A Social Work Perspective on Child Abuse

Child abuse is a blanket term for four types of child mistreatment: physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect (Baker, 1999). The Child Protective Services Agency in the State of Texas (Legal definitions ofà, 2002) defines child abuse as including acts or omissions by any person leading to mental or emotional injury to a child that results in material and observable impairment in the child's growth, development, or psychological functioning. This definition includes recognition of the presence of physical injury, mental or emotional injury, failure to make a reasonable effort to prevent such harm, sexual conduct harmful to the child, compelling a child to participate in sexual conduct or pornographic activities, and allowing a child to use a controlled substance (Legal definitions ofà, 2002).

According to Baker (1999), as of 1996 there were more than 3 million reports of alleged cases of child abuse received by child protective services (CPS) in the United States. Some 1.5 percent of the nation's children were confirmed victims of child abuse in 1996. Parents were abusers in 77 percent of all cases, other relatives in 11 percent. Sexual abuse was more likely to be committed by males, whereas females were responsible for the majority of neglect cases. More than 1,000 American children died from child abuse in 1966 (Baker, 1999).

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ing emotional and psychological effects. Abused children can suffer experience sleep and eating disorders and disturbances, distortions of mood and affect, depression and withdrawal from friends and family, delinquency or conduct problems, academic difficulties or failure, unusual aggressiveness, suicidal behaviors, and other self-destructive behaviors (Child sexual abuse, 2001). The effects of abuse naturally vary according to such factors as the severity of the abuse, its frequency, and the absence or presence of any therapeutic medical or psychological interventions. Many abused and neglected children experience life-long physical or psychological problems as a consequence of their abuse. Magnitude of Problem in Texas According to the Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services (2001), a total of 274,289 reported cases of alleged child abuse were investigated in the State is fiscal 2001. The number of children in confirmed investigations û in which abuse was determined to be taking place û totaled 72,212; some 40,466 Texas children under the age of 18 received services as a consequence of abuse. These numbers represent the total of reported cases of possible and confirmed child abuse out of a total child
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