SENIOR PAPER
Megan Henry
Senior paper
The Hidden Truth -Teen Abuse
Teen abuse can also be described just as the Department of Health and Human Services described bullying. They are both unwanted acts to a person. According to United States Department of Health and Human Services, bullying is considered as “Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. Bullying includes actions such as making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, and excluding someone from a group on purpose (whatisbullying). Teen abuse is not the only kind of abuse; there is verbal abuse, sexual abuse, and physical abuse.
The most common abuse is in a teenager’s life between the ages of thirteen and eighteen. Abuse can be brought about by bullies, family members, friends, and a companion. There are many type of abuse; verbal is the most common type of abuse to teenage children. The most common type of abuse that is reported is when a victim is in a relationship with their companion. The facts about abuse are not just scary but disturbing because it is overlooked in today’s society. Every thirteen seconds some teenager is being abused and every ten seconds a teen dies from abuse. Only twenty-eight percent of abuse cases are actually investigated. Reports show that one out of every three girls and one out of every six boys are sexually abused. Sixty percent of teen abuse is by their companion, usually by either physical or sexual abuse (nationalstatistics). Most cases can eventually lead to death of the victim.
Abuse is a serious issue and within my life time I have seen many types of abuse. Not only to me, but to the people who are around me. I have experienced physical and verbal abuse myself. Unfortunately, I have experienced every type of abuse at some point in my life. These events have changed me as a person but it has also made me stronger.
There are three major types of abuses: verbal abuse, also known as emotional abuse, physical abuse, and sexual abuse. Each type of abuse has a different effect to a person individually There are many causes for verbal abuse. Some teens may have grown up in an environment that has verbal abuse which is received from the ones who are around them in their daily lives. Thirty percent of verbal abuse is by a family member. A teenager may experience grief who feels that they will not succeed in today’s society. A teenager may be judged by their peers who can cause a person to lack confidence. These are all kinds of verbal abuse.
Verbal abuse can be considered as a negative statement to a person. Seventy-seven percent of teens are abused verbally. This can cause a person to develop lower self-esteem. A negative statement to a teenager about them or someone that is important to them is an example of verbal abuse. Teens that were verbally abused had one point six times as many symptoms of depression and anxiety as those who had not been verbally abused. Another long-term effect of verbal abuse is called psychiatric disorder. This disorder can be more difficult to treat. Some of these symptoms include developing multiple personalities, paranoia, and obsessive/compulsive disorders. Lastly, the most serious effect of verbal abuse has is suicide. Teens may reach a point where they feel they can no longer handle the various disorders and the depression, anxiety, and paranoia associated with the abuse. This is when they begin think of suicide as their way out. One of the best ways to treat verbal abuse is to seek professional counseling and to also seek help in someone that can be trusted.
Physical abuse can be known as anything that is physical harming to a person. An example is hitting or putting hands on someone else in any other unwanted manner. Some causes of physical abuse have been found in the environment at home, and bullies at school. Another cause could be that some teenagers feel like they have been a failure in completing their education or in not getting a good job. This could cause the teenager to lash out and be physical towards their friends, family, or companions. Many teens simply feel they deserve more from life, and feel they do not fit into society and blame everyone else but themselves. They might have low self-esteem; stress and depression which can make them cause physical harm to themselves or others around them. When teens lash out in a physical way; it can affect many people. The victims may experience physical markings such as bruises, broken bones, and severe mental or emotional impact. The teen will use clothing to cover up the marks, and they may miss school and social gatherings.
The event of sexual abuse is a different cause then others, but most teens have the same effect as in any other abuse that is caused to them. Sexual abuse is not reported very often, it seems to occur more secretly than physical or verbal abuse, because most teens do not want to report the incident. Sexual abuse happens to be being touched in sexual acts also known as rape or unwanted touching of a persons body. “One in four women report surviving rape or an attempted rape since their fourteenth birthday (sexualassault).” According to the Sexual Assault Statistics, eighty two percent of sexual assault victims are affected their entire life. Abusers are usually men or young guys. They tend to know the person they are abusing. The abuser violates the trust of the younger person or teen, which makes the sexual abuse even more devastating to the victim. Some effects of sexual abuse or sexual assault are; depression or severe anxiety and nervousness. More symptoms are bowel disorders, eating disorders, repeated headaches, sleep problems, and stomach ache. Most teens display disruptive behaviors such as using alcohol and street drugs or engaging in sexual behaviors. They may do poorly in school, have excessive fears, and withdraw from normal activities such as; sports, hanging out with friends, and may even stop communicating with others in general. Forty-four percent of teens are sexually abused. Every two minutes sexual abuse is reported, but ninety-seven percent of the rapists will never spend time in jail. A way to help a teen who has been sexually abused is; medicines to prevent or treat sexually transmitted diseases, medicines to prevent pregnancy, mental health counseling by a licensed counselor, and to report any and all cases of sexual abuse (RAINN). One of the best ways to recover is teen abuse support groups that can be found anywhere. The RAINN website and toll free phone line has free and confidential counseling services for victims.
