Question

1. Describe parental and environmental risk factors for child maltreatment. Then discuss factors that appear to mediate the impact of abuse.

2. Describe the skills that elementary school-age children develop as they learn to read, comprehend, and write effectively.

Answer 1

The following parental factors can increase the risk of child maltreatment:

• The parent has a past history of abusing a child
• The child was the result of an unwanted pregnancy
• The parent faced physical, mental or sexual abuse as a child
• The parent is young, single and is not well-educated (more so in the case of mothers)
• The parent has unrealistic expectations about the child
• The parent has little or no social support
• The parent is suffering from any form of mental illness
• The parent is abusing drugs or alcohol
• The parent possess certain personality characteristics such as poor impulse control, external locus of control, feelings of insecurity and the like

The following environmental factors can increase the risk of child maltreatment:

• The family comes from a low socioeconomic status background
• There is overcrowding in the house
• The family lacks access to medical and healthcare facilities
• Either of the parents is unemployed
• There is violence or abuse in the family
• The family is experiencing multiple stresses
• The family is exposed to racism/discrimination
• The family is exposed to environmental toxins
• The family resides in a community or neighborhood that is violent

The factors that would mediate the impact of child maltreatment would relate to community and state interventions that are developed to tackle this problem.

Please post the other questions separately.