TASK:

1. WHO ARE THE CHILDREN LIVING UNDER ESPECIALLY DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES ?

2. EXPLAIN THE CONDITIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES OF
CHILDREN IN THE COMMUNITY:
CHILDREN WHO ARE TRAUMATIZED
CHILDREN WHO ARE ABUSED AND NEGLECTED
STREET CHILDREN-MENTION CATEGORIES OF STREET CHILDREN

INTRODUCTION

Children living under especially difficult circumstances face numerous challenges that impact their well-
being and development. Among these children are those who are traumatized, abused and neglected, as
well as street children. Understanding the conditions and characteristics of these vulnerable populations
is crucial for developing effective interventions and support systems within the community. In this
assignment, we will explore the circumstances and traits of traumatized children, abused and neglected
children, and street children, shedding light on the complexities they face and the implications for their
lives.
QUESTION ONE

WHO ARE THE CHILDREN LIVING UNDER ESPECIALLY DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES ?

Children in especially difficult circumstances means children in circumstances which deny them their
basic human needs, such as children living on the streets and children exposed to armed conflict or
violence.

They include those who suffer from deprivation, exploitation, and neglect for reasons beyond their
control. These children lack proper adult care and protection and lead their lives outside society. They
are more vulnerable in terms of the risk to their right to survival, development, protection, and
participation.
The categorization of children in difficult circumstances includes:

(I) Traumatized Children:

Children who have experienced or witnessed a deeply distressing or disturbing event, leading to
psychological and emotional trauma. This can result from various causes such as abuse, violence, natural
disasters, or armed conflict.
(II) Neglected Children:
Children who suffer from deprivation and lack of proper care and attention from their parents or
guardians. This can include physical, emotional, and educational neglect, leading to potential long-term
harm to the child's well-being and development.
(III) Street Children: Those living on the streets due to poverty, abuse, or family issues.
(I V) Child Labor: Children involved in hazardous or dangerous work.
(V) Children with Disabilities and Special Needs: Those facing challenges due to physical or mental
disabilities.
(VI) Refugee and Displaced Children: Those forced to leave their homes due to conflict, persecution, or
natural disasters. They often experience trauma, displacement, and limited access to education and
healthcare.
(VII) Children in Institutional Care: Living in orphanages or institutions due to reasons like abandonment
or inability of families to care for them.
(IX) Children in Conflict Zones: Living in areas affected by armed conflict, these children endure violence,
displacement, and disruptions in education and healthcare.
(X) Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC): Children who have lost one or both parents, often due to
diseases like HIV/AIDS, leaving them vulnerable to social, economic, and emotional difficulties.
(XI) Sexually Abused or Exploited Children: This includes those exploited within marriage.
Sexually Abused or Exploited Children: This includes those exploited within marriage.

(XII) Children Affected by HIV/AIDS: Including those infected or orphaned due to the disease.

These children often lack proper adult care and protection, facing immediate and long-term risks to their
health, education, and overall well-being.
QUESTION TWO

1. EXPLAIN THE CONDITIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES OF

CHILDREN IN THE COMMUNITY:
1. CHILDREN WHO ARE TRAUMATIZED
2. CHILDREN WHO ARE ABUSED AND NEGLECTED
3. STREET CHILDREN-MENTION CATEGORIES OF STREET CHILDREN

CHILDREN WHO ARE TRAUMATIZED

Children who have experienced trauma may exhibit a range of conditions and characteristics. Trauma
can result from various events, such as abuse, neglect, witnessing violence, or experiencing a natural
disaster. Here are some common conditions and characteristics seen in traumatized children:
1. Emotional distress: Traumatized children often experience intense and persistent emotions such as
fear, sadness, anger, or guilt. They may have difficulty regulating their emotions and may exhibit mood
swings or emotional outbursts.
2. Hyperarousal: Trauma can lead to a heightened state of arousal, causing children to be easily startled,
hypervigilant, and constantly on edge. They may have trouble sleeping, concentrating, or relaxing.
3. Avoidance and numbing: Some traumatized children may try to avoid reminders of the traumatic
event. They may withdraw from activities or people they used to enjoy and may appear emotionally
numb or detached.
4. Re-experiencing: Children may have intrusive memories or flashbacks of the traumatic event. They
may have nightmares or experience physical reactions (such as increased heart rate or sweating) when
reminded of the trauma.
5. Behavioral changes: Trauma can manifest in behavioral changes, such as aggression, impulsivity, or
regression (reverting to earlier developmental stages). They may also exhibit difficulties in school, social
withdrawal, or self-destructive behaviors.
6. Physical symptoms: Traumatized children may complain of physical symptoms like headaches,
stomachaches, or fatigue, even when no medical cause is found. These symptoms can be a
manifestation of their emotional distress.

