William Gladden Foundation

Welcome to the William Gladden Foundation library of educational materials about Child Abuse And Neglect. These publications are FREE to read on-line or download to hardcopy and reproduce.

Millions of American children each year are emotionally, sexually or physically abused or neglected. Sometimes the perpetrator is a stranger, neighbor or friend, but most perpetrators are family members.

Abuse and neglect are shameful acts that do incredible harm to young people, both physically and mentally, and the effects of these negative experiences can last a lifetime.

Every parent should learn the warning signs of potential abuse and neglect and seek remedies. Professionals should understand the symptoms that may indicate a child is being abused or neglected. Citizens must realize they have a moral obligation and a legal right to report suspected child abuse or neglect. That is how we can stop this national tragedy and safeguard the minds and bodies of our most vulnerable citizens.

About Child Sexual Abuse, by Waln K. Brown, Ph.D., 4,213 words, 16 pages. Child sexual abuse is not a new problem, nor has there been a dramatic increase in the number of sexually abused children. Rather, it is only recently that we as a nation have begun to recognize the existence of this tragic problem and decided to do something about it. There are many reasons why child sexual abuse went largely unnoticed for so long. One reason is the ability of families to keep secrets. The feeling often is, 'What goes on in this family is nobody else's business.' A second reason is that many children hide the fact that they have been sexually abused. A third reason has to do with the responsibility of professionals and other adults to report suspected child sexual abuse. The feeling often is, 'It's none of my business, or 'I don't want to get involved.' These and many other reasons have concealed child sexual abuse. The minds and bodies of countless children have paid the cost of such ignorance.

Child Incest, by Carle F. O'Neil, M.A., M.S.W., and Waln K. Brown, Ph.D., 4,309 words, 16 pages. Child incest has long been a subject of both social and moral concern. Societies throughout the history of humankind have condemned incest as an abhorrent and dangerous act. Like crimes such as murder and rape, it is a forbidden act ' a prohibited behavior ' a taboo. Yet despite its long history, child incest has only recently become a subject of open discussion and objective study. Today, we recognize that incest is a serious and prevalent form of child abuse. We also realize that children generally do not seduce, as was once mistakenly believed, older relatives into having sexual contact with them. The fact is that children, being naturally dependent upon adults, are highly susceptible to the superior authority, power and knowledge of adults. It is a fact, too, that no one has the right to 'use' children for sexual purposes. Although our knowledge about child incest is growing, there is still much that remains unclear. Unfortunately, there is no national provision for the uniform collection of data from all the states. Furthermore, the relatively few scientific studies thus far conducted do not always agree on their findings. What we can state with a high degree of certainty is the following. 1) No social class or ethnic group is exempt. 2) More is known about father/daughter incest (including stepfathers) than that of other relationships. 3) Where fathers are the perpetrators, there are generally other serious family problems including marital discord and social isolation. 4) A serious finding is that the parents themselves often suffered abuse as children.

Child Pornography, by Carle F. O'Neil, M.A., M.S.W., and Waln K. Brown, Ph.D., 3,846 words, 16 pages. Child pornography is a thriving ' and growing - activity engaged in by a significant number of consumers for the satisfaction of their particular sexual desires, and by producers for the financial rewards realized from the production and sale of pornographic materials. Although the open production and distribution of adult pornography is alive and well, safeguarded by the 'freedom of speech' Amendment to the Constitution, the official attitude toward child pornography has grown increasingly restrictive. Child advocates agree that the production and use of such materials puts children at risk. In spite of serious restrictive efforts, however, the production and use of child pornography springs from at least two of humankind's strongest urges ' desire for sex and wealth ' and is unlikely to wither away.

