A Paper On Child Abuse.doc

A Paper on `Child Abuse and its measures & a Biblical Response’ by Rev. Dr. L. K. Mruthyunjaya, Director, Swanthana Seva Samithi, Ongole, Prakasam District

Child abuse is a global problem that is deeply rooted in cultural, economic and social practices. It is a state of emotional, physical, economic and sexual maltreatment meted out to a person below the age of eighteen and is a globally prevalent phenomenon. However, in India, as in many other countries, there has been no understanding of the extent, magnitude and trends of the problem. The growing complexities of life and the dramatic changes brought about by socio-economic transitions in India have played a major role in increasing the vulnerability of children to various and newer forms of abuse. Child abuse has serious physical and psycho-social consequences which adversely affect the health and overall well-being of a child.

1. CHILD ABUSE – BASIC DEFINITIONS “Child abuse or maltreatment constitutes all forms of physical and/or emotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse, neglect or negligent treatment or commercial or other exploitation, resulting in actual or potential harm to the child’s health, survival, development or dignity in the context of a relationship of responsibility, trust or power”. (World Health Organization) "Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker, which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse, or exploitation, or an act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm" (The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act – CAPTA) “Child abuse is a very complex and dangerous set of problems that include child neglect and the physical, emotional, and sexual abuse of children.” (MedicineNet.com) “Child abuse is the physical and/or psychological/emotional mistreatment of children”. (Wikipedia) “Institutional Abuse or Neglect is that which occurs in any facility for children, including, but not limited to, group homes, residential or public or private schools, hospitals, detention and treatment facilities, family foster care homes, group day care centers and family day care homes.” (Office of Health and Human Services, US)

2. CHILD ABUSE – LOCAL STATISTICS

(As per the Study on Child Abuse India 2007 by Ministry of Women and Child Development, Govt. of India)

India is home to almost 19 percent of the world's children. More than one third of the country's population, around 440 million, is below 18 years. According to one assumption 40 percent of these children are in need of care and protection, which indicates the extent of the problem. In a country like India with its multicultural, multi-ethnic and multi-religious population, the problems of socially marginalized and economically backward groups are immense. Within such groups the most vulnerable section is always the children. Major Findings: It has very clearly emerged that across different kinds of abuse, it is young children, in the 5-12 year group, who are most at risk of abuse and exploitation. # Physical Abuse 1. Two out of every three children were physically abused. 2. Out of 69% children physically abused in 13 sample states, 54.68% were boys. 3. Over 50% children in all the 13 sample states were being subjected to one or the other form of physical abuse. 4. Out of those children physically abused in family situations, 88.6% were physically abused by parents. 5. 65% of school going children reported facing corporal punishment i.e. two out of three children were victims of corporal punishment. 6. 62% of the corporal punishment was in Goverment and municipal school.

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7. The State of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar and Delhi have almost consistently reported higher rates of abuse in all forms as compared to other states. 8. Most children did not report the matter to anyone. 9. 50.2% children worked seven days a week. # Sexual Abuse 1. 53.22% children reported having faced one or more forms of sexual abuse. 2. Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar and Delhi reported the highest percentage of sexual abuse among both boys and girls. 3. 21.90% child respondents reported facing severe forms of sexual abuse and 50.76% other forms of sexual abuse. 4. Out of the child respondents, 5.69% reported being sexually assaulted. 5. Children in Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Delhi reported the highest incidence of sexual assault. 6. Children on street, children at work and children in institutional care reported the highest incidence of sexual assault. 7. 50% abuses are persons known to the child or in a position of trust and responsibility. 8. Most children did not report the matter to anyone. # Emotional Abuse and Girl Child Neglect 1. Every second child reported facing emotional abuse. 2. Equal percentage of both girls and boys reported facing emotional abuse. 3. In 83% of the cases parents were the abusers. 4. 48.4% of girls wished they were boys.

