Do you know about child abuse? Is it something you would do or try to stay away from? Child abuse has come up a lot lately. About 81% of children get abused or neglected. I think adults should take parenting classes if they get their child taken away and they want them back. Would you want your child to be taken away because you abused them? Would you want a second chance at making things right?

People could think that parents who abuse their children shouldn’t go to a parenting class and that they should straight go to jail because of what they have done to their own child. Would you send them to jail?

The United States can be a dangerous place for kids.The United States has one of the worst records for child abuse and neglect among other nations. In 2012, state agencies found estimated 686,000 victims of children get mistreated, that would pack ten modern day football fields. Also in 2012, an estimated 1,640 children died as a result of abuse and neglect, that's between four and five children per day. Every year more than 3 million reports of child abuse are made in the U.S. alone involving 6 million children and some reports involve multiple children. On average the U.S. loses between four and seven children everyday to child abuse and neglect. On the other hand some people think that if they report the situation they they will be a snitch or a tattle tail. Some cases never get reported because they “don’t think it’s abuse” or don’t want to separate a child from their parents even though they might be hurting them. Some people think that since it's not their child it’s none of their business.

A large percentage of children get abused. About 81.33% of children get abused or neglected. There are three forms of abuse and two form of neglect. There is physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional or mental  abuse and then then there is physical neglect, and emotional neglect. The laws should be more clear about when to report child abuse because most laws require a person to report abuse if they have “a reason to believe that a child has been subjected to abuse.” The state-run child protection agencies must evaluate the evidence and decide whether or not to take action on the situation. Other reported cases have little to no changes in the child's situation. On the other hand people are free to raise their child as they want. Some people don’t think that spanking or slapping, without seeing visible marks, is child abuse.

Abuses have changed alot over time, for example back then teachers could punish a child by hitting them in the hands with a ruler or wiping them with a belt. Now a days teachers punish kids by sending them to the principal's office to get a detention or a suspension. Until the 1900’s much of what is now child abuse wasn’t even considered illegal. Back then five and six year olds worked regularly for long hours in factories or mines doing dangerous tasks. Now a days, people hire children at the age of sixteen and the lowest age they will go is fourteen. Another point of view would be that people might think that if they report something then they wouldn’t be able to do it anonymously. Or you think that only officials can determine whether they are abusing their child or not.
I think adults should take parenting classes if they get their child taken away and they want them back.

Citation
"Child Abuse." Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection. Detroit: Gale, 2014. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 26 May 2015.
"Child Abuse Statistics." Childhelp Child Abuse Statistics Comments. Fidelity National Title, n.d. Web. 26 May 2015.