Effects Of Domestic Violence On Children, by Ronald E. Sharp, Ed.D., 4,153 words, 16 pages. The National Crime Survey (conducted by the Department of Justice) reported the following: 1) about 1.5 million cases of domestic violence involving children are reported each year; 2) another million cases go unreported and 3) between two and five thousand children die each year because of domestic violence. Domestic violence involving children is more than doubling every decade. While some of this huge growth can be attributed to increased reporting and better record keeping, domestic violence against children is reaching epidemic proportions. These statistics include only those incidents in which children were the 'direct' target of domestic violence. Millions of other young people endure the 'indirect' results of family violence. Because of these experiences, children can suffer from anxiety, depression, guilt and fear. These feelings can follow the child throughout his or her life and the effects can be devastating. Many of these young people mistakenly feel responsible for the violence and some go on to commit domestic violence when they become parents.

Emotional Abuse And Neglect Of Children, by Waln K. Brown, Ph.D., and Thomas A. Newnam, B.A., 4,505, 16 pages. Despite strong government legislation, and a healthy change in this country's attitude toward the treatment of children, some form of child abuse or neglect can be found in nearly every American neighborhood. Because of the many stresses suffered within society and the family, childcare experts believe that children today are at high risk to suffer emotional abuse and neglect. In turn, the effects of emotional abuse and neglect can seriously affect a child's current and future life. What are the effects of emotional abuse and neglect on children? Are abused and neglected children always emotionally damaged? How can you help reduce the potentially damaging effects of emotional abuse and neglect on children? These and other important questions are addressed in this publication, written to help concerned adults create and maintain a healthy emotional environment for all children.

It's Just Not Fair: Explaining Violence And Abuse To Young Children, by Ruth P. Arent, M.A., 4,761 words, 16 pages. It is indeed sad that it is necessary to explain violence and abuse to young children. I wish all the answers to children's questions could end with 'and they lived happily ever after,' but they don't. Violence and abuse are deeply destructive to victims, their families and friends. They destroy a child's faith in adults. Children need repeated reassurance that they are not to blame. They need to know that a grown-up who does cruel things has a problem. They want to know if they can help make things better. Children want facts. They feel betrayed when told only half-truths or innuendos. It's Just Not Fair respects their desire for facts, especially children who are innocent victims. This publication tells children that some people who hurt others get help to learn appropriate ways to handle anger. It tells that a victim can learn to trust again and includes helpful suggestions to follow and numerous explanations seldom written for children. This publication deals with all levels of cruelty to children, including mental, emotional and interpersonal abuse. The questions in this publication come from years of working with children. No child asks all of these questions or in this order, but they are REAL QUESTIONS. When children receive honest answers, they can begin to understand the struggles and great sadness felt by all member of a family when a child is abused.

Juvenile Prostitution, by Carle F. O'Neil, M.A., M.S.W., and Waln K. Brown, Ph.D., 4,089 words, 16 pages. Why juvenile prostitution has ballooned over recent decades (paralleling the rise of gangs, violence, drug abuse and other crimes committed by young people) is a complex matter. Some contributing factors include 1) the number of broken and dysfunctional families, 2) the so-called 'sexual revolution,' 3) the increase of drug abuse, 4) the breakdown of cultural values and 5) the prevalence of sexual images in music, magazines, television and on the Internet. A main cause of juvenile prostitution is the number of young people who take to the streets as runaways or 'throwaways.' Up to one million American children run away from home each year, and parents throw out another 150,000 from their homes. Finding themselves unprepared to get and keep jobs, some of these kids turn to prostitution as a way to survive.

Understanding Child Abuse And Neglect, by Waln K. Brown, Ph.D., 3,849 words, 16 pages. Each year, over one million cases of child abuse and neglected are reported to authorities in the United States. As many as seven children die each day from abuse. About 12 abused children each day suffer brain damage. It is impossible to know exactly how many children suffer from emotional, physical or mental handicaps resulting from abuse and neglect. Law enforcement and government agencies alone cannot stop child abuse and neglect. They, and the children they protect, need your help. This publication provides information so that you will better understand the problem of child abuse and neglect and know how to help prevent and report it. If you are concerned about child abuse and neglect, get involved. If you need better parenting skills, seek help. If you suspect child abuse or neglect, report it. Your concerned involvement CAN make an important difference in the lives of America's abused and neglected children.