3. TYPES OF ABUSE Child abuse happens in many different ways, but the result is the same- serious physical or emotional harm. Physical or sexual abuse may be the most striking types of abuse, since they often unfortunately leave physical evidence behind. However, emotional abuse and neglect are serious types of child abuse that are often more subtle and difficult to spot. Child neglect is the most common type of child abuse.

1. Physical Physical Abuse of a child is that which results in actual or potential physical harm from an

interaction or lack of an interaction, which is reasonably within the control of a parent or person in a position of responsibility, power or trust. Such injury or incidence is considered abuse regardless of whether the caretaker intended to hurt the child. There may be single or repeated incidents.

Physical abuse includes but is not limited to the following: • Punishing a child excessively • Forcing a child to work in poor working conditions, • Smacking, punching, beating, shaking, kicking, or in work that is inappropriate for a child’s age, biting, burning, shoving, choking, throwing, over a long period of time stabbing, grabbing • Gang violence • Hitting a child (with a hand, stick, strap, or other • Harmful initiation ceremonies object) • Bullying • Leaving a child in an uncomfortable and/or • Threatening to harm someone undignified posture for an extended period of time or in a poor environment Signs of Physical Child abuse: 

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Physical signs. Sometimes physical abuse has clear warning signs, such as unexplained bruises, welts, or cuts. While all children will take a tumble now and then, look for age-inappropriate injuries, injuries that appear to have a pattern such as marks from a hand or belt, or a pattern of severe injuries. Behavioral signs. Other times, signs of physical abuse may be more subtle. The child may be fearful, shy away from touch or appear to be afraid to go home. A child’s clothing may be inappropriate for the weather, such as heavy, long sleeved pants and shirts on hot days.

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Caregiver signs. Physically abusive caregivers may display anger management issues and excessive need for control. Their explanation of the injury might not ring true, or may be different from an older child’s description of the injury.

2. Emotional Emotional Abuse is a pattern of behavior that impairs a child's emotional development or sense of selfworth. Emotional abuse is often difficult to prove and, therefore, Child Protection System(CPS) may not be able to intervene without evidence of harm to the child. Emotional abuse is almost always present when other forms are identified. Physical abuse includes but is not limited to the following: • Isolating or excluding a child • Treating or looking at a child with disdain, • Stigmatizing a child disrespect, denigration • Withholding love, support, or guidance • Patterns of belittling, denigrating, blaming, • Treating a child who is a victim as a suspect scaring, discriminating or ridiculing (repeated questioning and investigation) • Spreading rumours • Failing to provide a supportive environment • Blackmailing a child • Failing to give a child an appropriate sense of self • Institutionalising a child without exploring other (for example, criticizing weight) options • Main caregiver(s) does not respond to a child’s • Cyber bullying and sexual Solicitation emotional needs • Exploiting a child Signs of Emotional Child abuse: 

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Behavioral signs. Since emotional child abuse does not leave concrete marks, the effects may be harder to detect. Is the child excessively shy, fearful or afraid of doing something wrong? Behavioral extremes may also be a clue. A child may be constantly trying to parent other children for example, or on the opposite side exhibit antisocial behavior such as uncontrolled aggression. Look for inappropriate age behaviors as well, such as an older child exhibiting behaviors more commonly found in younger children. Caregiver signs. Does a caregiver seem unusually harsh and critical of a child, belittling and shaming him or her in front of others? Has the caregiver shown anger or issues with control in other areas? A caregiver may also seem strangely unconcerned with a child’s welfare or performance. Keep in mind that there might not be immediate caregiver signs. Tragically, many emotionally abusive caregivers can present a kind outside face to the world, making the abuse of the child all the more confusing and scary.

