Running head: HOW DOES ABANDONMENT AFFECT CHILDREN?

How Does Abandonment Affect Children?

Research Project
Raven Bouye
Victor Valley Community College

Author Note
This paper was prepared for Child development 106, taught by Professor Marsha DeeDee Cole.

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How does abandonment affect children?
Children in the united states that suffer from abandonment, have to deal with neglect and
abuse as well. The number of children in the United States, who died because of abuse or neglect
in 2010, is 1,537. The number of children, who died because of abuse or neglect 79.4%, were
younger than four years of age. 47.7% were younger than one year in age (Safe Horizon.org). A
child being abandoned can have various affects depending on the age. It is seemed to be that
children that are mature in age are the ones who understand it and are affected. I believe we are
affected from any age bracket we are in. So how does being abandon affect children?
Abandonment can be defined in various ways, depending on the home environment. Child
abandonment occurs when a parent, guardian, or person in charge of a child either deserts a child
without any regard for the child's physical health, safety or welfare and with the intention of
wholly abandoning the child, or in some instances, fails to provide necessary care for a child
living under their roof ( Findlaw,2013). How a childs outcome caused by being affected by
abandonment can be broken down to better understand the situation, the emotion, and the childs
after life once this experience has occurred responding to the following questions:
1. What are the impacts of child maltreatment to the child, family, and community?
2. What are some of the risk factors?
3. What are gaps in criminal justice system and child protection services?
4. What organizations can be accessed?
The abandoned child can go through a lot of emotional issues, neglect, and abuse. The purpose
of this research project is to better understand how does abandonment affect children?
What are the impacts of child maltreatment to the child, family, and community?
Child maltreatment is defined has being mistreated by a parent or other caregivers
(Shannon, 2009, p.69). There are various impacts of child maltreatment, like neglect, emotional

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abuse, and abandonment. Impacts can become more severe as a child grows older and can
encompass multiple areas, including: health and physical development, intellectual and cognitive
development, emotional and psychological development, and social and behavioral development
(Shannon, p.59). Children who are neglected have been found to display more externalizing
behaviors than non-maltreated children (Renner, 2012). Children who are mistreated it would
change their attitude and how they interact with others. This can indicate that something is
wrong. There are families at risk for child maltreatment. It is impossible to determine whether
child maltreatment will occur, but generally a family may be at risk if the parent is young, has
little education, has had several children born within a few years, and is highly dependent on
social welfare (Doak, 2011). The community is affected by child maltreatment has to get
involved in a childs life when they are maltreated because they are generally the first to notice it.
The Child Abandonment Prevention Programs, those work with the families and communities
most susceptible to abandoning and not protecting their children. These programs promote the
childrens natural development within their biological families with the support of the
communities and SOS Childrens Villages. The second strategic initiative is developed; family
and community strengthening for child abandonment prevention (Better Care, 2005). The child,
family, and community are all affected by child maltreatment in various ways. But all have a
common ground.
What are some of the risk factors?
Children affected by abandonment from infancy to childhood may have long term
negative risk factors. Child abuse is a major life stressor that has important consequences
for several indices or mental health in adults. A growing body of literature has established
an association between childhood abuse and an array of negative outcomes. Few
longitudinal studies have examined the relationship between child abuse and mental
health. For example, in a longitudinal study, child who experienced maltreatment were
found to have lower levels of self-esteem compared to children who have not experienced

