Child Maltreatment and Keeping Children with Their Families in Kinship Care

Child Maltreatment and Keeping Children with Their Families in Kinship Care

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Child Maltreatment and Keeping Children with Their Families in Kinship Care

Introduction

In establishing child maltreatment, several different aspects should be considered including physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, and emotional or psychological abuse. The effects of child maltreatment can be instant such as serious injuries to the victims or sometimes can lead to death. In regard to consequences, children who suffer maltreatment may end up being affected by depression, become obese, engage in risky activities such as drug use and alcohol abuse, engage in risky sexual behaviors, and even grow to be victims of violence. Studies indicate that child maltreatment can lead to an adverse effect on a country's economic state, which can eventually lead to slow economic growth and social development. The paper is aimed at establishing the different kinds of child maltreatment, the reasons for increased risks of child maltreatment, and determining how keeping children with their families in kinship care influences child maltreatment.

Child Maltreatment

Child maltreatment has been determined to be a considerable social and public health problem not only in the United States but also across the world. Although the number reported seems to be minimal, its effect is adverse and research indicates that most of the cases of child maltreatment are never reported (Stoltenborgh, Bakermans‐Kranenburg, Alink, & van IJzendoorn, 2015). Focusing on the problems associated with child maltreatment such as traumatic brain injury and long-term developmental problems, for effective prevention, there is a need to focus on early identification and intervention of the maltreatment problems (Latzman, Casanueva, Brinton, & Forman-Hoffman, 2016). However, limited information regarding children who are facing maltreatment limits the public to develop better approaches to respond to the problem. The problems start with limited gauging of the maltreatment magnitude thus limiting the ability to identify the groups that are at high risk of maltreatment to benefit from intervention measures. It also affects the monitoring process of the incidence and preference of child maltreatment affecting the effectiveness of the prevention activities.

Some of the major types of child maltreatment include physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional or psychological abuse, and neglect. Starting with physical abuse, this kind of maltreatment includes the use of physical force from other members that results in physical injury. The second form of maltreatment that children face is sexual abuse where a sexual act is attempted or completed on a child by a caregiver (Cicchetti, 2016). Emotional and psychological abuse proves to be more difficult to determine, however, this kind of maltreatment largely depends on the context and age of the child being maltreated. Neglect, on the other hand, involves the failure of caregivers to provide for the children especially for their basic physical, emotional, medical, and educational needs.

Factors Influencing Child Maltreatment

Child maltreatment is influenced by several factors that expose children to different forms and extent of maltreatment. Depending on the age of the child, most of the fatal cases of physical maltreatment have been associated with children below the age of 2 years. Sexual and emotional abuse has been determined to be more common in children starting to reach puberty and the highest rates being reported during adolescence (Van der Kooij, Nieuwendam, Bipat, Boer, Lindauer, & Graafsma, 2015). In regard to the sex of the child, studies indicate that girls are at a higher risk of maltreatment in the issue of sexual abuse, education, nutrition, and neglect, on the other hand, boys face more physical abuse than girls. Focusing on the characteristics of the family, child maltreatment has been related to the family environment and demographic aspects. Moreover, the sex of the abuser has also been linked to certain kinds of child maltreatment where female caregivers inflict more physical abuse than the males while more sexual abuse is attributed to the males than their female counterparts (Saini, Hoffmann, Pantelis, Everall, & Bousman, 2018). Other factors that influence child maltreatment include communal and societal issues that are associated with poverty, social capital, legislation, cultural norms, and the economic state in a given region.

Ways to Address Child Maltreatment

Although several approaches have been developed to help reduce child maltreatment, little effort has been identified in the implementation of the strategies. The majority of the programs that have been developed mainly focus on the offenders and very few are aimed at preventing maltreatment from occurring. In this paper main focus is on keeping children with their families in kinship care to help prevent child maltreatment. Engaging in this type of approach to prevent child maltreatment provides a better approach as it involves individuals with a significant emotional connection with the child (Merkel-Holguin, 2017). In the event a child needs out-of-home care, kinship care provides a better approach as it has the ability to reduce trauma while at the same time helping the child maintain family bonds, and identity, and have a sense of belonging. The increased need for kinship families and related child support services has led to the launch of kinship awareness programs that recognize the contributions made by caregivers and provide the help they need.

