ody of the batterer. Finally, in some cases, the children are forced to visit with the non-custodial parent, in many cases the abuser, in an unsupervised setting. According to the American Judges Foundation, this happens in seventy percent of all child abuse cases. There is something intrinsically wrong with our legal system when defenseless children are repeatedly placed in harms way by our courts. Judges are less likely to believe women's claims about what has happened in the home. Many choose to ignore or not take seriously such claims when place in the context of a divorce or custody battle. It is viewed as just a means to getting what is wanted, whether it is property or custody. This circumstance shadows the fact that abuse may be taking place. This is a problem which most people are not aware of. The structure of our judicial system is to blame and it must be revised. Another form of child abuse is psychological. Psychological abuse is particularly destructive and difficult to detect. It is devastating because usually the abused child does not know he or she has been abused. The abuse, which they experienced, is worked into there thinking process. This kind of abuse can affect the victim very seriously later in life. They may feel like they are no good and have no confidence, without knowing why they feel this way. Children innocently trust their parent's guidance and if that guidance is negative they internalize that criticism. For instance, if a child is repeatedly told that they are stupid they will begin to believe it. If parents are not supportive and loving the consequences can be great. Just watching mistreatment, which occurs between the mother and father, can damage a child's psyche. They may identify with the abuser and repeat this behavior later in life. Also they may become passive and let people take advantage of them if they identify with the abused parental figure. As we go about our daily live...
