility, power, or trust.

Examples:

- slapping

- hitting with the hand or an object

- punching

- kicking

- pushing

- beating

- pinching

"A child is physically injured if there is substantial and observable injury to any part of child's body as a result of the non-accidental application of force or an agent to the child's body ... ..."

------- Child Act 2001

Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse is which the child is not developmentally prepared and cannot give consent in sexual activity. The children are forced or persuaded to take part in sexual activities.

It includes:

- the inducement or coercion of a child to engage in any sexual activities

- the use of a child in prostitution or other sexual practices

- the exploitative use of children in pornographic performances and materials

"A child is sexually abused if he/she has ... ... sexually exploitation by any person for that person's or another person's sexual gratification."

------- Child Act 2001

Emotional/Psychological Abuse 

Emotional/psychological abuse is that which behaviors, speech, and actions of other person figures in a child's life that have a negative mental impact on the child. It can have a huge impact on your confidence and self-esteem.

Example:

- belittling

- denigrating

- threatening

- scaring

- discriminating

- ridiculing

- other non-physical forms of hostile treatment or rejection

"A child is emotionally injured if there is substantial and observable impairment of the child's mental or emotional functioning ... ... "

------- Child Act 2001

What is child neglect?

 

Child Neglect is form of child abuse, and is a deficit in meeting a child's basic needs, including the failure to provide their physical, emotional, social, educational, and safety needs adequately. Causes of neglect may results from several parenting problems including mental disorders, substance abuse, domestic violence, unemployment, unplanned pregnancy, single parenting, and poverty.

Causes of child abuse 

Many people cannot understand why would a person hurt a child and often thought that people who abuse their children are because of mental illness. In fact, there are a lot of reasons why abusing happened and child abuse also might results from the combination of personal, social and cultural factors. Some of the main factors are as below:

Intergenerational transmission of violence
Many children learn violent behaviour from their parents, who act as the role model to a child, as children tend to follow the examples their parents show to them during their childhood. Hence when these children grow up, they treat their children by the way that their parents show to them because they think that this is the way to bring up their children. 

Stress 
Stress brought by workplace, family, relationship or health is also one of the factors that leads to child abuse. Some parents are actually love their children but are very sensitive to stress. When they are stressed up, they will become impatient and violent to everything including their innocent children.

Substance abuse
Adults who are addicted to drugs or alcohol often leads to abuse and neglect. When they are under the influence of drugs and substances, they are not able to control their mood and actions, and they might not know what are they doing.

Change of family structure
For example, divorce and marriage. The end of a marriage might makes one becomes depressed or irritable, and hence make them abuse or neglect their child. Also, new member that comes in to the family such stepmother or stepfather who do not know how to take care of the child often leads to child abuse.

Parties that could help the abused and neglected children

Parents

Parents can help the abused and neglected children by many ways such as:

a) Addressing the child's physical safety first

   - By letting him or her know that no one will physically lash out.

   - Help the child to create feelings or trust and emotional healing.

b) Addressing the past as a past

    -Help the child to identify elements of his or her current life that 

     are different from the past. 

    -Use this as an opportunity to discuss new boundaries and 

      expectations to encourage feelings of  belongings and

      attachment.

c) Took their child to the doctor to receive therapy

    -Enhance the well being of their child that has undergone the

     trauma of being abused.

d) Joining the family support program

    -Facilitate the children social and emotional development by 

     meeting with new friends.  

    -Able to build mutual connection.

Others

Other members of the society also play an important role in helping children abuse and neglect victims. Social workers are unable to detect every child who is at risk and it is almost impossible that the abusive parents or guardians will come to their senses without external pressure. As one of the members who lives in an community, every one of us have to bare our responsibility to be aware of the uncommon situation of the children that live next door and report any suspicious of child abuse to the police or to the organisations stated above. For examples:

Neighbours

Neighbour is one of the adults that is very near and close to the child, and is the person who can react and give help immediately to the child. They have their responsibilities to be aware of the unusual things happened on their neighbour’s child, through the conversation with their neighbour, concern on their neighbour’s child situations and so on, and to provide assistance to the child.

Signs that your neighbour's child might have been abused or neglected:

- Regularly unusual sound from your neighbourhood such as child is crying nonstop, child is screaming for help, sound of throwing things, sound of adults shouting loudly to the child etc.
- Sudden disappearance of your neighbour’s child for a long period without reason or the reason is unreasonable.

- Always seeing the child staying alone in the house with no other adults is home to take care or always wandering around.
- Poor hygiene, such as dirty skin and clothes, always looks tired and illness.


Teachers

Teachers are also people who are very close to a child, as the child spends quite a long time in each day with them. They also own responsibilities to protect the children from maltreatment, abuse and neglects.

