There are a number of commonly held beliefs about child abuse which\u00a0researchers are finding to be untrue. Here are a few such beliefs:<\/p>\n
a. MYTH: Parents who abuse their children do not love their children. These\u00a0parents want to hurt or get rid of their children.<\/p>\n
FACT: Most parents who abuse their children really do love the children\u00a0and feel very guilty after abusing the children. The problem is that\u00a0these parents do not know how to raise and discipline children in a\u00a0nonabusive manner.<\/p>\n
b. MYTH: Abused children hate their parents and want to get away from the\u00a0parents.<\/p>\n
FACT: Most abused children still love their parents. Additionally, even a\u00a0bad home is more secure than no home. Children will often lie\u00a0about family violence to protect the parents and keep their home\u00a0secure and intact.<\/p>\n
c. MYTH: Remove a child from the parents who abuse him, and you have\u00a0solved the problem for the parent and the child.<\/p>\n
FACT: It may be necessary to remove a child from his parents in time of\u00a0crisis, but permanent separation harms both the child and the\u00a0parents. Both then believe that they have been separated because\u00a0they are no good.<\/p>\n
d. MYTH: Harsh jail sentences for parents who abuse their children would\u00a0keep parents from abusing their children.<\/p>\n
FACT: Most prosecutors, counselors, and child abuse experts believe that\u00a0jailing an abusive parent does not solve the problem. Society is\u00a0satisfied that the abusive parent has been punished, but that parent\u00a0has not learned in jail how to deal with stress or work through his\u00a0personal problems that triggered the child abuse.<\/p>\n
e. MYTH: Parents who abuse their children are crazy people who have\u00a0serious mental illnesses.<\/p>\n
FACT: Studies indicate that less than one in ten abusing parents is\u00a0mentally ill.<\/p>\n
f. MYTH: Abusing parents do not change. Once an abusing parent, always\u00a0an abusing parent.<\/p>\n
FACT: Studies indicate four out of five abusing parents can learn new\u00a0ways of dealing with their children and can stop abusing the\u00a0children.<\/p>\n
g. MYTH: The abusive parent is more likely to be the father.<\/p>\n
FACT: According to research, mothers are more likely to abuse their\u00a0children, and sons are more likely to be abused.<\/p>\n
h. MYTH: Only poor people abuse their children. Poor people especially beat\u00a0their children.<\/p>\n
FACT: Child abuse takes place in all segments of American society\u00a0regardless of the parents’ wealth, education, race, ethnic heritage,\u00a0or religious faith.<\/p>\n
i. MYTH: Since abused children know what it is like to be hurt by a parent,\u00a0these children rarely abuse their own children when they become\u00a0parents.<\/p>\n
FACT: Unfortunately, just the opposite is true. It is estimated that from one\u00a0out of two to nine out of ten abused children become abusing\u00a0parents. The abused child learns from his parents and brings his\u00a0family’s habits with him when he has children of his own.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
There are a number of commonly held beliefs about child abuse which\u00a0researchers are finding to be untrue. Here are a few such beliefs: a. MYTH: Parents who abuse their children do not love their children. These\u00a0parents want to hurt or get rid of their children. FACT: Most parents who abuse their children really do love … Continue reading 4-03. MYTHS ABOUT CHILD ABUSE<\/span>