by Francis Harris

Created on: July 05, 2010

Of all the ways that child abuse impacts society - from dysfunctional individuals; to families falling apart - it goes without question that child abuse impacts our legislation. As primitive cultures evolve and recognize that the well-being of children is important, they come to create laws concerning children. Above and beyond all the harm that children endure, it is these laws that somehow impact us the most.

How does child abuse impact society?

1. Society creates legislation: As societies develop from primitive cultures to advanced ones concerned about children's welfare we see legislation enforced to protect children. Overtime we have seen Western laws change: they now prohibit children working under the minimum age; restrict the ages they may marry - or have sexual relations; control the hours they can work (and where); demand that they must receive education; prohibit them from voting and so on.

2. Legislation has its backlash on children: Where legislation is created there is always a backlash that impacts (negatively) those it is intended to help. The legislation concerning children has been abused in some places buy malicious individuals who falsely report child abuse and neglect. Often there are no repercussions for these individuals (since the state wants to investigate ANYTHING) although children and their lives can be devastated by unchecked malicious individuals who report falsely; repeatedly and on occasion end up having the child separated from parent, placed in foster care or otherwise permanently traumatized from people abusing the law and deceiving the authorities about the child's real well-being.

3. Legislation is controversial: As soon as we start to lay down the law we bring out the differences of opinion that exist. We often think that we have the "absolute" and ultimate answer to children's welfare - without realising that there are many other valid alternatives. For example, some nations legislate precisely how parents may discipline children. In those nations if a parent smacks a child in discipline the child can be placed in foster care and the parents given a criminal record and sent to prison.The same parent who "hi-5s" a child and impacts them with the same force receives no such criminal record - because apparently it is ok to hit a child with any forced desired in this cultural greeting, but not ok to smack a child in discipline and stop them killing themselves by running into a road.

4. Legislation is not implemented: While

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