Expanding the parameters of "child abuse"

Currently there are 4 types of child abuse which are recognised: neglect, physical abuse, emotional abuse and sexual abuse. Whilst each one is important to recognise and understand, they are all variations on a theme: preventing children from a healthy upbringing.

It is this theme which I believe is even more important to understand. Each of the types of abuse involves something done (i.e. an action) by another person. Yet prevention of a healthy upbringing can also involve something not done (i.e. inaction).

Some parents are so concerned about external dangers that they do not let their children play outdoors on their own (Frank Furedi, Paranoid Parenting, p119). Those children may not be experiencing any of the types of child abuse recognised by the law, but they are still prevented from a healthy upbringing. (If anyone can explain how a child can have a healthy upbringing by being kept away from their local community, please let me know.)

I remember when I was at school. There were often trips to go to an indoor climbing wall, or to do a ‘night exercise’ (effectively a huge wide game done at night, usually in an area of public woodland), as well as opportunities for a wide range of other trips. A few years after I left, I found that many of those trips could not be done anymore. There were problems with having the right ratio of adults to children, not having the right first aid certificate and various ‘health and safety’ issues. Food hygiene could be a problem when it came to wild camping. Is it any wonder now why teenage boys would rather be sat indoors, playing computer games than outdoors, enjoying their freedom?

Young people need to be encouraged to learn how the outside world works. There is only so much that parents can do. Yes, there are specialised groups for particular things: football clubs, music groups, cooking classes, etc. Although each specialised group has its advantages (the adults involved will hold the right certificates), there is little promotion for other activities and it becomes very focused.

More general youth groups, trying to provide a wider range of activities for young people, are then much harder pushed. They need more money to hold more qualifications just so they can provide the activities with an amount of protection from the suing culture we live in. It is these groups which actually broaden the experience of young people, encouraging them to try new things, equipping them with the knowledge and foundations for what may come their way later in life. If these groups cannot afford the qualifications, their potential impact on young people is limited. If these groups are prevented from conducting such activities because they do not hold the qualifications, their potential impact on young people is limited. As a result, young people are prevented from gaining the experience which could be of enormous benefit to their adult lives. It is not enough to just tell them to wait until they are older. Childhood must start before the age of 18.