Abused teenagers can also take on self-harming behaviors, because they are overwhelmed with fear and helplessness. They may suffer by gaining or loosing excessive amounts of weight. Due to eating disorders, they may even start cutting themselves, which they feel will help them be in control of the way they feel. Low self-esteem, depression, anger, fear, stress, emotional numbness and feelings of guilt and worthlessness are all emotions that teenagers exposed to physical abuse may experience.
There are men and women who were in some type of environment of abuse when they were growing up and they learned how to be an abuser to others. The effects of verbal abuse can lead to depression and anxiety. Teens that have experienced verbal abuse may also experience dissociative disorders. Dissociative disorders can be somewhat complex; they often involve the memory, behavior, and personality. Dissociative disorders are actually a type of coping mechanism that the victim blocks painful and hurtful events instead of addressing the uncomfortable issues and seeking help. The Mayo Clinic describes it as “The symptoms of dissociative disorders — ranging from amnesia to alternate identities — usually develop as a reaction to trauma and help keep difficult memories at bay.” One defense strategy is by selective amnesia it is the brains’ way to escape negative and hard to deal with feelings. A Treatment for dissociative disorders may include psychotherapy, hypnosis and medication.
A teenager can have these emotions all the way into their adulthood. Where the lack of trust can cause relationship problems and also depression can occur through someone’s entire life if not dealt with as a teen or when the physical abuse initially happened. Some behavioral effects can be as simple as isolating themselves. Some teens start rebelling and getting into trouble with the law. Abused teenagers may also start smoking cigarettes and have more severe self-destructive behavior such as alcohol and drug abuse. Some teens may have long-term effects all the way into adulthood, while others are more able to cope and are able to stop the effects of abuse from interfering in their adult lives. If a teenager has good self-esteem, the effects of abuse may not affect them as much. Teens who do not have these strong characteristics will suffer more from the abuse they have experienced for a lifetime. Many teens that look at life in a positive manner will find help from trusted people in their lives or will go to counseling so that way they are not affected their life.
Though many cases of abuse has not been reported the ones who have reported it has helped with making sure no one else gets hurt by the person who hurt them. A report of teen abuse is made every ten seconds. More than five teens die every day as a result of abuse. An estimated nine hundred and six thousand teens are victims of abuse in a year. And at the least four teens die a day from some kind of abuse, and over fifteen thousand teens die in a year because of abuse. Reports by the National Children’s Alliance show that over sixty nine thousand children between the ages of thirteen and eighteen were reported as abused in 2011 in the United States alone. Between January and June of 2011 over twenty four thousand children between the ages of thirteen and seventeen were offenders of abuse of other children (nationalstatistics)
The worst abuse I suffered in my life was in the past, however; abuse has always been one thing that has affected my life. I experienced both verbal and physical abuse as a child from a family member that I lived with. He has apologized for his actions, but sorry can not fix the pain that I experienced as a child. After years of this abuse, I got help by going to a therapist which helped me learn to deal with my emotions. I was diagnosed with severe depression, anxiety, and anger issues. All of these issues because of the traumatic events that had happened in my life. Many years of therapy have helped me learn to control my emotions better; including my anger and depression. I feel that with more time I will be able to handle situations more effectively, and also deal with any other abuse that I may encounter from people around me. There are three main types of abuse, all which can cause severe pain and emotional problems to the victim.
The best way to stop abuse is by reporting it, and then going to receive help by people that can be trusted or by a professional therapist. It can be as simple as talking about what as happened. There is also medicine that can help stabilize a person if they are not able to handle the emotions after a situation such as abuse. Abuse is a daily concern that happens to people everywhere. Many people have been affected in multiple ways and they all show a different outcome. Just remember if it has happened to you or someone you know, please report it and help stop the abuse of innocent people.
Works Cited
"Dissociative disorders." Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic, n.d. Web. 18 May 2012.
National Statics on Child Abuse. National Children's Alliance, n.d. Web. 18 May 2012.
Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network. RAINN.org, n.d. Web. 18 May 2012.
"Sexual Assault Statistics." One in Four. n.d. Web. 17 May 2012.
What is Bullying?. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, n.d. Web. 16 May 2012.