3. Sexual Sexual Abuse is an involvement of a child in a sexual activity that s/he does not fully comprehend, is unable to give informed consent to, or is not developmentally prepared for, such as:

Contact

Non-contact

• Kissing or holding in a sexual manner • Touching and fondling genital areas • Forcing a child to touch another person’s genital areas • Forcing a child to perform oral sex • Vaginal or anal intercourse and other sexual activity • Biting a child’s genital area • Incest, rape, sodomy, indecent exposure • Sex with animals • Sexual exploitation, where sexual abuse of a child involves some kind of commercial transaction (monetary or in-kind) • Child sex tourism, where abusers travel to a place other than their home and there have sex with a child

• Obscene calls or obscene remarks on a computer or a phone or in written notes • Virtual sex • Online sexual solicitation and grooming • Voyeurism • Exhibitionism • Exposed to pornography or used to make pornography • Sexually intrusive questions or comments • Forced to self-masturbate or watch others masturbate • Sexual exploitation and child sex tourism also may be abusive without physical contact (for example, a tour operator or taxi driver who arranges tours and/ or children for sex tourists is an exploiter of children as well).

Signs of Sexual abuse might include:

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Behavioral signs. Does the child display knowledge or interest in sexual acts inappropriate to his or her age, or even seductive behavior? A child might appear to avoid another person, or display unusual behavior- either being very aggressive or very passive. Older children might resort to destructive behaviors to take away the pain, such as alcohol or drug abuse, self-mutilation, or suicide attempts. Physical signs. A child may have trouble sitting or standing, or have stained, bloody or torn underclothes. Swelling, bruises, or bleeding in the genital area is a red flag. An STD or pregnancy, especially under the age of 14, is a strong cause of concern. Caregiver signs. The caregiver may seem to be unusually controlling and protective of the child, limiting contact with other children and adults. Again, as with other types of abuse, sometimes the caregiver does not give outward signs of concern. This does not mean the child is lying or exaggerating. The Online risk. Warning signs of online sexual child abuse are these:  Your child spends large amounts of time online, especially at night, and may turn the computer monitor off or quickly change the screen on the monitor when you come into the room.  You find pornography on your child's computer.  Your child receives phone calls or mail from people you don't know, or makes calls to numbers that you don’t recognize.  Your child becomes withdrawn from the family.

4. Neglect Neglect is usually defined as depriving a child of adequate food, clothing, shelter, supervision, medical care and education. Neglect also harms children although it is more about being inactive and not doing something than the previous forms of abuse, which are more active. Neglect may include: • Inattention/omission of care • Failing to supervise and protect from harm • Leaving a child at home for a long period without supervision • Sending a child away without ensuring they will be safe and happy at the place to which they are sent • Failing to ensure suitable nutrition for a child (a parent may give a child money for food but not monitor to ensure they eat healthily; a parent may deliberately withhold food from a child) • Failing to ensure a child attends school (parent and/or teacher) Signs of Neglect might include is:

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• Failing to follow up or report repeated bruising or burns (for example, a community health worker) • Giving in to a child’s every wish because it is an easy option – despite knowing this choice is not in the best interest of the child’s development • Failing to take time to reasonably monitor children’s activities and thus potentially exposing them to risks • Failing to ensure a safe environment (leaving dangerous things within reach of a child, such as medication, guns, knives, pornography etc.)

Physical signs. A child may consistently be dressed inappropriately for the weather, or have illfitting, dirty clothes and shoes. They might appear to have consistently bad hygiene, like appearing very dirty, matted and unwashed hair, or noticeable body odor. Another warning sign is untreated illnesses and physical injuries. Behavioral signs. Does the child seem to be unsupervised? Schoolchildren may be frequently late or tardy. The child might show troublesome, disruptive behavior or be withdrawn and passive. Caregiver signs. Does the caregiver have problems with drugs or alcohol? While most of us have a little clutter in the home, is the caregiver’s home filthy and unsanitary? Is there adequate food in the house? A caregiver might also show reckless disregard for the child’s safety, letting older children play unsupervised or leaving a baby unattended. A caregiver might refuse or delay necessary health care for the child.

Although people usually think of child abuse as someone physically harming a child, it is important to keep in mind that about 60 percent of child abuse cases actually involve neglect. It is sometimes easier to see

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the signs of physical abuse when a child is hit, kicked, or burned, but looking for signs of neglect is important too, as the consequences can be just as tragic.

