PSA Editorial

Child abuse is a major problem nowadays because it damages the lives of millions of children who will someday be worldwide criminals. It risks the world’s future by damaging the childhood and lives of people who can be future world leaders. It is also illegal according to the Declaration of Human Rights to abuse anybody. Abusers, if caught, will be sent to jail for more than a decade.

I would like to start off by giving the definition of child abuse. The Department of Children and Families (DCF) defines child abuse as, “any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or other caregiver that results in harm, potential for harm, or threat of harm to a child." This can include four major categories: neglect, sexual abuse, emotional abuse and physical abuse.

Child abuse must be put to a halt because it is the most common trait that criminals in jails have. 84% of criminal inmates have been abused as children. This means that if child abuse is eliminated, most people in jail wouldn’t be there.  Also, “Children who experience child abuse & neglect are 59% more likely to be arrested as a juvenile, 28% more likely to be arrested as an adult, and 30% more likely to commit violent crime.”-http://www.childhelp.org/pages/statistics

Here is a fun fact: before there was a law against child abuse, there was one against animal abuse. The case of Mary Ellen Wilson, described in my group’s PSA Video, was the origin to the child protection law. A church worker went to check on her family and she saw a whip. When the worker saw Mary, she noticed that the little girl had several marks of the whip being used. The worker went to the police and reported the abuse that was occurring in the Wilson household but the police could not do anything because there were no laws against child abuse. There was, however, a law against animal abuse so the church worker debated that Mary was part of the animal kingdom and she had the right to be protected. She won the case and then inspired the creation of the law against child abuse.

Some cases are just horrible. Some include sexual harassments, brainwashing, name calling, humiliating, physical abuse and many other cruel ways. These make the victims feel unsure, unprotected and, in the long run, dangerous. What amazes me the most is that people would actually do this to innocent children. Why would someone actually take the time to abuse their defenseless child and ruin their childhood?

I believe that we have to act and protect the children who have been abused. We must donate to funds, make protests, and help children, ANYTHING! WE MUST HELP THEM!