In ensuring that children with their families in kinship care receive the necessary support from the government and the local community, different programs have been developed to achieve the same. In an aim to cater for the added expense as a result of raising a child, some faith-based organizations help in sensitizing kinship caregivers to be aware of state cash benefits that they can apply on behalf of the children they are caring for (Connolly, Kiraly, McCrae, & Mitchell, 2017). Although the amount provided in each state may vary, there is a high chance that the amount provided may be what the caregiver needs to be in a position to care for the child.

In regard to child care and early education for maltreated children, kinship caregivers need to find the right childcare and education programs that will benefit the children they are raising. Several childhood education programs are available and as a kinship caregiver, it is important to understand that childcare and after-school activities play an important role in helping shape how children think, learn, and behave (Scannapieco, Connell-Carrick, & Casolaro, 2019). Since all children deserve quality child care and proper early childhood education, there are several types of programs offered for child care. Although all the types may not be available in every community, the kinship caregiver needs to research the most effective program available for his or her family. 

In some cases of family kinship care, the relatives involved may be eligible for child support on behalf of the children. This can be a result of fear that if the caregivers pursue child support the child’s parents or parent may become angry or fearful of the child being removed from their home (Leon, Saucedo, & Jachymiak, 2016). In such a situation, kinship caregivers need to know how to apply for child support that may involve legal services, self-representation of local child support enhancement agencies, and other relevant resources. As a way of ensuring that the welfare of the children who are being maltreated by their parents is being enhanced, community and faith-based organizations play a key role in providing the necessary information and resources that can help kinship families raise those children. 

However, it is important to know that although domestic violence has been associated with spouses and intimate partners, at some point kinship caregivers may face violence or threats from the child’s parents or other family members. In such situations, kinship caregivers need to be equipped with the necessary information to keep them and the children they are raising safe (Hegar, & Maria, 2017). In some cases, kinship caregivers need to consider obtaining a court order for their safety. On matters regarding the child’s education, due to the difficulty involved in enrolling children without legal custody, kinship caregivers need to engage in legal procedures to ensure that the child receives the necessary education.

Kinship Care

Kinship care involves the care of children that is done by relatives or close family friends and is commonly associated with family preservation. This kind of caregiving can be formal or informal and the main categories of kinship care identified include Informal Kinship Care, Voluntary Kinship Care, and Formal Kinship Care (Hegar, & Maria, 2017). Starting with informal kinship care, most of the arrangement, in this case, occurs outside children's welfare systems. In this kind of kinship care, parents retain legal custody of the child as they have the right to take them back at any given time. Additionally, the parents of the child maintain legal authority over any major decisions made for the child.

The second approach is the voluntary kinship care that may occur in the event children are known to child welfare agencies and are placed under the care of relatives with minimal supervision from the state. In this approach, the agency is convinced that the children can live safely without any further supervision or monitoring (Leon, Saucedo, & Jachymiak, 2016). Lastly, formal kinship care involves the placement of children in the care of relatives and kin, however, the state has full custody of the children. The relative families can either be licensed or unlicensed depending on the state and child agency requirements and family preferences.

Kinship care offers a lot of benefits to maltreated children as they can reduce the trauma that they were exposed to at the same time preventing that that results from parental separation. This is due to the ability of kinship care to provide a sense of stability and belonging during the difficult situations the child faces (Merkel-Holguin, 2017). Although the children placed in relative or kinship care may have experienced physical, sexual, emotional, or chronic neglect that presents a risk for behavioral and health problems, the impact can be mitigated through a stable and supportive environment from the family members.