5. Social (Poverty) Social Abuse is not strictly a form of abuse but it is included here to help differentiate between abuse and neglect and social circumstances, all of which can result in harm to a child. Social abuse may include: • Homeless / stateless • Practices such as early marriage, male and female • Displaced by war / natural disaster genital mutilation, prenatal sex selection and female • Forced into being a child soldier infanticide • Political uncertainty • Attitudes that promote ideas of children as the • Lack of economic options property of adults (parents and husbands) and • No or limited access to basic social services beliefs that girls are property and inferior to boys • Being denied basic rights through the law (for • The view of children as half an adult with half of example, where an offender aged under 18 is tried adult rights in court as though they were an adult) • High prevalence of violence in mainstream mass • Political campaigns that encourage round-ups of media children living on the street

Note: Physical abuse, neglect and sexual abuse are also emotional abuse.

4. IDENTIFYING / RECOGNIZING CHILD ABUSE Experienced educators likely have seen all forms of child abuse at one time or another. They are alert to signs like these that may signal the presence of child abuse. The Child:  Shows sudden changes in behavior or school performance;  Has not received help for physical or medical problems brought to the parents' attention;  Has learning problems that cannot be attributed to specific physical or psychological causes;  Is always watchful, as though preparing for something bad to happen;  Lacks adult supervision;  Is overly compliant, an overachiever, or too responsible; or  Comes to school early, stays late, and does not want to go home. The Parent:  Shows little concern for the child, rarely responding to the school's requests for information, for conferences, or for home visits;  Denies the existence of -- or blames the child for -- the child's problems in school or at home;  Asks the classroom teacher to use harsh physical discipline if the child misbehaves;  Sees the child entirely bad, worthless, or burdensome;  Demands perfection or a level of physical or academic performance the child cannot achieve; or  Looks primarily to the child for care, attention, and satisfaction of emotional needs. The Parent and Child:  Rarely touch or look at each other;  Consider their relationship entirely negative; or  State that they do not like each other.  None of these signs proves that child abuse is present in a family. Any of them may be found in any parent or child at one time or another. But when these signs appear repeatedly or in combination, they should cause the educator to take closer look at the situation and to consider the possibility of child abuse. That second look may reveal further signs of abuse or signs of a particular kind of child abuse.

5. FACTORS AFFECTING THE LIKELIHOOD OF CHILD ABUSE

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Child abuse is a complex problem which has multiple causes. Understanding the causes of abuse is crucial to addressing the problem of child abuse.

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The abuser's childhood: child abusers often were abused as children. The abuser's substance abuse: at least half of all child abuse cases involve some degree of substance abuse (alcohol, drugs, etc) by the child's parents. One study found that parents with documented substance abuse, most commonly alcohol, cocaine, heroin were much more likely to mistreat their children, and were also much more likely to reject court-ordered services and treatments. Family stress: the disintegration of the nuclear family and its inherent support systems has been held to be associated with child abuse. Domestic Violence: Parents who physically abuse their spouses are more likely to physically abuse their children. Social forces: experts debate whether a postulated reduction in religious/moral values coupled with an increase in the depiction of violence by the entertainment and informational media may increase child abuse. The child: children at higher risk for child abuse include infants who are felt to be "overly fussy", handicapped children, and children with chronic diseases. Specific "trigger" events that occur just before many fatal parental assaults on infants and young children include: an infant's inconsolable crying, feeding difficulties, a toddler's failed toilet training, and exaggerated parental perceptions of acts of "disobedience" by the child. Some human service professionals claim that cultural norms that sanction physical punishment are one of the causes of child abuse, and have undertaken campaigns to redefine such norms.

