NOTE: Free essay sample provided on this page should be used for references or sample purposes only. The sample essay is available to anyone, so any direct quoting without mentioning the source will be considered plagiarism by schools, colleges and universities that use plagiarism detection software. To get a completely brand-new, plagiarism-free essay, please use our essay writing service.
One click instant price quote
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INTRODUCTION Author J. Bremmer, together with his co-authors, whose essay appeared in the VCCA Journal in the summer of 1996, recounts that a fellow professor was shot in the head by an angry student the year before. The statistics for workplace violence are quite alarming. Between 1992 and 1993, 2. 2 million people in the United States were attacked while on the job, and another 6. 3 million were threatened with violence while also on the job. Another 16. 1 million workers were harassed while working. What is also disturbing is the fact that around 1400 persons are killed at work each year because of workplace violence.
Therefore this is an issue which can no longer be ignored, and the authors feel that each person at work should be aware of these issues because the threat is indeed very real (Bremmer, J. and Summerfield, B. 1996). Conflict due to the complexity of the population may lead to violence, and hence there is a growing need for awareness and to develop actual training plans and programs to prevent such incidents, to detect future occasions of violence, and what to do if an attack suddenly occurs (Bremmer, J. and Summerfield, B. 1996).
The authors fear of violence in the workplace is very clear. Statistics do not lie, and one could only imagine the shock and horror of an attack, especially in a college or university campus. This paper, therefore, argues that violence in the workplace arises because of domestic violence that starts when one is a child surrounded by abusive caretakers and family members. According to the Family Doctor. org website, domestic violence is abuse by a caregiver, a parent, a spouse or an intimate partner. It can take many forms.
Here are some types of abuse: Physical abuse is the use of physical force; sexual abuse means any forced sexual activity; emotional abuse includes threats, constant criticism and put-downs. Controlling access to money and controlling activities are other abusive behaviors (Domestic Violence: Protecting Yourself and Your Children). In order to understand this more, there is a need to understand the nature of violence. Violence is the use of strength - overt or hidden - with the objective of obtaining from an individual or a group something they do not want to consent to freely. (Baumeister, R.
F. 1997). Karl Giberson (2002), editor of Science and Spirit in fact bombards us with questions about the nature of violence in humans. For example, he asks thought-provoking questions such as: Are the human species, in fact, pathologically violent? Is violence the norm and its absence the exception?
Evolutionary science shows that humans carry genes for both violence and caring. The decisive issue is our experiences, and particularly the influences of childhood. These experiences actually affect brain chemistry and synaptic development, and with that the propensity toward violence or caring. Society will never eliminate violence completely, but we can eliminate structural violence, violence built into the system. Violence is a learned behavior and humans, especially men, are naturally kind and non-violent -when not abused. Studies such as those by Bandura (Bandura & Ross, 1961) show that children behave more aggressively after observing a model perform aggressive acts, especially if they could copy the models actions directly.
Men have learned to think of power as our ability to dominate and control the world, the people around us, and our own unruly emotions (Kaufman, 2002). This paper posits that abuse on children exhibits immediate result and long-range results that carries further to violence in the workplace. Hitting, shaking, choking, biting, kicking, punching, burning, poisoning, suffocating or being held underwater are samples of physical abuses which may lead to bruises, cuts, welts, burns, fractures, internal injuries, or in the most extreme cases, death are just some of the many domestic violence that occur. (Tedeschi, , et. al. , 1994). The initial impact on children will be the immediate pain and suffering and medical problems caused by the physical injury.
Chronic physical abuse can result in long term physical disabilities, including brain damage, hearing loss, or eye damage (Mann, et. al. , 2001). The impact of the damage goes on in later years and sadly, carries on to colleagues and other employees. Moreover, as mentioned earlier, beyond physical trauma experienced by children are other consequences of physical abuse. Emotional abuse is one that, to a number of instances, is deeply rooted. Hence, the experience of psychological problems or emotional disturbances can recur when one is faced with stresses in the workplace.
The social impact on children who have been physically abused is perhaps less obvious, yet still substantial. Studies reveal that physically abused children are a greater risk for mental illness, homelessness, crime and unemployment in the later years of their lives. Immediate social consequences can include the childrens inability to form friendships with peers, poor social skills, poor cognitive and language skills, distrust of others, over-compliance with authority figures, and a tendency to solve interpersonal problems with aggression (Mann, et. al. , 2001). Hostility, aggression and disordered social relationships are common among physically abused.
