Every child has the right to grow up in a caring and safe environment, but unfortunately this does not always happen. Many children in this country are subjected to neglect, physical, emotional and sexual abuse. In addition, a recent survey has shown that one in seven parents smack their children – should this also be considered child abuse? Child Abuse looks at different kinds of abuse, the debate about smacking, and has a chapter dedicated to the problem of child sex abuse.
The information comes from a wide range of sources and includes government reports and statistics, newspaper reports, features, magazine articles and surveys, literature from lobby groups and charitable organisations.
Table of Contents
Chapter One: Child Abuse
Child abuse, Child abuse and neglect, One child in ten grows up feeling unloved, Coming to terms with abuse, Corporal punishment in schools.
Chapter Two: The Smacking Debate
The smacking debate, ‘It never did me any harm...’, A human rights issue, Against a smacking ban, Smacking ban rejected, Lawfulness of corporal punishment, Child discipline.
Chapter Three: Child Sex Abuse
Abuse, Child sexual abuse, Education on sexual abuse, Getting over sexual abuse, Child’s play?, Sexual violence against children, Online child abuse images, What is grooming and online child abuse?, The top ten, False Memory Syndrome, Help for abusers, ‘They’re not monsters’.
Key Facts
Glossary
Additional Resources
Index
Acknowledgements
• In 2001/02, ChildLine counselled over 112,000 children about all kinds of problems and concerns. 21,000 of children counselled (20 per cent) rang about physical or sexual abuse, sometimes both. (page 2)
• Children are usually abused by someone in their immediate family circle. This can include parents, brothers or sisters, babysitters or other familiar adults. It is quite unusual for strangers to be involved. (page 4)
• 85 per cent of adults surveyed agreed that ‘parents should sometimes be allowed to smack their children’. (page 8)
• Corporal punishment is lawful in the home, though the defence of ‘reasonable chastisement’ has been limited by amendments to the law in England and Wales and in Scotland. English common law has allowed parents and others who have ‘lawful control or charge’ of a child to use ‘moderate and reasonable’ chastisement or correction. (page 15)
• One in seven parents in this country smack their children. (page 18)
• 27% of people surveyed by Ipsos MORI believed child sex abuse should be punished by death. 42% believed it should be punished with a life sentence. (page 24)
• 89% of those surveyed by YouGov believed sentences for child sex abusers were too lenient. (page 28)
• A third of those who have sexually abused a child are themselves under the age of 18. (page 29)
• Between 13 and 27 per cent of all children across the world had suffered sexual abuse or exploitation, according to a report by Save the Children. (page 31)
Child Abuse Study Guide
Each book in the Issues series has a study guide. These four-page guides provide a variety of discussion points and other activities to suit a wide range of ability levels and interests.
Publisher: Independence Educational Publishers
Price: £1.50
ISBN: 978 1 86168 396 0
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