6. CONSEQUENCES OF CHILD ABUSE There is no broadly accepted framework on the effects of child sexual abuse. However, Finkelhor and Browne have developed a list of areas that are affected by the sexual interaction of adults with children. It is a fairly comprehensive framework and seems to be gaining wide acceptance in the professional community. All the affects are listed in terms of the molested child, but they are feelings, misconceptions, and thought patterns the molested child may carry into adulthood.  Traumatic Sexualization - the child's sexuality is distorted by age-inappropriate sexualization.  The perpetrator rewards inappropriate sexual behavior, by trading gifts, affection, privileges, or attention for sex. He is overly attendant to or distorts the meaning and importance of bodily parts. He also conveys misconceptions and confusions about sexual behavior and accepted morality. The abusive behavior may associates in the child fearful memories and events with sex.  The child may develop distorted views of sexual norms, become confused over sexual identity, become sexual aggressive, or tend to extremes, with either a heightened sensitivity and attraction to sexual behavior or highly negative feelings to all sexual activity.  Betrayal - the child's expectations of how or what others will provide for care and protection can be severely warped.  Grief reactions, depression, hostility and anger are all common expressions towards the sense of betrayal.  The child may display an impaired ability to judge the trustworthiness of others.  All or nothing extremes in behavior or thinking may be expressed. The child may be delinquent, aggressive, and show discomfort in close relations, or he or she may become overly attached and be indiscriminate in relations with all adults.  Powerlessness - continued invasion gives rise to feelings of vulnerability, and may damage self-efficacy if the child cannot convince others of the abuse or sees no one stopping the abuse.  The child may become fearful and anxious, suffer nightmares, become depressed, run away, or show truancy. Eating and sleeping disorders may occur.

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The child may try to gain control of conflicting emotions by recapitulating the experience by trying to abuse others. Stigmatization - the child's sense of being is denigrated and the child is isolated from a larger society. The perpetrator may explicitly denigrate and blame the victim, or the child may blame himself or herself for the abuse, and therefore feel an overwhelming sense of shame and responsibility. The child's sense of self-esteem is lowered. The child has a feeling of being different from everyone around him or her. The child will isolate himself or herself from peers, may participate in criminal or delinquent behavior, may abuse drugs and alcohol, may practice self-mutilation and may become suicidal. Boys suffer confusion over sexual identity and fear of homosexuality. They display increased aggressive behavior after the abuse. Boys have a greater tendency than girls to re-enact their abuse by abusing other children.

7. HOW TO PREVENT CHILD ABUSE 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

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Understand that "child abuse" means any kind of harm done to a child and does not just mean sexual abuse. Teach your children that there is a difference between "good" and "bad" touches. Explain what these are. Explain that no one has the right to hurt your child or touch him or her in private areas or touch in anyway that makes him or her feel uncomfortable. Tell your children that the words they need to remember are No, Go, Yell, Tell. If anyone touches them in a way they don't like or tries to get them to go with a stranger or person they don't feel comfortable with they should always say "No!" and ... Go away from the person or situation as quickly as possible. Use their danger voice to yell. A danger voice is a very loud, low-pitched yell, that gets attention immediately. It is not a high-pitched screech. It should never be used in any other situation. Tell a parent, teacher or caregiver immediately about what happened. Help your children understand that they need to be wary not just of the traditional idea of "strangers" but of anyone who makes them feel uncomfortable, even if it is someone they know - like the nextdoor neighbor. Talk to your children about situations they must avoid, like taking any food or medicine from a person who is not a parent, teacher, caregiver or close friend. Help them understand how to identify a police officer. Take them to the local police station and let them see what a uniform looks like and what a badge looks like. Show your children how to make a collect call to home and how to call Child Protection Services. Learn what the signs of abuse are so that you will notice if something is going on with your child. Look for bruises, burns, bloody or missing underwear, difficulty with bowel movement or urination, problems with walking or sitting, behavior problems, inappropriate sexual behavior, sore genitals or anything that just makes you feel there is something amiss. Get help from the police, social services department or through a child abuse hotline if you suspect there is a problem. Life skills training for children and young adults to equip children, adolescents, and young adults with interpersonal skills and knowledge that are valuable in adulthood, especially in the parenting role; and second, to provide children with skills to help them protect themselves from abuse. Effective `Child Protection Policy’ be placed in an organizational context to ensure a well-trained workforce, to develop responses using a range of disciplines, to provide alternative care placements for children, to ensure access to health resources, to provide resource for families and to report the suspected abuse at the earliest in an appropriate manner. Promote Child Abuse preventive programmes in schools, child-care-centers and communities.