Unfortunately, the harmful social and emotional consequences of abuse and neglect can be long lasting, and some adolescents try to escape their pain, anxieties, self-doubts and disordered social lives by attempting to take their own lives (Bagley, 1995). Furthermore, many adults whop were abused as children are prone to violence, both inside and outside the family, and they show higher-than-average rates of criminal activity, substance abuse, depression and other psychological disturbance in the workplace (Bagley, 1995). Researches have identified links between child abuse and neglect in the following areas: poor mental and emotional health which includes panic disorder, dissociative disorders, attention-deficit / hyperactivity disorder, and the like; cognitive difficulties, which result to low cognitive capacity, language development, and academic achievement; and, social difficulties particularly in developing relationships with other adults as well as peers (Effects of Child Abuse, 2005). Bremmer et al.
recommends that all workplaces should try very hard to cultivate a supportive environment with managers that respect workers, and managers that recognize the signs of volatility in a co-worker which may lead to violence. Any organization should also provide for workplace counseling and resolution conflict at all times (Bremmer, J. and Summerfield, V. , 1996). Obviously, the society as a whole, pays a price for child abuse and neglect eventually whether in direct terms or indirect. Direct costs include those associated with maintaining a child welfare system to investigate allegations of child abuse and neglect, as well as expenditures by the judicial, law enforcement, health, and mental health systems to address such cases (Effects of Child Abuse, 2005). The indirect costs represent the long-term economic consequences of child abuse and neglect.
These include juvenile and adult criminal activity, mental illness, substance abuse, and domestic violence. They can also mean loss of productivity due to unemployment and underemployment, the cost of special education services and increased use of the health care system (Effects of Child Abuse, 2005). Television programmes, advertisements, newspapers, video games and the movie and music industries contribute largely to this situation. Our modern societies, whether consciously or not, make an apology for violence.
Violence becomes part of our culture, so we act violently. The fallacy perpetrates itself, and the irony comes full circle: our belief in the inevitability of human aggression, sold to us by the ruling elites, creates a world that makes ruling elites necessary (Lingren, H. 1996). Recommendations Much has been done to study about the long term effects of physical child abuse. And such studies tell us one thing -- that physical child abuse does not only leave physical scars to children, but deep-rooted wounds which may never be healed and which cause a lot of damage to the total being of the children. So much has been spent on these studies. Its about time to really look into measures on who to address the situation.
Early detection of physical abuse by teachers, day care centers, hospitals, and other agencies can very well arrest the occurrence of acts of abuse on children coupled with the observance of law. Strict observance of the law can serve as deterrent to abuse on children in all forms. And when children are protected from violence, they may be the key to the eradication of such occurrence. Before reaching adolescence, a child has seen thousands of murders and violent acts just by watching television. Our modern societies, whether consciously or not, make an apology for violence. Violence is seen as being of positive value.
In most cultures, saying no to violence and avoiding physical violence or confrontation is perceived as a sign of weakness especially for men, who are put under a lot of pressure by their peers from a very young age. If human nature is indeed violent and war is inevitable, then we need large strong states with central governments. We need powerful rulers with mighty armies and brutal security forces. We need repressive laws to protect us from each other. We need guidance from our churches on how to keep our destructive instincts under control. Of course, when we are constantly told that we are born to be killers, we have an excuse to act like killers.
Violence becomes part of our culture, so we act violently. The fallacy perpetrates itself, and the irony comes full circle: our belief in the inevitability of human aggression, sold to us by the ruling elites, creates a world that makes ruling elites necessary. Conclusion In conclusion, based on the supporting arguments cited earlier, we conclude that indeed, the family is the basic unit of human experience (Garbarino, J. , 1992 p. 7). When physically abused children grow up, unless there are interventions done, their outcomes will be grim.
The long-term consequences of abuse are often severe and long-lasting. There are many factors that contribute to a social problem as widespread as child abuse but everyone must recognize that child abuse can become cyclical. Unless the cycle is broken, the occurrence can never be put to a stop. Appropriate, immediate, and effective interventions must be undertaken to target the root problems and deficits specific to the family's needs and circumstances that increase the risk of physical abuse.
References Bagley, C (1995) Child sexual abuse and mental health in adolescents and adults. Aldershot, England: Ashgate Publishing Company. Bandura, A. , Ross, R. , & Ross, S. (1961). Transmission of aggression through imitation of aggressive models. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 63, 575 - 582. Baumeister, R.
F. (1997). Evil: Inside human violence and cruelty. New York: W. H. Freeman.
Bremmer, J. and Summerfield, B. (1996). Building a Workplace Violence Plan. VCCA Journal, Volume 10 Issue 2, pp. 31 - 35. Child Abuse. (2001) iq. health.
com. Retrieved on 4 April 2006 at: web Domestic Violence: Protecting Yourself and Your Children. Family Doctor. org. Accessed 4 April 2006 at: web Effects of Child Abuse. (2005) Family Resource Center: Preventing and Treating Child Abuse. Retrieved on 4 April 2006 at: web Garbarino, J. (1992) Child maltreatment as a community problem.
Child Abuse and Neglect. p. 7 Giberson, K. Blessed Are the Peacemakers. Science and Spirit. 4 April 2006 at: web Kaufman, M. (2002) Men must abandon the notion they are violent by nature. 4 April 2006 at: < web > Tedeschi, J. T. , & Fellow, R. B. (1994).
Violence, aggression, and coercive actions. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association Lingren, Herbert G. (November 1996) Child Abuse: A Painful Secret. Neb Guide. Retrieved on. 4 April 2006 at: web
Free research essays on topics related to: physical abuse, physically abused, child abuse, workplace violence, domestic violence
Research essay sample on Physically Abused Child Abuse