Senior paper
The Hidden Truth -Teen Abuse
Teen abuse can also be described just as the Department of Health and Human Services described bullying. They are both unwanted acts to a person. According to United States Department of Health and Human Services, bullying is considered as “Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. Bullying includes actions such as making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, and excluding someone from a group on purpose (whatisbullying). Teen abuse is not the only kind of abuse; there is verbal abuse, sexual abuse, and physical abuse.
The most common abuse is in a teenager’s life between the ages of thirteen and eighteen. Abuse can be brought about by bullies, family members, friends, and a companion. There are many type of abuse; verbal is the most common type of abuse to teenage children. The most common type of abuse that is reported is when a victim is in a relationship with their companion. The facts about abuse are not just scary but disturbing because it is overlooked in today’s society. Every thirteen seconds some teenager is being abused and every ten seconds a teen dies from abuse. Only twenty-eight percent of abuse cases are actually investigated. Reports show that one out of every three girls and one out of every six boys are sexually abused. Sixty percent of teen abuse is by their companion, usually by either physical or sexual abuse (nationalstatistics). Most cases can eventually lead to death of the victim.
Abuse is a serious issue and within my life time I have seen many types of abuse. Not only to me, but to the people who are around me. I have experienced physical and verbal abuse myself. Unfortunately, I have experienced every type of abuse at some point in my life. These events have changed me as a person but it has also made me stronger.
There are three major types of abuses: verbal abuse, also known as emotional abuse, physical abuse, and sexual abuse. Each type of abuse has a different effect to a person individually There are many causes for verbal abuse. Some teens may have grown up in an environment that has verbal abuse which is received from the ones who are around them in their daily lives. Thirty percent of verbal abuse is by a family member. A teenager may experience grief who feels that they will not succeed in today’s society. A teenager may be judged by their peers who can cause a person to lack confidence. These are all kinds of verbal abuse.
Verbal abuse can be considered as a negative statement to a person. Seventy-seven percent of teens are abused verbally. This can cause a person to develop lower self-esteem. A negative statement to a teenager about them or someone that is important to them is an example of verbal abuse. Teens that were verbally abused had one point six times as many symptoms of depression and anxiety as those who had not been verbally abused. Another long-term effect of verbal abuse is called psychiatric disorder. This disorder can be more difficult to treat. Some of these symptoms include developing multiple personalities, paranoia, and obsessive/compulsive disorders. Lastly, the most serious effect of verbal abuse has is suicide. Teens may reach a point where they feel they can no longer handle the various disorders and the depression, anxiety, and paranoia associated with the abuse. This is when they begin think of suicide as their way out. One of the best ways to treat verbal abuse is to seek professional counseling and to also seek help in someone that can be trusted.
Physical abuse can be known as anything that is physical harming to a person. An example is hitting or putting hands on someone else in any other unwanted manner. Some causes of physical abuse have been found in the environment at home, and bullies at school. Another cause could be that some teenagers feel like they have been a failure in completing their education or in not getting a good job. This could cause the teenager to lash out and be physical towards their friends, family, or companions. Many teens simply feel they deserve more from life, and feel they do not fit into society and blame everyone else but themselves. They might have low self-esteem; stress and depression which can make them cause physical harm to themselves or others around them. When teens lash out in a physical way; it can affect many people. The victims may experience physical markings such as bruises, broken bones, and severe mental or emotional impact. The teen will use clothing to cover up the marks, and they may miss school and social gatherings.
The event of sexual abuse is a different cause then others, but most teens have the same effect as in any other abuse that is caused to them. Sexual abuse is not reported very often, it seems to occur more secretly than physical or verbal abuse, because most teens do not want to report the incident. Sexual abuse happens to be being touched in sexual acts also known as rape or unwanted touching of a persons body. “One in four women report surviving rape or an attempted rape since their fourteenth birthday (sexualassault).” According to the Sexual Assault Statistics, eighty two percent of sexual assault victims are affected their entire life. Abusers are usually men or young guys. They tend to know the person they are abusing. The abuser violates the trust of the younger person or teen, which makes the sexual abuse even more devastating to the victim. Some effects of sexual abuse or sexual assault are; depression or severe anxiety and nervousness. More symptoms are bowel disorders, eating disorders, repeated headaches, sleep problems, and stomach ache. Most teens display disruptive behaviors such as using alcohol and street drugs or engaging in sexual behaviors. They may do poorly in school, have excessive fears, and withdraw from normal activities such as; sports, hanging out with friends, and may even stop communicating with others in general. Forty-four percent of teens are sexually abused. Every two minutes sexual abuse is reported, but ninety-seven percent of the rapists will never spend time in jail. A way to help a teen who has been sexually abused is; medicines to prevent or treat sexually transmitted diseases, medicines to prevent pregnancy, mental health counseling by a licensed counselor, and to report any and all cases of sexual abuse (RAINN). One of the best ways to recover is teen abuse support groups that can be found anywhere. The RAINN website and toll free phone line has free and confidential counseling services for victims.