8. ROLE OF CHILD CARE WORKER/PARENTS IN ADDRESSING CHILD ABUSE ISSUES

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Child abuse is a serious issue for which particular actions should be taken for prevention. Remember that the children are innocent and are defenseless individuals. Here are some tips for the Child Care Workers to help prevent child abuse and neglect by your simple actions: 1. 2. 3. 4.

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Be kind to children you know. Let them feel that they have a friend to talk to and be free to tell you what they feel. Show them that you care, even if you only ask them about their day at school. Talk to parents you know about properly caring for the children. Encourage them with a spirit of looking after the children's welfare. Ask them about how their family is. Show them what your concern is by being a friend. Devote some of your time in programs that support families in your community. You can give donations to them to help them reduce the stress of having financial problems. Report any child abuse you know. This will help stop the abuse as soon as possible. If a child talks to you about the abuse he experiences, make him feel confident that you can be trusted. Just let him narrate you the story. Remember that the child is looking for protection and support. You could be able to stop child abuse. Provide security and give them their basic needs. A healthy environment is essential to a family. Nurture children with loving care. Teaching Children Discipline: • Remember the purpose of discipline. It is to teach children socially acceptable ways of expressing natural desires and drives. Discipline guides your child into adulthood. • Successful discipline is geared to the child’s developmental stage. Don’t expect a child of any age to perform something he or she is not ready for. • Children need positive reinforcement. Reward you child for doing right with smiles, hugs, attention, praise and thanks. Rewards do not need to be toys or candy. • Never hit or shake a child. Hitting is not a useful discipline tool for your children. Hitting and other physical punishment are not effective because they teach a child that it is okay to hit people, make children much too angry to be sorry for what they’ve done and can hurt a child physically. • Discipline is best taught by example. The lessons you teach your child come from what your child sees you do – not what you say. • If what you are doing is not working, change it! Your best efforts, even those that worked in the past, may break down. Try to keep sight of your basic principles and always cherish your relationship with your child. • The important thing is not whether your child behaves in the next few minutes or today or this week. The really important thing is how your child turns out 5, 10, or 20 years from now.

9. CHILD PROTECTION CODE OF CONDUCT DON'TS: • Have any expectations about helping to heal the child. • Hit or otherwise physically assault or physically abuse children • Develop physical/sexual relationship with children • Develop relationships with children which could in any way be deemed exploitative or abusive • Behave physically in a manner which is inappropriate or sexually provocative • Act in ways intended to shame, humiliate, belittle or degrade children, or otherwise perpetrate any form of emotional abuse • Discriminate against, show differential treatment, or favour particular children to the exclusion of others. • Spend excessive time alone with children away from others. • This is not an exhaustive or exclusive list. The principle is that the Care-giver should avoid actions or behaviour, which may be construed as poor practice or potentially abusive. DO'S: • Plan and organize the work and the workplace so as to minimize risks • As far as possible, be visible in working with children • Ensure that a culture of openness exists to enable any issues or concerns to be raised and discussed • Empower children - discuss with them their rights, what is acceptable and unacceptable, and what they can do if there is a problem.

