EDUCATIONAL KIT
BASED ON CHILD ABUSE
VICKY HUANG Senior Thesis 1 | Paul Carlos | Fall 2012
PROPOSAL
For my thesis project, I would like to reduce the incidence of child abuse through education and activity by designing an educational kit - a card game mainly targeting children and teens. My goal is to educate them about inappropriate (child) abuses by observing the behaviors and signs of the act. This kit would be introduced in schools and community services where teachers, educators, and volunteers would assist children with the game as well play with them. The more they play, the more they develop an understanding of the acts of child abuse. They will then be able to recognize their own situations and problems, and look for helps and other interventions.
RESEARCH
CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT FATALITIES 2009: STATISTICS • A report of child abuse is made every 10 seconds • More than 5 children die every day as a result of child abuse. • Approx. 80% of children that die from abuse are under the age of 4. • Most child victims are those with disabilities: mental retardation, emotional disturbances, visual impairment, learning disabilities, physical disabilities, behavioral problems or other medical problems. • It is estimated that between 50-60% of child fatalities due to maltreatment are not recorded as such on death certificates.
WHAT IS CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT? Most States recognize four major types of maltreatment: physical abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, and emotional abuse. • • • •
Neglect: 78.3% Physical Abuse: 10.8% Sexual Abuse: 7.6% Psychological Maltreatment: 7.6% • Medical Neglect: 2.4% • Other: 9.6% (These percentages sum to more than 100.0 percent because a child may have suffered more than one type of maltreatment.)
RESEARCH
PHYSICAL ABUSE is nonaccidental physical injury (ranging from minor bruises to severe fractures or death) as a result of punching, beating, kicking, biting, shaking, throwing, stabbing, choking, hitting (with a hand, stick, strap, or other object), burning, or otherwise harming a child, that is inflicted by a parent, caregiver, or other person who has responsibility for the child. NEGLECT is the failure of a parent, guardian, or other caregiver to provide for a child’s basic needs. Neglect may be: • Physical (e.g., failure to provide necessary food or shelter, or lack of appropriate supervision) • Medical (e.g., failure to provide necessary medical or mental health treatment) • Educational (e.g., failure to educate a child or attend to special education needs) • Emotional (e.g., inattention to a child’s emotional needs, failure to provide psychological care, or permitting the child to use alcohol or other drugs) SEXUAL ABUSE includes activities by a parent or caregiver such as fondling a child’s genitals, penetration, incest, rape, sodomy, indecent exposure, and exploitation through prostitution or the production of pornographic materials. • More than 90% of juvenile sexual abuse victims know their perpetrator in some way.
RESEARCH
EMOTIONAL ABUSE (or psychological abuse) is a pattern of behavior that impairs a child’s emotional development or sense of self-worth. This may include constant criticism, threats, or rejection, as well as withholding love, support, or guidance. Emotional abuse is often difficult to prove and, therefore, child protective services may not be able to intervene without evidence of harm or mental injury to the child. Emotional abuse is almost always present when other forms are identified. ABANDONMENT is now defined in many States as a form of neglect. In general, a child is considered to be abandoned when the parent’s identity or whereabouts are unknown, the child has been left alone in circumstances where the child suffers serious harm, or the parent has failed to maintain contact with the child or provide reasonable support for a specified period of time. SUBSTANCE ABUSE is an element of the definition of child abuse or neglect in many States. Circumstances that are considered abuse or neglect in some States include: • Prenatal exposure of a child to harm due to the mother’s use of an illegal drug or other substance. • Manufacture of methamphetamine in the presence of a child. • Selling, distributing, or giving illegal drugs or alcohol to a child. • Use of a controlled substance by a caregiver that impairs the caregiver’s ability to adequately care for the child.
RESEARCH
LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT While physical injuries may or may not be immediately visible, abuse and neglect can have consequences for children, families, and society that last lifetimes, if not generations. The impact of child abuse and neglect is often discussed in terms of physical, psychological, behavioral, and societal consequences. Physical consequences, such as damage to a child’s growing brain, can have psychological implications such as cognitive delays or emotional difficulties. Psychological problems often manifest as high-risk behaviors. Depression and anxiety, for example, may make a person more likely to smoke, abuse alcohol or illicit drugs, or overeat. High-risk behaviors, in turn, can lead to long-term physical health problems such as sexually transmitted diseases, cancer, and obesity. • About 30% of abused and neglected children will later abuse their own children, continuing the horrible cycle of abuse. • About 80% of 21 year olds that were abused as children met criteria for at least one psychological disorder. • 14% of all men in prison in the USA were abused as children. • 36% of all women in prison were abused as children. • Children who experience child abuse & neglect are 59% more likely to be arrested as a juvenile, 28% more likely to be arrested as an adult, and 30% more likely to commit violent crime.
RESEARCH
SIGNS 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 (or difficulty concentrating) 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, passive, or withdrawn • Comes to school or other activities early, stays late, and does not want to go home THE PARENT: • Shows little concern for the child • Denies the existence of—or blames the child for—the child’s problems in school or at home • Asks teachers or other caregivers to use harsh physical discipline if the child misbehaves • Sees the child as entirely bad, worthless, or burdensome • Demands a level of physical or academic performance the child cannot achieve • 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 • State that they do not like each other
INSPIRATIONS
BOARD GAMES CANDY LAND • • • • • •
Simple Fast play time Color based Use of Characters Storyline No reading required
CHUTES AND LADDERS • • • • •
Simple Fast play time Use of Character No reading required Encounter situations
INSPIRATIONS
CARD GAMES MONOPOLY DEAL • Strategies • Fast play time • Color based
SOCIAL INFERENCE • • • •
Educational Encounter situations Social stories Inference about the character’s personality / feeling based on his/ her behavior in the scene. • Identify the appropriate or inappropriate behavior.
INSPIRATIONS
MAFIA It is a party game created in the USSR by Dimitry Davidoff in 1986. He developed the game to combine psychology research with his duties teaching high school students. Mafia (also called Assassin, Werewolf or Village) is a group role playing game of strategy, survival, and the ability to spot a fraud. It is an explosive mixture of psychology and a detective story, usually played with a deck of cards.
What makes Mafia so enjoyable and unique is that the game is different everytime. You never know which role you might have to play. The game is a very valuable way to enhance your intuitive skills and confidence. It is a great way to hone your abilities to read people, to study behavioral patterns, and have a blast along the way! The more you play the game the more you realize how rich an experience it can be - it can really help you to know your friends in a deeper way, have fun with each other in a competitive environment, and expose your weak spots...etc.
MOODBOARD