Abused teenagers can also take on self-harming behaviors, because they are overwhelmed with fear and helplessness. They may suffer by gaining or loosing excessive amounts of weight. Due to eating disorders, they may even start cutting themselves, which they feel will help them be in control of the way they feel. Low self-esteem, depression, anger, fear, stress, emotional numbness and feelings of guilt and worthlessness are all emotions that teenagers exposed to physical abuse may experience.
There are men and women who were in some type of environment of abuse when they were growing up and they learned how to be an abuser to others. The effects of verbal abuse can lead to depression and anxiety. Teens that have experienced verbal abuse may also experience dissociative disorders. Dissociative disorders can be somewhat complex; they often involve the memory, behavior, and personality. Dissociative disorders are actually a type of coping mechanism that the victim blocks painful and hurtful events instead of addressing the uncomfortable issues and seeking help. The Mayo Clinic describes it as “The symptoms of dissociative disorders — ranging from amnesia to alternate identities — usually develop as a reaction to trauma and help keep difficult memories at bay.” One defense strategy is by selective amnesia it is the brains’ way to escape negative and hard to deal with feelings. A Treatment for dissociative disorders may include psychotherapy, hypnosis and medication.
A teenager can have these emotions all the way into their adulthood. Where the lack of trust can cause relationship problems and also depression can occur through someone’s entire life if not dealt with as a teen or when the physical abuse initially happened. Some behavioral effects can be as simple as isolating themselves. Some teens start rebelling and getting into trouble with the law. Abused teenagers may also start smoking cigarettes and have more severe self-destructive behavior such as alcohol and drug abuse. Some teens may have long-term effects all the way into adulthood, while others are more able to cope and are able to stop the effects of abuse from interfering in their adult lives. If a teenager has good self-esteem, the effects of abuse may not affect them as much. Teens who do not have these strong characteristics will suffer more from the abuse they have experienced for a lifetime. Many teens that look at life in a positive manner will find help from trusted people in their lives or will go to counseling so that way they are not affected their life.
Though many cases of abuse has not been reported the ones who have reported it has helped with making sure no one else gets hurt by the person who hurt them. A report of teen abuse is made every ten seconds. More than five teens die every day as a result of abuse. An estimated nine hundred and six thousand teens are victims of abuse in a year. And at the least four teens die a day from some kind of abuse, and over fifteen thousand teens die in a year because of abuse. Reports by the National Children’s Alliance show that over sixty nine thousand children between the ages of thirteen and eighteen were reported as abused in 2011 in the United States alone. Between January and June of 2011 over twenty four thousand children between the ages of thirteen and seventeen were offenders of abuse of other children (nationalstatistics)
The worst abuse I suffered in my life was in the past, however; abuse has always been one thing that has affected my life. I experienced both verbal and physical abuse as a child from a family member that I lived with. He has apologized for his actions, but sorry can not fix the pain that I experienced as a child. After years of this abuse, I got help by going to a therapist which helped me learn to deal with my emotions. I was diagnosed with severe depression, anxiety, and anger issues. All of these issues because of the traumatic events that had happened in my life. Many years of therapy have helped me learn to control my emotions better; including my anger and depression. I feel that with more time I will be able to handle situations more effectively, and also deal with any other abuse that I may encounter from people around me. There are three main types of abuse, all which can cause severe pain and emotional problems to the victim.
The best way to stop abuse is by reporting it, and then going to receive help by people that can be trusted or by a professional therapist. It can be as simple as talking about what as happened. There is also medicine that can help stabilize a person if they are not able to handle the emotions after a situation such as abuse. Abuse is a daily concern that happens to people everywhere. Many people have been affected in multiple ways and they all show a different outcome. Just remember if it has happened to you or someone you know, please report it and help stop the abuse of innocent people.
Works Cited
"Dissociative disorders." Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic, n.d. Web. 18 May 2012.
National Statics on Child Abuse. National Children's Alliance, n.d. Web. 18 May 2012.
Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network. RAINN.org, n.d. Web. 18 May 2012.
"Sexual Assault Statistics." One in Four. n.d. Web. 17 May 2012.
What is Bullying?. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, n.d. Web. 16 May 2012.