Welcome to my blog!

 

 

 

Before there is any discussions surrounding child abuse lets clarify this social issue which encompasses the entire world. The International Child Abuse Network, also known as Yes ICAN, (1995, para 2) defines this issue as “the bad treatment of a child under the age of 18 by a parent, caretaker, someone living in their home or someone who works with or around children. Abuse of a child is anything that causes injury or puts the child in danger of physical injury.” Even though Yes ICAN have developed their definition of child abuse from both the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act 2003 and the Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003, this definition does not seem to take into account the emotional abuse that they describe in the four main areas of child abuse. The Child Welfare Information Gateway (2008, para 1) gives a definition of child abuse as “at a minimum: any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation.” The World Health Organisation (2013, para 1) gives a similar definition of the issue stating “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.” 

 

So now that we have our heads around what constitutes as child abuse let’s have a quick look at the hard facts.

 

New Zealand is the third worst country in the world when considering the child death by maltreatment statistics (United Nations International Chidren's Emergency Fund, 2003, p 6). In the whole world! To me this just seems ridiculous that we are the third worst country when you consider the population differences between New Zealand, United States of America and Mexico who are the two countries above us, but facts are facts. In 2011 the Otago Daily Times described New Zealand’s child abuse statistics as an “international disgrace” (2011, para. 1). I found this statement rather shocking read. Is this how the rest of the world views New Zealand? Are we really a disgrace to outsider’s eyes?

 

 

Throughout this blog I intend to find out the statistics surrounding different areas of child abuse such as physical, emotional, sexual and neglect within Aotearoa. I ponder over what other factors could be contributing to New Zealand’s high level of child abuse? I will also be discussing the effects and impact on a child’s brain development from being subjected to these negative environments. I also wonder if this social issue is resolving it’s self over time with interventions or will this issue slowly become what New Zealand is known for? I will also be discussing the pedagogical implications for teachers if this situation was to arise within an Early Childhood Educational setting.

For further research at your leisure:
Feel free to click on the faces that line the edges of the blog page. This will lead you to discovering more information about these beautiful children.

By clicking on any words throughout the blog coloured RED, you will be guided to further information regarding the topic at hand.

References:

Dealing to child abuse. (2011, December). Otago Daily Times. Retrieved from http://www.3news.co.nz/Child-abuse-stats-make-sobering-reading/tabid/423/articleID/223052/Default.aspx

 

Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2008). Retrieved from https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/whatiscan.cfm

 

International Child Abuse Network . (1995). Retrieved from http://www.yesican.org/defined.html

 

United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund. (2003). The league table of child maltreatment deaths in rich nations. Retrieved from http://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/pdf/repcard5e.pdf

World Health Organisation. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.who.int/topics/child_abuse/en/