Child and Elder Abuse

Domestic violence in the United States has been on constant increase over the decades, this form of violence happens in people involved in intimate relationship, or among the caretakers with the responsibility of looking at the children and the elderly people in the society (Myers, 2005). Child abuse in the United States identifies with emotional, physical and sexual neglect or maltreatment of a child or a number of children. DCF (Department for Children and Families) and CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) have indicated that child abuse involves more of omission or commission by guardians, parents and the caregivers. Elder people in the United States have been on the increment, to an extent that elder abuse is on the increment (Gosselin, 2010). It is evident that people are living longer as compared to generations before. Elder people in the society are more active, visible and independent due to advanced health care.

A recent case of a child abuse focuses at Stephen McCoy who died at the age of three months in Kansas City. McCoy was unwell and was rushed to the health care facility. It was noted that the caregiver alerted the area police indicating that the boy was not breathing; McCoy succumbed to the death in January 17, 2013. A doctor handling the case at the children’s Mercy indicated that McCoy was characterized with multiple injuries. Investigators connected the multiple injuries with being shaken, which was as a result of bruises, internal bleeding and brain damage that was extensive.

McCoy was under the care of his uncle and the girlfriend to the uncle. Fatal injuries happened at the hands of Sonya Perry. Perry faced second degree murder, first degree endangering the child’s welfare and abuse of the child. Perry is currently in jail and will face trial in March 24^th 2014. The case of Stephen McCoy is an example of child abuse in the society.

Child abuse consists more of broken bones and bruises; although in most cases, child abuse is characterized with physical abuse, which is the more visible. There are other types of child abuse identifying with neglect, emotional abuse and scars among others. Children who face help on timely bases get better chances of healing fast (Myers, 2005). There are a number of signs associated with child abuse. Child abuse is categorized as emotional child abuse, child neglect and physical child abuse. Risk factors associated with neglect and child abuse are associated with domestic violence, drug abuse and alcohol, mental illnesses that are untreated, poor parenting skills, poor support among the family members and stressful situations (Gosselin, 2010).

An example of an elder abuse directed at the aged in this case that happened in Baltimore, Maryland. A Kenyan caregiver by the name Anastasia Oluoch physically assaulted an elderly man (Mr. John Taylor), who was bedridden; he was aged ninety years old at the time of the physical abuse. The case went to full trial in February 2013. Jaki Taylor was the daughter to the elderly man was stressed by the way her elderly father was handled by Oluoch. Baltimore grand jury sentenced Oluoch for four counts of assault, four counts relating to reckless endangerment and four counts relating to abuse directed at a vulnerable and aged adult.

Oluoch was caught physically abusing the aged man through a surveillance camera. It is sad that the old man passed away sometimes later. Oluoch was extradited back to the United States after she went hiding in Kenya. Such cases of abusing elderly people in the society have been on the increase, rarely a day pass without similar counts of child and elder abuse. Elder abuse is complex and different people interpret differently. Majority of people in the United States assume that elder neglect and abuse happens in the nursing homes and also to those living alone with limited visitors. Majority of people tend to assume that elder abuse does not happen in the immediate society; the truth is that elder abuse happens in the immediate neighborhood.

Surveys have indicated that elder abuse happens right at homes and it is carried out by the people known to the elderly population. Elder abuse has no definite approach but takes diverse forms (Wiehe, 2008). Elder abuse is addressed by sensitizing the community on the issue, and also sensitizing other stakeholders dealing with the elder population.

Credibility of the resources used in this paper are based on the media content on the increasing cases of child and elder abuse, such stories were unheard of in the previous generations. The values in the society are being eroded with globalization and socialization (Wiehe, 2008). There is a need of protecting and loving children and the elder populations as supported by DCF (Department for Children and Families) and CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) among other organizations; there is a need of breaking the cycle of mistreating the elder and children in the society, and the society must acknowledge that it is happening right in the neighborhoods and not only in the media fraternity (Myers, 2005). Child abuse and elder abuse is real.

References

Gosselin, D. K. (2010). Heavy hands: An intro to the crimes of family violence (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall.

Myers, J. E. (2005). Myers on Evidence in Child, Domestic And Elder Abuse. New York: Aspen Publishers.

Wiehe, V. R. (2008). Understanding Family Violence: Treating and Preventing Partner, Child, Sibling and Elder Abuse. Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publications, Inc.