Final answer:
Child abuse and neglect are critical health and welfare issues that can have long-term effects on a child's physical and mental health, potentially leading to risky behaviors and affecting society at large. Factors such as substance abuse, social isolation, depression, and poverty can increase the risk of abuse and neglect. Effective intervention is essential to break the cycle of abuse.
Step-by-step explanation:
A child experiencing danger due to a parent's or caregiver's behaviors, including being exposed to bullying, verbal abuse, or exploitation, is facing a situation that can lead to severe harm. The term used to describe this condition is child abuse or neglect. Within the realm of child abuse, a parent worried about a teenager's dangerous and self-destructive behavior should consider the potential long-term effects on their child's wellbeing. These effects can include physical injuries, mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, and increased likelihood of engaging in risky behaviors.
Infants are especially vulnerable, with a high victimization rate due to their total dependence on parental care. Essential factors contributing to neglect may include cultural values, community care standards, and poverty. Available information or assistance from public or private services is critical to prevent neglect when a parent is overwhelmed or incapable of properly caring for a child. Nevertheless, if such assistance is disregarded, child welfare services may need to intervene.
Substance abuse by parents significantly raises the risk of child abuse, tripling the chances of physical abuse and quadrupling neglect. Other risk factors are social isolation, depression, low education, and a history of maltreatment in the parent's childhood. Notably, approximately 30 percent of victims of child abuse may later abuse their own children, which underscores the cyclical nature of this issue.