Signs that your student might have been abused or neglected:

- Frequently absent from school.

- Sudden changes or decrease in school performance.

- Unexplained, unbelievable or inconsistent reasons for bruises or injuries on the child’s body part.

- Often being tired, illness and unable to concentrate during class.

- Difficulty to interact or communicate with adults or the opposite sex, for examples looks afraid when an adult comes near to the child, or avoid to a particular person.

- Refuse or looks disgusted when others touch the child.

- Trouble while doing some particular actions, such as sitting or running, and complaints on pain of body part.

- Does not receive any medical care for his/her injuries.

- Self harm/ hurt himself/herself purposely.

- Develop slower than the other children, both mentally and physically. For example, the child is not looks as the height or weight that he/she should be at this age, or does not show the ability and skills as the other children that have same age with him/her.


Friends/ Peers

Children might be more likely to disclose abuse to their friends or peers as they are closer to each other and they spend more time together. Friends or peers normally would be more likely to discover the abnormal changes happened on a child when they playing together or talking with each other.

Signs that your friend or peer might have been abused or neglected:
- Always feels unhappy, down, low self-esteem or easily get frighten.
- Uncommon or strange marks on his/her body part such as back parts, limbs, ears, face and so on.
- Unexplainable, ridiculous or inconsistent reasons for injuries, wounds or bruises on the body part.
- Self-harm such as cutting on hands, or even attempt to commit suicide.
- Refused to get touched with others and looks afraid on particular person or place.
- Sudden changes in behaviour or personalities and mood swings easily.
- Frequently absent from school or tuition classes.
- Being told that he/she has played weird games or do weird things with an adult or another person, for example stripping clothes with each others or let the other person put things into private parts.

Organisations

United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Malaysia

Since 1954, UNICEF has joined forces with the Government and the people of Malaysia to transform the lives of children across the nation.

In the 2011-2015 Country Program, they set about improving the availability of knowledge and data on issues affecting Malaysia's children to build a firm base for policies that could address remaining social gaps. A number of issues were addressed, specifically in the ares of health, education and protection. (UNICEF achievements in Malaysia).

For the 2016-2020 Country Program, their priorities are directly in line with the strategic directions of the Eleventh Malaysia Plan (10MP), which is the key development strategy and planning instrument of the Government of Malaysia.

UNICEF collaborates with Malaysian partners in government, corporations or civil society organisations to improve the lives of the children while developing the nation.

Report abuse

If the suspect that a child is being harmed, reporting your suspicious may protect the child and obtain help for the family. 

Please call 15999 with the following information:

- Address or location where the child is being abused or neglected

- Type of abuse or facts of the case

- Identity of the abuser or any information related to the abuser

Report of child abuse are confidential and names of anyone informing the authorities will not be made public. Or if you choose to, you may remain anonymous.

Protect children

- If you are working with children, learn to recognize the signs of the abuse and take action if you suspect that a child may have been abused.

- The Child Act 2001 requires any medical officer or medical practitioner, childcare provider or member of the family to notify his/her concerns, suspicions or beliefs that a child may have been abused or neglected to the appropriate child protection authority in the country. Failure to do so can result in criminal charges.

- Do not hesitate to report abuse that happened in the past but was not reported. The abuser may still be active and your action can save a child.

- Any concerned person can report suspicions of child abuse. You do not have to prove it.

- Do not turn a blind eye. It is our social and moral responsibility to get involved.

UNICEF official website: https://www.unicef.org/malaysia/

Department of Social Welfare Malaysia (Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat Malaysia, JKMM)

Basic Child Protection Code sets 7 main objectives as follows:

- Raise awareness and commitment of various parties for efforts to protect children as a shared responsibility

- Creating a safe and child - friendly

- Encourage organisations connected directly and indirectly with children developing a policy for child protection organisations respectively.

- Protect every child from all forms of neglect, abuse, violence and exploitation

- Set only appropriate individuals alone can deal directly with children

- Improve support services to address the neglect, abuse, violence and exploitation of children

- Increase research and development to improve the protection of children

Support service

-Expand and improve counseling services to victims, families, adult offenders, child offenders and communities

-Increase and expand health services and protection to victims and families

JKMM official website: http://www.jkm.gov.my/jkm/index.php

JKMM states office : http://www.jkm.gov.my/jkm/index.php?r=portal/map&map_type=05&id=VDV6WnF6OVBRbWNNOGJYY1Rnd0pvdz09

Law

Child Act 2001

The Child Act 2001 brought major changes in the law relating to the protection of the child in Malaysia where the rights of the child were recognized openly by the government and provides provisions to protect abused children.

Restrictions on media reporting and publications

Section 15 of the Child Act 2001 stated that any mass media including newspaper, magazine, and transmission through electronic medium shall not reveal and publish the name, address or educational institution, or any particulars that may lead to identification of the child.

