Argumentative Speech

Estefania Reyes

English II- Block 2

Ms. McKoy

13 May 2013

It Shouldn’t Hurt to be A Child

 “Child abuse casts a shadow the length of a lifetime” says Herbert Ward.(Dream Catchers For Abused Children)  Child abuse is a contamination of the soul.  Child abuse includes any type of damage done to a child that affects a child’s physical or emotional development. There are several types of child abuse; sexual, physical, emotional and neglect. I was mostly drawn to physical child abuse because it happens so often. Five children die every day in the United States because of abuse and neglect. Some people think that child abuse “can” be used to discipline their children. People who have suffered from physical child abuse can develop disorders or become very violent.

Physical child abuse has side effects. In the article “Child Abuse” the Columbia University Press states that there are many effects to physical child abuse. The results of child maltreatment are physical or mental impairment of a child or death. Infants are more exposed to physical abuse.(Columbia University Press) Other effects of physical abuse are anxiety, depression, truancy, shame, guilt, and suicidal or homicidal thoughts. The Columbia University Press also states that even though we are trying to decrease the number of child abuse cases more than one million children are physically abused annually.

In the article “Mother Charged with Child Abuse” Rebecca Clark explains that a mother in North Carolina physically abused a 15 month old. Inconsistent statements are usually illogical answers. (Clark.) When inconsistent statements are given it is because the parent or abuser is lying. In this case the mother of a 15 month old burned her child and he was put in a foster home while the case was being investigated. This proves that a child can have negative effects from being physically abused. In the article “Child Abuse and Neglect”, Pamela Daniel states that the most visible type of abuse is physical abuse because you can tell by bruises on a child’s body. She also states the factors that increase child abuse are if a child has a mental disability, behavioral problems, caregivers abused as children, and caregivers are unemployed or in poverty. This proves that physical child abuse does have side effects on a child’s future life. (Daniel.)

Four children died in Hartsville, SC in a house fire. The mother of those four children was charged with unlawful conduct towards a child. The mother was also charged with 4 counts of homicide. The outcome of this case was the death of four innocent children. Another case in Las Vegas, Nevada shows how horrible child abuse is and the outcomes of it on the child’s life. A couple was arrested after their three year old daughter was found with scars, bruises, and scabs. The mother in this case beat the three year old girl with a set of 15 keys in front of a witness. The little girl also experienced neglect from her parents, they starved her and she only weighed 19 pounds. The little girl was taken away from her parents by the Clark County’s Department of Family Services.

People who physically abuse children don’t think that the child that they abuse will be hurt in several types of ways. They think that the child will learn to behave or leave them alone. Physical child abuse is a very common problem that is spread throughout the whole world. It causes side effects on a child’s future life by making them develop disorders or mental disabilities. Other side effects from child abuse can cause a child’s death. Physical child abuse can be used to discipline children but it is not reasonable to beat a child to get them to behave. Physical child abuse should be stopped.  

Works Cited

Brides, Traci . "Judge denies bond to mother of children in Hartsville fire."scnow.com. 26 Apr. 2013. 15 May. 2013. <http://www.scnow.com/news/local/article_a95fb4f0-ae82-11e2-bb74-0019bb30f31a.html>.

"Child Abuse Quotes, Sayings, and Quotes." Dream Catchers for Abused Children . 2013. 12 Apr. 2013. <http://dreamcatchersforabusedchildren.com/media/c.

Child Physical Abuse." American Humane Association. 2013. 25 Jan. 2013. <http://www.americanhumane.org/children/stop-child-abuse/fact-sheets/child-physical-abuse.html>.

Clark, Rebecca. “Mother Charged with Child Abuse.”  www.ebscohost.com 4 Mar. 2013.<http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=n5h&AN=2W62386334789&site=src-live>. 15 Mar. 2013.

Columbia University Press. “Child Abuse." www.ebscohost.com Feb. 2013. <http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=khh&AN=39051941&site=src-live>. 9 Apr. 2013

Daniel, Pamela. “Child Abuse and Neglect." www.ebscohost.com Jun. 2012. <http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=hxh&AN=70987796&site=src-live>.9 Apr. 2013.

"Effects of Child Physical Abuse." Healthy Place. 2013. 13 Apr. 2013. <http://www.healthyplace.com/abuse/child-physical-abuse/effects-of-child-physical-abuse/>.