Health care of vulnerable persons Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Health care of vulnerable persons - Essay Example It can be due to individual capacities, such as level of educational attainment, income or wealth, and mental or physical capabilities. For example, those who have lower levels of educational attainment have significantly less knowledge or preparation to deal with disasters, and are thus vulnerable. The availability of support is also a significant factor in vulnerability. Those who have no families or social networks to rely on are more prone to being harmed than those who can draw support from others. Access to neighbourhood and community resources is also an important factor in assessing whether an individual or group is vulnerable. Other sources of vulnerability may include poverty and race and physical location. This is largely related to access to resources and care. This paper focuses on children who are victims of abuse as a vulnerable group. Children, due to their developmental state, are very fragile. They are usually weaker than adults, are less mentally developed, and hav e no or little means to defend themselves. Due to their age, physical and mental limitations, they are more dependent on others, making them susceptible to abuse and neglect (Reichert 2006). The Child Welfare Information Gateway (2009) defines child abuse as consisting of acts of parents or caretakers that result in death or harm of a child. It may also include the omission of certain acts, or neglect to do something. There are several types of abuse: physical, neglect or failure to provide for a child’s needs, sexual or exploitation, and emotional. Some states also include parental substance abuse as a form of child abuse. There are certain risk factors that make a child susceptible to abuse. Goldman et al (2003) describes four general categories of risk factors: parent or caregiver factors, family factors, child factors, and environmental factors. Parent factors include personality traits such as aggression, impatience, or dominance, and psychological disorders. A personal history of abuse, substance abuse, and faulty attitudes and knowledge are also factors. Families with single parents or constantly changing compositions have been found to be more prone to having abused children. Marital conflict and domestic violence, presence of stress, and flawed parent-child interactions are also risk factors. Child factors that contribute to child abuse are age, developmental stage, and presence of disabilities. Environmental factors include poverty, unemployment, social isolation, lack of social support, and being in dangerous neighbourhoods. This paper describes policies that work towards helping child abuse victims. It also goes into strategies that would prevent child abuse, offer help for victims, and address their vulnerabilities. Policies In 1989, the United Nations created the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which specifies the basic rights that every child, regardless of race or gender, should enjoy. Among these rights are: a right not to be dis criminated against; a right to have best interests primarily considered; a right to a name, nationality, and parents; a right to have own views and freely express self; a right to be free from interference with privacy; a right to adequate health care, education, rest, and leisure; and, most relevant to this paper, a right to be protected from abuse (Reichert 2006). Since the creation of the Convention on