Child Abuse
1. I consider child abuse any physical or psychological act against a child that is intended to harm the child beyond a reasonable level a discipline. I believe discipline is that only acceptable goal of causing any type of harm to a child. The act should not be out of anger, but rather to impress that an action is unacceptable.
2. I don't consider spanking child abuse in it's most basic form. Again this is only if the spanking is intended to make the child understand what they have done is wrong. The spanking should immediately follow the wrongdoing and should not be an emotional (angry) situation. I think it is an acceptable form of punishment because there is no permanent damage done, yet it effectively conveys disapproval of wrongdoing.
2a. I feel that spanking should be allowed, though it is important that the parent does not go overboard. The parent should also only resort to spanking if the child does not respond well to verbal punishment.The spanking shouldn't be out of anger, and it shouldn't be carried out any time other than immediately after the child has done something wrong. Spanking is effective tool parents have in disciplining their children and I don't believe it is unacceptable when used within reason. Just the threat of spanking was enough to keep me in line as a child, so I feel it should remain acceptable.
3. Punishment should only become a public concern if a parent is going beyond what a reasonable person might deem appropriate. I don't think a parent needs to pull a child's pants down and spank them in public, for example. Nor should a child simply be beat without reason, or for very minor infractions. I do, however, believe a parent should be able to discipline their child in public without being chastised. There is nothing more irritating than a parent who has seemingly given up on correcting their problem-child, allowing them to disturb everyone else in the area unpunished.
3a. A spanking would possibly be an appropriate public punishment, again there is no need to disrobe the child for this. The "spanking" could even be a quick as a single smack to behind. In my upbringing, though I can't remember this actually happening, it was understood that one might even expect a swift smack to the head if they acted in a highly unacceptable fashion. Fortunately my siblings and I responded well to verbal discipline efforts.
3b. Unacceptable public punishment might be pulling a child's pants down to bend them over your knee and spank them. Exposing the child serves little purpose in discipline and may cause more long-term harm to the child psychologically. Discipline should also be swift and concise. It would not be right for a parents to lash out against their child for an act that had not just occurred. The effectiveness of discipline requires it to occur quickly so that the child can associate their bad behavior with the punishment. A parent should also not bruise, draw blood, or cause any other significant injury to a child (in public or otherwise). Discipline is achieved through negative association, not through causing damage.
Child Sexual Victimization
1. Missouri state legislation has a variety of crimes relating to child pornography: Sexual exploitation of a minor, promoting child pornography of the first and second degree, and furnishing pornographic material to minors. All of these crimes are felonies of varying degrees of severity, except furnishing pornographic materials to minors, which is a misdemeanor unless the offender has any other offenses against children, at which point it becomes a felony. Crimes relating to the promotion/creation of child pornography also have the possibility of preventing parole, probation, or conditional release if they are found or plead guilty to said crimes (Missouri Chapter 573).
2a. I found a website called mobilemediaguard.com that has some information on sexting law in Missouri, however, it does not cite sources or list specific statutes. The site claims that it is a Class A misdemeanor for a minor to possess or distribute sexually explicit images of a minor (even themselves). The punishment is up to a year in jail and fines. Second offenses are a Class D felony, punishable by up to 4 years in jail and fines. Minors do not need to register as sex offenders if convicted (MobileMediaGuard).
2b. Sexting is when explicit images are sent via text message.
2c. Adult to adult sexting and minor to minor sexting should not be punishable. I do believe sexting should be punishable if a minor is interacting with an adult. If this is the case, then the adult should be punished in a fashion similar to any other child pornography crimes, assuming that the adult is victimizing the child. If the child is initiating the exchange of images, it is the responsibility of the adult to see that it is immediately stopped, otherwise they should be punished.
News
Reading/writing about this type of victimization did affect me differently than the other types we have examined. I believe this is the case for most, if not all, of my fellow classmates as well. The reason for this is the helplessness of children. Children are much more easily victimized than adults. They are naive, ignorant, and easily intimidated. Crimes against children tend to draw more emotion and interest for this reason. Below is an article relating to this type of victimization.
Fox News reported in February, 2012, than a Platte City, Missouri man was charged with promoting child pornography and invasion of privacy. These charges were the result of an FBI investigation proving that Raymond "Mike" Appling was involved in not only the possession of child porn, but also the production of it. The serial number was Raymond's camera was linked to various pornographic images of a 9-year-old girl. Text messages were also cited as evidence against him. If convicted, Appling faces up to 15 years in prison (Fox News).
Media
The Healing Years is a documentary comprised of female survivors healing and speaking out about their traumatic experiences as victims of child sexual abuse. Victims discuss what happened to them and how they've learned to heal the pain that the abuse inflicted. The film has been displayed at many film festivals and is endorsed by countless professionals and organizations. A short clip of the documentary can be seen below.
Another documentary on the topic of child victimization is Trafficking of Children in the United States. This film is available in its' entirety on YouTube and examines the disgusting act of the commercial sexual exploitation of children in the United States. The film spend a good amount of time in what appears to be a support group style format. Victims of this heinous crime speak out about their experiences in an effort to enhance public awareness. The film can be seen here.