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child maltreatment (Sachs, 2010). Immediate affects for a child being maltreated, is that
it hurts their emotions. They feel like it is their fault that the act is happening to them. A
child can also feel it is better to be invisible then seen. Some other risk factors may be the
environment the child is growing up in or the age and sex of the child. Some agencies
found a higher rate of child maltreatment among girls. At younger ages, boys had higher
rates of victimization than girls did (Doak, 2011). Nearly one-third of all victims were
three years old and younger; 12.3% were infants less than one year old. Single parent
families in which an unmarried partner is present appear to be at the greatest risk of child
maltreatment. The growing problem of substance abuse among families involved with
child welfare system (Doak, 2011). Children with a past of abuse can have a long term
affect in society. Children who had been abused or neglected before or during school age,
17% of the children have a juvenile delinquency record (Kanner, 2010, p.559). Based on
the situation is when or if child abandonment will come in to play and how it will affect
them in the long run.
What are gaps in criminal justice system and child protection services?
There are some positive outcomes in a case were a child is being abandoned, is
that the child can be removed from the environment. Some of the gaps may be that once
it is notified that child neglect, abandonment, and/or abuse are in play. It takes the Child
Protective Services a long time to react to that type of case. It seems like they respond
when its too late or really bad situation. The gaps in criminal justice system may be that
they take a long time to progress or convict parents or caregivers in the wrong. Children
had little legal protection from maltreatment until the early 20th century when addressing
child abuse and neglect become a component of the new juvenile court movement
(Shannon, 2009 p.272). Another positive outcome is adoption for the abandoned child. In
1997, congress passed the Adoption and Safe Families Act, as known as ASFA. In
response to the concerns that many children were remaining in foster care for long

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periods of time or experiencing multiple placements (Shannon, 2009 p.274). Some
outcomes can benefit the child by removing the child and trying to place them in a better
family setting.
What organizations can be accessed?
There are agencies that can help an abandoned child. Some abandon children have
to place in a better environment. Sometimes a child has to be placed in a foster care, a
family member, and/ or orphanage. Childrens Home Society of California is an agency
that has adapted to the changing needs of families. They also believe in family health,
stability, and resources. Foster family agency was created to help place children with
temporary families until their birth parents fix the environment. ICAN is an agency that
has a goal of preventing, identifying, and treating child abuse and neglect. The American
humane Association works on being the voice for the protection of children. They work
on being an advocate for children who cannot defend themselves. Last but not least the
agency A Childs Dream is an adoption organization that works on placing unwanted or
unplanned children with good families.
In conclusion of my research I have study all areas of child abandonment. In the
understanding of child abandonment, Erikson talks about the stages and outcomes of a
child depending on the situation in the text. A child in the first stage with trust vs.
mistrust determines its interaction with the mother or authority in the future (Roberta M.
Berns, 2013). If a child is being mistreated by a parent or caregiver, he or she very well
may have trouble trusting people and the environment. For many children they end up in
foster care making a secure attachment to a parental figure almost impossible (Roberta
M. Berns, 2013 p.142). The psychological or emotional child abuse is maltreatment
involving a destructive pattern of continued attack by an adult on a childs development
of self and social competence. (Roberta M. Berns, 2013, P.146). When the psychological

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and emotional feelings of a child in trust vs. mistrust stage are affected it play a big part
in who this child will grow up to be in life. In researching child abandonment I have
found some gaps in the research. One would be that it was a lot of board and generalized
information. Another would be the child protection services did not seem to be accurate.
It seems to be old rules and precautions. One thing I would suggestion is that the research
on child abandonment outcomes and studies be a little more recent to this day in time.
My second suggestion would be to make the process of removal much quicker so the
fatality rate would be much lower.

Work Cited
Berns, R. (2013). Child,family, and community: Socialization. Cengage learning.
Ericsson. , & Gayman, (2010). the long-term impact of childhood abuse on internalizing
disorders among older adults: the moderating rols of self esteem. 14(4), 489-501.
Doak, M. (2011). Child abuse and the domestic violence. Cengage learning.
Konner, M. (2010). the evolution of childhood. (p. 559). cambridge, massachusettes: the
Belknap Press Of Harvard University Press.
Renner. (2012). single types of family violence victimization and externaizling behaviors
among children and adolescents. 27(3), 177-186.
Shannon, J. (2009). Child abuse sourcebook. Peter E.Ruffner

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Raven, you have done a good job. There are a few grading areas (see the rubric I returned
to you through the grade book) that were missed; however, it is still a well written paper.
89/100