Forms of child abuse sometimes seem almost imperceptible, a practice that has traditionally been accepted as an integral part of children’s education, and some even considered it necessary in the face of the impossibility of applying other means not based on the use of violence.
However, nothing further from reality. Fortunately, we already have studies to say that some phrases hide not only a lie, but also a tragedy. We’re talking about phrases like “Was it always like this and nothing happened?”Does the lyrics come in with blood? And you have to learn from lawyers or criminals. “
- The famous writer Agatha Christie was absolutely right when she said that “one of the luckiest things that can happen in your life is having a happy childhood.
- “There is no doubt that positive education gives very interesting results in the education and development of children.
Elisabet RodrÃguez is a specialist and psychologist for children and adults who has deeply addressed the consequences of child abuse. This professional believes that, in recent years, this topic has once again experienced a considerable uptick.
But today, when parents and educators are more aware than ever of the impact of certain forms of education applied in a traditional way and which have counted on the complicity of society, how can this practice remain so ingrained?
This is simply because child abuse has been shown not only physical, although it has continued to be practiced for years, psychological abuse is much less identified in the collective unconscious than physical abuse, whose evolution, in relation to its disappearance, has been much greater.
We understand the concept of child abuse as an action that the person responsible for a minor performs on the child, which by default or by choice, jeopardizes the emotional, cognitive or physical integrity of the child, under this definition we can highlight three very clear forms of child abuse. All, to a greater or lesser extent, continue to occur today in most modern societies.
It is the most common since the dawn of time. Specialists define it as voluntary behavior that causes physical harm to the child, or even the development of physical illnesses.
In this type of abuse, which aims to intentionally harm the child, there are several forms depending on the purpose, can one express the rejection of the child, the imposition of discipline, a sadistic and aggressive character, a consequence of a lack of control?
We will now see a second form of child violence, known as psychological abuse, in this case the limits are less objective and it is more difficult to talk about them based on a majority consensus, yet the authors see it. such as the set of behaviors that lead to interaction with the child based on verbal hostility through insults, threats and contempt.
“I can’t think of any childish need as strong as the need for parent protection. “Sigmund Freud.
This type of abuse blocks any initiative of interaction with the child, so it generates emotional abandonment and passive attitudes of the parent to the demands of the child, by choice or omission.
Finally, we find the third form of child abuse in the country, known as child neglect, in this case we find ourselves facing a total or partial abandonment of care and / or care towards the child, occurs by maintaining the physical distance, not always observable, and attitudes of omission or even volunteering.
According to several authors, abandonment can be physical, but also social and emotional, it can even be differentiated from physical abandonment, that is, abandonment acts consciously or unconsciously, because of lack of culture, lack of awareness or lack of positive values. knows whether or not this act will cause psychological harm to the child.
We can see that abuse takes many forms in childhood, and it is not always easy to identify or even detect them in time, this is because the causes are numerous and therefore not always obvious. Expectations, excessive trends, underestimation? As we see, the reasons are many and varied, but nothing that is irreparable with interest and training.
“The best way to raise good children is to make them happy. “-Oscar Wilde-
Different forms of child abuse can and should be fought. Through education, training, empathy, positive values, it is a phenomenon that together we can overcome if we all contribute with their grain of sand, our children deserve no less than that, do they?