CHILDREN WHO ARE ABUSED AND NEGLECTED

Child abuse and neglect is the intentional, non-accidental injury, maltreatment of children by the
parents, care-takers, employers or others including those individuals representing governmental-
governmental bodies which may lead to temporally or permanent impairment of their physical, mental
and psychosocial development, disability or death.
Major Types of Child Abuse and Neglect
1. Physical abuse
Is a non- accidental physical injury to a child caused by a parent, caregiver, or other person responsible
for a child and can include punching, beating, kicking, biting, shaking, throwing, stabbing, choking,
hitting (with a hand, stick, strap, or other object), burning, or otherwise causing physical harm.
Physical discipline, such as spanking or paddling, is not considered abuse as long as it is reasonable and
causes no bodily injury to the child.
Injuries from physical abuse could range from minor bruises to severe fractures or death.
2. Neglect
Is the failure of a parent or other caregiver to provide for a child’s basic needs.
Neglect generally includes the following categories:
a) Physical
(e.g., failure to provide necessary food or shelter, lack of appropriate supervision)

b) Medical
(e.g., failure to provide necessary medical or mental health treatment, withholding medically indicated
treatment from children with life-threatening conditions)
c) Educational
(e.g., failure to educate a child or attend to special education needs)
d) Emotional (e.g., inattention to a child’s emotional needs, failure to provide psychological care,

permitting a child to use alcohol or other drugs)

Sometimes cultural values, the standards of care in the community, and poverty may contribute to what
is perceived as maltreatment, indicating the family may need information or assistance.
It is important to note that living in poverty is not considered child abuse or neglect. However, a family’s
failure to use available information and resources to care for their child may put the child’s health or
safety at risk, and child welfare intervention could be required
3 . Sexual abuse
includes activities by a parent or other caregiver such as fondling a child’s genitals, penetration, incest,
rape, sodomy, indecent exposure, and exploitation through prostitution or the production of
pornographic materials.
Sexual abuse is defined by CAPTA as “the employment, use, persuasion, inducement, enticement, or
coercion of any child to engage in, or assist any other person to engage in, any sexually explicit conduct
or simulation of such conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct; or the
rape, and in cases of caretaker or interfamilial relationships, statutory rape, molestation, prostitution, or
other form of sexual exploitation of children, or incest with children.
4. Emotional abuse (or psychological abuse)
is a pattern of behaviour that impairs a child’s emotional development or sense of self-worth. This may
include constant criticism, threats, or rejection as well as withholding love, support, or guidance.
Emotional abuse is often difficult to prove, and, therefore, child protective services may not be able to
intervene without evidence of harm or mental injury to the child.
5. Abandonment.
Is considered in many States as a form of neglect. In general, a child is considered to be abandoned
when the parent’s identity or whereabouts are unknown, the child has been left alone in circumstances
where the child suffers serious harm, the child has been deserted with no regard for his or her health or
safety, or the parent has failed to maintain contact with the child or provide reasonable support for a
specified period of time.
6. Parental substance use
Is included in the definition of child abuse or neglect in many States. Related circumstances that are
considered abuse or neglect in some States include the following:
a) Exposing a child to harm prenatally due to the mother’s use of legal or illegal drugs or other
substances.

b) Manufacturing methamphetamine in the presence of a child.

