Human Rights/ Child Abuse Essay

History of the issue. Have similar issues been dealt with in the past? How has it been solved, or has it? In this amazing world that we live in people are unfortunately treated unfairly everyday. Although a list of Human Rights have been developed a lot of people don’t receive the respect that we all deserve, including children. Child abuse is a worldwide issue that has been going on for many years. Here in the United States over 3 million reports of child abuse are made every year. Child abuse occurs at every social level and within every religion, ethnicity, and culture. Throughout history there have been many people that try to solve this common problem, but unfortunately I think society will forever struggle with child abuse. In the past two rights were at the base of the mistreatment of children: the right to own property and the right to own children. Throughout history children were considered to be owned property and were forced to do whatever their parents needed them to do. In a common household the father would make all of the disciplinary decisions. In ancient Rome the father had the authority to sell, kill, sacrifice or do whatever he saw fit with his children. If a child was born deformed, weak or sick it was very common for the father to declare that the child was unfit to live. Historically parents used their children for profit by placing them in apprenticeships, workhouses, orphanages, placement mills, factories, farms and mines. These children were forced to work sixteen-hour days and were often whipped to make them work harder. In the 1960’s physical abuse and child neglect were officially recognized because of the development of radiology. But it wasn’t until the 1980’s and 1990’s that sexual and emotional/mental abuse was declared another form of child abuse. So here we are in 2011, but child abuse isn’t left in the past it goes on today in disturbing numbers. Our society has developed many definitions to the problem but no answers. Hopefully someday society will find an answer to this ongoing struggle of child abuse throughout the world.