10. HOW DOES GOD VIEW ABUSE – BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE

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Children are a blessing and a heritage from the Lord (Psalm 127:3) It is God, Who formed them and created them (Psalm 139:13-16) Children are the reason for joy to the parents (John 16:21) Parents need to carefully bring up the children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Eph. 6:4, Deut 6:7, Col. 3:21) Children need to be taught in the way they should grow (Prov. 22:6). 1. The Bible does not specifically say anything about child abuse. There is no record of a single instance in the Bible where a child is being abused. What the Bible does tell us is this: Children have a special place in God’s heart and anyone who harms a child is inviting God’s wrath upon Him. Jesus welcomed little children to His side and said that the kingdom of God belongs to “such as these” (Mark 10:14). 2. Jesus had harsh words for anyone who would cause a child to stumble, “But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” The Bible tells parents to be gentle and loving with their children (Ephesians 6:4, Colossians 3:21). So even though the Bible does not specifically mention child abuse, it is abundantly clear how God feels about the issue. 3. God confers on people their worth including children. Worth and dignity are rooted in creation and calling. The human race, including every child, is created in the image of God and given a mandate to participate in the stewardship of God’s unfolding creation. God confirmed the value placed on each man, woman, and child by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for all people as individuals in relation with God. 4. God claims sovereignty over the lives of children as over all creation. Men and women have no mandate from God to destroy or defile Creation; indeed, God’s Word extends the responsibility for protecting the safeguarding children-not just to a parent’s own offspring but also to the stranger and orphan (Duet. 24:17). Scripture is clear that the need to respect the life of children begins at conception. 5. Jesus also instituted a new idea of service to children, instructing his disciples to welcome them in Jesus’ name and valuing their contribution to worship in the church (Mark 9:33-37, 10:13-16, Matt. 18:1-5, 21:14-16). Jesus’ decision to treat children as a model of faith (faith must be childlike, Matt. 18:3, 21:14-16) underlined the responsibility of each person to personally rely on God. God therefore sees children as individuals and as persons with whom to share a relationship. 6. God’s concern for each child means that parenting, like all supervisory roles in Creation, is a task of stewardship. God offers to some men and women the privilege of nurturing sons and daughters of the Lord to adulthood. In some instances, that privilege is conferred on wider society in the place of the natural parents (such as with orphans). The role of stewardship is not the same as ownership, and at no point does God relinquish ultimate sovereignty over creation or over the child. 7. Matthew 18:6 uses the word "sin" (NIV), Mark 9:42 uses the word "stumble" (NKJV) and Luke 17:2 (NKJV) uses the word "offend" to show how serious it is for a person to purposely try to abuse a spiritual child of God and if that is the penalty for causing a spiritual child to become offended, or sin or stumble then by extension this means a physical little child cannot be treated in this manner either or risk the same penalty. A millstone is very heavy and if it is around someone's neck that person will die when thrown into a sea. God takes this offense very seriously. 8. As parents we must always teach in love and discipline with justice. This does not mean an adult should be passive and not correct a child for bad and unacceptable behavior because that too is a sign of being unloving and abusive. Even God chastens us because he loves us (Revelation 3:19). 9. We are first told not to murder or kill our brother without cause. This was the first lesson of mankind in the story of Cain and Abel. We are expected to be our brother's keeper and in the case of rape we are to step in and prevent this from happening if we are truly loving God and following his Law (Deuteronomy 22:25-27). The Bible is full of stories of humans abusing each other. God certainly does not like this behavior amongst his own children (us) and would never approve of abuse for any reason. He is a Being of law and order. He is Love and Truth and Mercy. 10. Remember, God holds each of us responsible for teaching children about Him and his Way (Deuteronomy 4:9). 11. In conclusion, the Bible clearly states that we should never condone or be a part of child abuse or any other kind of abuse against our fellow men and women. Such attitudes and actions come from the "works of the flesh," our human nature apart from God, which Paul enumerates in Galatians (Galatians 5:14-15, 19-21).

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12. Children are to be treated with love, concern, patience, and understanding. The tenderness of Jesus toward children is the source of our opposition to child abuse. "And He took a child, and put him in the midst of them; and taking him in his arms, he said to them, 'Whoever receives one such child in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me, but him who sent me'" (Mark 9:36-37). Thus, the remarkable conclusion: to treat a child with love is to show love for God. But the opposite is fearsome: to abuse a child is to abuse God!

Children everywhere are vulnerable to abuse and exploitation by those in positions of power and trust . - Setting the Standard Remember: At all times a child’s best interest is most important and should inform your decisions and actions.

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