Preserving the child’s cultural identity and community connections can be achieved through family kinship care. Studies indicate that family connection plays an important role in the child’s health and development. This has been associated with the child having a sense of belonging that is provided in kinship care. In the process, children are in a position to achieve stability and permanency with their families (Scannapieco, Connell-Carrick, & Casolaro, 2019). In the event of providing permanency, the existing kin caregivers are allowed to become legal guardians of the maltreated children at the same time receiving the required financial assistance from the relevant authority and other related programs that have been established.

Moreover, family kinship care provides a better chance of improving the behavioral and mental health outcomes of maltreated children. This has been linked to the sense of stability and belonging that these children experience in family kinship care which helped in providing more positive mental health to the children. Developing a positive attitude helps in improving one's behavior and the well-being of the individual. Achieving this kind of stability has been associated with reduced placement changes and minimized changes in regard to the school environment (Merkel-Holguin, 2017). Furthermore, relatives are in apposition to support those children in this difficult situation than non-relatives, and children themselves generally have a more positive attitude about kinship placements increasing their chances of staying.

Additionally, family kinship care enhances the chance of siblings remaining together and in the process promotes sibling ties. This connection is also critical for older children as studies indicate that this kind of connection enhances emotional sustainability and committed relationships (Leon, Saucedo, & Jachymiak, 2016). By attaining emotional sustainability, the child has an opportunity to reach self-sufficiency and have reduced negative outcomes such as lack of a home and engaging in criminal activities. However, for older children, a mentoring relationship helped develop their socio-emotional state, problem-solving, and identity development in kinship care.

Conclusions

Child maltreatment is a serious health problem across the world as indicated in the studies conducted. Although most of the child maltreatment forms have been identified and some of their major consequences determined, more research should be conducted in relation to child maltreatment prevention. More focus should be based on the prevention measures and policies that directly address children, their caregivers, and the environment they are living in to help minimize potential child maltreatment.

References

Cicchetti, D. (2016). Socioemotional, personality, and biological development: Illustrations from a multilevel developmental psychopathology perspective on child maltreatment. Annual review of psychology, 67, 187-211.

Connolly, M., Kiraly, M., McCrae, L., & Mitchell, G. (2017). A kinship care practice framework: Using a life course approach. The British Journal of Social Work, 47(1), 87-105.

Hegar, R., & Maria, S. (2017). From family duty to family policy: The evolution of kinship care. A history of child welfare (pp. 193-209). Routledge.

Latzman, N. E., Casanueva, C., Brinton, J., & Forman-Hoffman, V. L. (2016). The Promotion of Well-being among Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence: A Systematic Review of Interventions.

Leon, S. C., Saucedo, D. J., & Jachymiak, K. (2016). Keeping it in the family: The impact of a Family Finding intervention on placement, permanency, and well-being outcomes. Children and Youth Services Review, 70, 163-170.

Merkel-Holguin, L. (2017). A history of child welfare. Routledge.

Saini, S. M., Hoffmann, C. R., Pantelis, C., Everall, I. P., & Bousman, C. A. (2018). A systematic review and critical appraisal of child abuse measurement instruments. Psychiatry research.

Scannapieco, M., Connell-Carrick, K., & Casolaro, T. (2019). Psychosocial Assessment of Alleged Victims of Child Maltreatment. A Practical Guide to the Evaluation of Child Physical Abuse and Neglect (pp. 469-491). Springer, Cham.

Stoltenborgh, M., Bakermans‐Kranenburg, M. J., Alink, L. R., & van IJzendoorn, M. H. (2015). The prevalence of child maltreatment across the globe: Review of a series of meta‐analyses. Child Abuse Review, 24(1), 37-50.

Van der Kooij, I. W., Nieuwendam, J., Bipat, S., Boer, F., Lindauer, R. J., & Graafsma, T. L. (2015). A national study on the prevalence of child abuse and neglect in Suriname. Child abuse & neglect, 47, 153-161.