Child Abuse
The discipline that parents enforce upon their children can be a useful tool in forming a child into a functional individual of society. However, when discipline turns into inappropriate child abuse it is no longer a tool but a vice. Since the mid-1970’s reports of child abuse have increased dramatically each year until the 1990’s. ... The issue of child abuse seems to be a very serious problem for 21st Century America. ... Yet some might find that most reports of abuse are often false and the seriousness of child abuse is exaggerated. ... Besharov he explains that child abuse reports are usually unfounded because of “The emotionally charged desire to ‘do something’ about child abuse, fanned by repeated an often sensational media coverage” (Besharov 20). ... Finkelhor also goes on to say that “Besharov’s approach to child abuse statistics seems callous” (Finkelhor 28). ... There is a fine line between discipline and abuse. ... com it says, “Discipline is correcting the behavior of a child and showing the child how to behave in a more acceptable way. ... Some government intervention can protect a child from an abusive parent or guardian. On the other hand, a false accusation can cause a wrongful separation between the child and his or her parent(s) for as long as several years. ... The harm to the child cause by these invading investigations is much more important though. An investigator can easily persuade a child into thinking that the parent is the abuser because is in a vulnerable state. There are many causes for child abuse. ... Another cause of child abuse is poverty.