c) Selling, distributing, or giving illegal drugs or alcohol to a child.
d) Using a controlled substance that impairs the caregiver’s ability to adequately care for the child.
7. Human trafficking.
Is considered a form of modern slavery and includes both sex trafficking and labour trafficking.
Sex trafficking is recruiting, harbouring, transporting, providing, or obtaining someone for a commercial
sex act, such as prostitution, pornography, or stripping.
Labor trafficking is forced labor, including drug dealing, begging, or working long hours for little pay.
While it’s important to know the signs of physical, mental, and emotional abuse and neglect, the
following signs of general maltreatment also can help determine whether a child needs help:-.
a) Child
 Shows sudden changes in behaviour or school performance.
 Has not received help for physical or medical problems brought to the parents’ attention .
 Has learning problems (or difficulty concentrating) that cannot be attributed to specific physical
or psychological causes .
 Is always watchful, as though preparing for something bad to happen.
 Lacks adult supervision .
 Is overly compliant, passive, or withdrawn .
 Comes to school or other activities early, stays late, and does not want to go home .
 Is reluctant to be around a particular person .
 Discloses maltreatment.
b) Parent.
 Denies the existence of—or blames the child for— the child’s problems in school or at home.
 Asks teachers or other caregivers to use harsh physical discipline if the child misbehaves.
 Sees the child as entirely bad, worthless, or burdensome.
 Demands a level of physical or academic performance the child cannot achieve.
 Looks primarily to the child for care, attention, and satisfaction of the parent’s emotional needs.
 Shows little concern for the child Parent and child.
 Touch or look at each other rarely.
Consider their relationship entirely negative.
State consistently they do not like each other.
Signs of Physical Abuse.
 A child who exhibits the following signs may be a victim of physical abuse:
 Has unexplained injuries, such as burns, bites, bruises, broken bones, or black eyes.
 Has fading bruises or other noticeable marks after an absence from school.
 Seems scared, anxious, depressed, withdrawn, or aggressive.
 Seems frightened of his or her parents and protests or cries when it is time to go home.
 Shrinks at the approach of adults.
 Shows changes in eating and sleeping habits .
 Reports injury by a parent or another adult caregiver .
 Abuses animals or pets.

STREET CHILDREN-MENTION CATEGORIES OF STREET CHILDREN

STREET CHILDREN
Street children are a vulnerable group characterized by their living conditions and social circumstances.
Here are the conditions and characteristics commonly associated with street children:
1.Homelessness: Street children lack stable housing and live primarily on the streets, in abandoned
buildings, or in makeshift shelters.
2. Poverty:Many street children come from impoverished backgrounds, with limited access to basic
necessities such as food, shelter, and healthcare.
3.Family Issues: They often come from dysfunctional families marked by neglect, abuse, or
abandonment, which may lead them to flee home in search of safety or autonomy.
4.Economic Exploitation: Street children may engage in activities like begging, scavenging, or petty crime
to survive, making them vulnerable to exploitation by adults or involvement in illicit activities.
5.Limited Education: Lack of access to formal education is common among street children, which
perpetuates the cycle of poverty and limits their opportunities for a better future.
6.Health Risks: Living on the streets exposes them to various health risks such as malnutrition, substance
abuse, exposure to violence, and lack of access to healthcare services.
7.Social Isolation: Street children often face social exclusion and stigma, which can further marginalize
them and impede their integration into mainstream society.
8.Resilience and Resourcefulness: Despite their challenging circumstances, street children demonstrate
resilience and resourcefulness in navigating their environment and finding ways to survive.
Understanding these conditions and characteristics is crucial for developing effective interventions and
support systems to address the needs of street children and facilitate their reintegration into society.

CATEGORIES OF STREET CHILDREN

Street children can be categorized based on various factors such as their level of independence, reasons
for being on the streets, and the duration of their street involvement. Here are some common
categories:
1.Survival Street Children: These are children who are on the streets primarily to meet their basic needs
such as food, shelter, and safety. They may engage in activities like begging, scavenging, or petty theft to
survive.
2.Forced Street Children: This category includes children who are forced onto the streets due to
circumstances beyond their control, such as fleeing from abusive households, escaping forced labor or
trafficking, or displacement due to conflict or natural disasters.
3.Choice Street Children: Some children may choose to live on the streets due to factors such as
domestic conflict, perceived freedom, or peer influence. They may have the option to return home but
choose not to do so.
4.Abandoned or Orphaned Street Children: These are children who have been abandoned by their
families or have lost their parents and have no alternative care arrangements. They end up on the
streets without adequate support or protection.
5.Runaway Street Children: Children in this category have voluntarily left their homes due to various
reasons such as abuse, neglect, or conflicts with family members. They may run away repeatedly or for
extended periods, seeking refuge on the streets.
6.Drug-Addicted Street Children: Some street children become dependent on drugs or inhalants as a
coping mechanism for their difficult circumstances. Their addiction exacerbates their vulnerability and
poses additional challenges for rehabilitation and support.
Understanding these categories helps in tailoring interventions and support services to address the
specific needs and circumstances of each group of street children.
CONCLUSION

Children living under especially difficult circumstances, whether traumatized, abused and neglected, or
part of the street children population, require targeted interventions and support to address their
unique needs and challenges. By recognizing the conditions and characteristics of these vulnerable
children in the community, we can work towards creating a more inclusive and compassionate society
that prioritizes the well-being and rights of all children, regardless of their circumstances. It is imperative
that stakeholders across sectors collaborate to provide comprehensive solutions that ensure these
children have access to safety, protection, education, healthcare, and opportunities for a brighter
future.
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