Abuse and Neglect

From 8-12 years old Paola was abused by her step-father every day and eventually gave birth to his child. Now after living in a Buckner Transition home in Guatemala, she is finally healing and learning to become a chef.

It is estimated that 150 million girls all over the world have experienced sexual abuse like Paola. A report of child abuse happens every ten seconds in the United States. In high income countries, it is estimated that 4 to 16 percent of children are victims of abuse. Only 1 in 10 of these cases is reported.

Children who are abused tend to develop a low self-esteem. As abused children grow older emotional and behavioral problems are also most likely to arise.

Physical, sexual and emotional abuse are the most well known, but other exploitations of children occur all over the world. An estimated 158 million children are forced into commercial labor; this prevents the children from receiving an education and leads to other forms of exploitation and abuse. Another form of child exploitation is trafficking. An estimated 150 million girls and 73 million boys have experienced sexual violence and exploitation. These forms of exploitation happen more often in less developed countries. Neglect is the most prevalent form of abuse in the United States and is defined as a type of maltreatment that refers to the failure by the caregiver to provided needed, age-appropriate care although financially able to do so.