Children that have been abused tend to develop coping mechanisms in order to carry on. For example by blocking out the abuse or memories from their mind. The consequences and effects of abuse will vary amongst all individuals but all will suffer some short-term or long-term effects. Some of the short-term effects of abuse are continual tiredness, physical pain or discomfort, low self-esteem, physical marks, regression such as bed wetting or baby talk, illness or infection, and educational for example, school work suffering. Children’s development could be delayed or impaired due to abuse and this could affect their lives in the long-term as well as the short-term.
Marian Beaver states, “it may be impossible for them to develop a positive self-image and healthy self-esteem, which can continue to affect their adult lives.” (Beaver. M. et Al. 2001. p.579). One of the long-term effects of child abuse is “the choices the children make as adults and the levels of achievement they reach, and limiting their feelings of self-worth.” (Green, S. 2006. p.82). This means they may not reach their full potential and will continue to put themselves down as they have low self-esteem. It has been proven by studies that children that have been abused are more likely to become substance abusers, prostitutes, criminals, and runaways. These are backgrounds where the person can gain short periods of enjoyment or power but are mainly low in self-esteem and self-worth.
Other long-term effects of child abuse are limited life choices or options due to little or no qualifications, illness or infection as a result of abuse, for example breathing difficulties after experiencing severe physical abuse as a child, or they may contract STI’s for example, AIDS, or infertility as a result of sexual abuse. Adults who suffered child abuse are also more likely to continue the cycle of violence or abuse with their own children.
They may not have learnt how to properly care for, or love a child, as they had not previously experienced this. This links to Bandura (1925-present) who recognised that children observe and imitate behaviour, thus acquiring it from their surroundings. He observed that although children will imitate behaviour it is more likely to occur if the child knows the adult or has a connection with the adult and therefore are influential in the child’s life. Similarily with adults who have experienced child abuse when they are in physical relationships they may assume that pain naturally accompanies intimacy.
The consequences of abuse do not only affect the child, but can also affect the parents, grandparents, siblings or other family members of the abused child as “even if most of its memebers are innocent of the abuse they may feel guilty for not having recognised the abuse and failing to protect the child.” (Beaver. M. et Al. 2001. p.579). This could be the case if a parent or family member was the abuser, although not all child abuse is inflicted by members of the family. Also if one or both parents are abusing a child and the grandparents are aware of this, they may feel they have a loyalty to their child not to report the incident so therefore their grandchild suffers. Grandparents may also not do anything about the abuse or feel any guilt if they had abused the child’s parent when he/she was a child. This would be an example of the cycle of abuse continuing.
Another consequence of child abuse for the parents is if their child has been abused and they learn that there is a convicted or rumoured paedophile living nearby then they may become overprotective of their child or they may try and seek revenge on the person who may be entirely innocent. This could also result in moving to a new area, or in the breakdown of the family. One of the consequences of child abuse on a sibling would be if they had witnessed the abuse and had nightmares about it, or suffered guilt because it didn’t happen to them. The sibling may also suffer fear that it may start to happen to them; especially if the abuser finds out they witnessed the abuse.