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Mark Lind

SOC- 220

February 21, 2021

Professor Mitchel

Social Problem With Child Abuse

Child abuse is one social problem that has increasingly become widespread in society.

Any kind of child maltreatment is can be termed as child abuse. This is not just limited to

physical but includes psychological torture. Child abuse effects range from short-term to long-

term. Short-term effects include physical injury and long-term effects include a negative impact

on their behavior (Simmel & Shpiegel, 2020). The early experiences of a child play a critical role

in shaping their personality in the future. Safe and secure homes where love is shared

unconditionally lead to excellent development of the child (Shonkoff & Garner 2011). Children

will draw motivation from this kind of environment to develop and learn positive traits. Child

abuse as a social problem is the collective responsibility of the entire society. Whereas the

assumption that parents or guardians are responsible for the well-being of the child. Society is

collectively responsible hence the reason why child abuse cases can be reported by anyone. 

Social leans are used to visualize the problem in a manner that is understandable from a

deeper perspective. Child abuse as a social problem for instance can be viewed from a

functionalist perspective. The functionalist theory perceives the society as a system whose

functionalism is reliant on various aspects such as the institutions and the stakeholders such as

the parent and guardians as well s the children (Burgess, 1979). The family unit according to the

functionalist theory plays critical roles such as secondary socialization, which is critical in the

formation of adult personalities (Kingsbury & Scanzoni 2009). The theory is based on the
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assumption that all stakeholders play their role to keep the system in equilibrium. According to

the functionalist perspective, child abuse is an inevitable result of this complex system. The

safety of children is entirely placed and trusted on the guardian. With family being such a small

unit of society this implies that very little emphasis is placed on the parents hence resulting in

possible cases of child abuse.

Another functionalist perspective of child abuse is that it is a necessary evil. What this

implies is that with child abuse comes the need for social workers and children protection

services (Powell & Scanlon, 2015). Whilst this is a very minute likelihood the fact that there are

several organizations worldwide formed with the intention to provide child protection hence it

cannot be assumed. These organizations operate under the guise of non-profit organizations but

some benefit from offering these services. This should not be mistaken or thought that the

functionalists support or view child abuse as a positive thing in society. However, they accept

that child abuse has a critical function in the functioning of society as a system.

The interactionism sociological theory can also be used to elaborate on the issue of child

abuse in society. Interactionism is about the relationship between individuals. Child abuse is

occurring in the relationship between parents or caregivers and children. A parent who is

psychologically disturbed could unknowingly be abusing a child hence impacting the child’s

behavior (Musolf, 1996). Another perspective that the theory offers is that some parents or

guardians lack the knowledge to bring up children. In such scenarios, children are abused

unknowingly. From this perspective, one understands the critical role that society has to play in

alleviating the issue of child abuse. Society can determine whether a child is being abused and

take the necessary actions.

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From the functionalist perspective, one can understand why it is impossible to fully

eliminate child abuse in society. This is based on the fact that it is a result of the system itself.

However, it is possible to reduce it significantly. Every member of society has to accept that they

have a critical role to play in the reduction of child abuse. The huge responsibility placed on the

parent should be distributed in the society. A child should not be viewed as the responsibility of

the parent or guardians who in most cases are the perpetrators of child abuse. A distributed role

will ensure that every member of the society will be on the look for child abuse and report it to

the respective authorities. Another suggested approach to minimize the financial benefits

achieved by the children protection services. The government should invest in offering free child

protection services so as to minimize the involvement of organizations. This will lead to fewer

financial benefits and hence a reduction in the cases of child abuse. The final recommendation is

education on the issue to parents, guardians and the society. Each stakeholder needs to have a

deeper understanding of the role they play in reducing cases of child abuse.

Conclusively child abuse is a critical social issue in society. The impact of child abuse is

extensive and affects children late into their adult age. Whereas the functionalist theory perceives

the problem as a result of a system, there is a need to work towards averting its effects. The

theory agrees that the family as a unit plays a critical role in shaping the personality of a child

hence a bigger reason why child abuse should be curbed. Every member of society has a critical

role in reducing this social problem.

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References

Burgess, R. L. (1979). Child abuse: A social interactional analysis. Advances in Clinical

Child Psychology, 141-172. doi:10.1007/978-1-4613-9802-8_5

Kingsbury N., Scanzoni J. (2009) Structural-Functionalism. Springer, Boston, MA

Musolf, G. R. (1996). Interaction ISM and the Child: Cahill, Corsaro, and DENZIN on

Childhood socialization. Symbolic Interaction, 19(4), 303-321. doi:10.1525/si.1996.19.4.303

Simmel, C., & Shpiegel, S. (2020). Child neglect and emotional maltreatment. Social

Work. doi:10.1093/obo/9780195389678-0284

Shonkoff, J. P., & Garner, A. S. (2011). The lifelong effects of early childhood adversity

and toxic stress. PEDIATRICS, 129(1). doi:10.1542/peds.2011-2663

Powell, F., & Scanlon, M. (2015). The construction of child abuse as a social problem.

Dark Secrets of Childhood, 27-54. doi:10.1332/policypress/9781447317845.003.0002b