Recently, many of us have heard of the horrible cases of child abuse on the news. Although chances are that many of us have forgotten about these cases as quickly as we’ve heard the news, there are some who are looking at the world, thinking what kind of world do we live in? Where it is unsafe for children to live? Where there is always a threat of harm happening to the most innocent of youngsters? Almost all of us wonder this one question: why? Why is it acceptable in our society to perform these acts of cruelty?
Picture young Caylee Anthony. A sweet-faced girl, who had a full life of opportunity ahead of her. And she was neglected and forgotten about; by her very own mother. Or imagine Leiby Kletzky, who was suffocated and dismembered by someone who he never even knew. He was only an innocent nine year old.
Whether one knows a victim of child abuse personally, or has just heard of cases through the media, anybody can agree that child abuse is wrong. It is difficult to imagine the turmoil that some children experience every day. Whether it’s physical, emotional, sexual, or simply neglect, children who experience abuse are suffering from one of the worst problems in today’s society. It if unfortunately a problem that is hidden to a degree, as many victims are either too young to report their conditions or are too afraid. Therefore, it is up to us to make sure this horror doesn’t happen again to anyone. It is us who have the power to make this happen.
Hence, clear and simple, child abuse must end. We can all take action. Children should by no means allow any adult to maltreat them and if this is happening, they should look for help as soon after the incident of abuse as possible. Adults must be careful to never hurt a child. Additionally, it would be a good idea for the government to institute laws against child abuse and neglect. After all, who will stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves? We should all report any case of child abuse that we witness, this way we can be saving lives. It is our responsibility to put an end to child abuse because child abuse is simply wrong, unethical, and should not be done.