Abortion

Sexual Abuse 1

Sexual Abuse

Introduction

At one time I thought about how child sexual abuse was a growing concern in our society.

Stories and interviews on TV and in the paper would keep me aware, but I always

thought about how it was always happening to everyone else. One figure that lingered

around in my mind was that one in six children would be a victim of sexual abuse. Having

a children of my own I thought of these statistics. Knocking on wood so to speak, until it

happened in my family. I encountered a serious dilemma when one of my family

members was sexual abusing the other.

Background

Sexual abuse can destroy a family, especially when the perpetrator is considered a

member of the family. It is frustrating when someone that is trusted betrays that trust.

Family members become angry, divided and deny that anything is wrong. The effects on

the victim are the toughest things to deal with. My niece came to visit me in Alaska last

summer. She's 9 years old. I would describe her as a beautiful, fun, smart and outgoing.

One afternoon as I prepared for the next days work I was approached by her crying and

shaking. She had just awakened from a long days nap. I asked her why was she crying

and she wouldn't answer. I eventually calmed her down but the same thing happened

the next day.

The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) defines child abuse and neglect

as "at a minimum, any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker,

which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation,

or an act or failure to act, which presents an imminent risk of serious harm." Some states

have exceptions, but the term child refers to someone not yet 18.

Then CAPTA defines "sexual abuse" as: the employment, use, persuasion, inducement,

enticement, or coercion of any child to engage in, or assist any other person to engage

in, any sexual explicit conduct or simulation of such conduct for the purpose of producing

a visual depiction of such conduct; or the rape, and in cases of caretaker or inter-familial

relationships, statutory rape, molestation, prostitution, or any other form of sexual

exploitation of children, or incest with children."

When you change the term children to anyone the morality issues involved would actually

be the same because sexual abuse is sexual abuse. Morality refers to how humans

Sexual Abuse 2

relate to or treat one another in order to promote mutual welfare, growth, and meaning

while striving for good over bad and right over wrong. I honestly don't think that this is

A universal moral principle because in some cultures it is considered alright to have sex

with a child under 18. In some cultures, children marry at the age of 9 and up or

probably earlier so they are not viewed as children. Females in some cultures are

considered unworthy. In the United States sexual molestation is view different in my

opinion when it comes to sexual molestation because the thought of forcing sex on a

child is considered one of the worst thing you could to do to a helpless human being.

Inmates in prison hate child molesters. They rate it one of the top worst things you could

do to child.

Thiroux's 1

When we define the principle of goodness morality comes to mind. When we speak of

a moral person, life, or action, we mean a good person, a good life, and a right action.

goodness and righteousness is

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