Duty of medical officer or medical practitioner, member of the family, and child care provider

Section 27, 28 and 29 of the Child Act 2001 mentioned about the duties of medical officer or medical practitioner, member of the family and child care provided respectively, if they have reasonable grounds to believe that a child is being abused or neglected. They should immediately inform the protector (e.g. Director General, Deputy Director General, Department of Social Welfare, State Director of Social Welfare of each of the states, or Social Welfare officer).

Treatment, neglect, abandonment or exposure of children

Section 31 of the Child Act 2001 stated that any person who having the care of a child commits an offence and will be liable to a fine not exceeding 20 thousand ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years or to both, if he/she abuses or neglects the child.

Link to Child Act 2001:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/31769392/Child%20Act%202001.pdf

Child Act (Amendment) 2016

The Child Act (Amendment) 2016 with four main amendments that include child registry, community service order ( CSO), a family- based care and heavier penalty which consent by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim. The child registry would now contain records of convicts who committed crimes against children to allow screenings to be conducted on individuals working with children as an added safety measure. Besides, the community service order (CSO) is a rehabilitation program for children who are involved in crime and adult offenders, including the mother, father and guardians who abuse or neglect their children. The new amendments will also see stricter penalties under Section 31 with the jail term doubled to a maximum of 20 years and the fine increased to RM 50, 000 from RM 20, 000 for child abuse and neglect cases. 

Link to Child Act (Amendment) 2016: 

http://www.federalgazette.agc.gov.my/outputaktap/20160725_A1511_BI_WJW006870%20BI.pdf 

Marks caused by abuse

Marks from non-accidental injuries:

Bruises caused by belt whipping

Bite mark

Marks that whipped by skipping rope

Bruise in the shape of handprint

Cigarette burns

Arm burn injury by iron

Bruises caused by loop cord

Example cases in Malaysia

Child abuse case by parents reported by neighbour at Sungai Petani (24 November 2016 ) 
http://english.astroawani.com/malaysia-news/neighbour-recalls-terrified-woman-witnessing-sons-body-placed-drum-123687

Child abuse case reported by concerned neighbour (4 February 2016)
http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2016/02/04/concerned-neighbour-saves-5-year-old-from-abusive-mom/

Child abused at nursery
http://english.astroawani.com/malaysia-news/jobless-man-charged-abusing-3-year-old-116734

Conclusion

Parents or caregivers should know about the Child Act 2001 very detail to protect their children's right. Besides that, when child abuse had happened to their child, they should call 15999 to United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Malaysia and Department of Social Welfare Malaysia (Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat Malaysia, JKMM) to report abuse. After that, parents or caregivers must take the child the doctor to receive a therapy and join the family support program. Actually, parents or caregivers should avoid or prevent before the others abused their children. They should take care their children and pay attention to the sign of child abuse.


References


Afridah Binti Abas. n.d. http://www.sobiad.org/ejournals/journal_ijss/arhieves/2012_2/afridah_binti.pdf. (accessed December 12, 2016). 

Child Abuse Facts. n.d. http://www.pa-fsa.org/Mandated-Reporters/Recognizing-Child-Abuse-Neglect/Child-Abuse-Facts. (accessed December 12, 2016).

Child Abuse Therapy: How to Pull Your Teen out of the Trauma. 2015. http://www.secureteen.com/child-abusetherapy/child-abuse-therapy-how-to-pull-your-teen-out-of-the-trauma/. (accessed December 11, 2016).  

Kennah, E. 2011. http://learn.pediatrics.ubc.ca/body-systems/musculoskeletal-system/approach-to-non-accidental-injuries/. (accessed December 11, 2016).


Law of Malaysia Act A1511 Child (Amendment) Act 2016. http://www.federalgazette.agc.gov.my/outputaktap/20160725_A1511_BI_WJW006870%20BI.pdf. (accessed December 12, 2016).

National Child Protection Policy. n.d. http://www.jkm.gov.my/jkm/index.php?r=portal/left&id=TlFwUVczN0RLQ3VlRDFqRTFmVENuZz09. (accessed December 10, 2016).

Report Abuse. n.d. https://www.unicef.org/malaysia/campaigns_getonboard-report-child-abuse.html. (accessed December 10, 2016). 

The Causes of Child Abuse. n.d.

https://www.frcmo.org/resources/resources-for-professionals/causesofabuse/. (accessed December 16, 2016).

UNICEF Malaysia. 2016. https://www.unicef.org/malaysia/about.html. (accessed December 10, 2016). 

Why Do Parents Abuse Their Children? The Cause and Effect. 2015.
https://nobullying.com/why-do-parents-abuse-their-children/ . (accessed December 17, 2016).