Children and Aging Adults as Vulnerable Groups

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Introduction

Society is one of the most dynamic systems in which people rapidly change their social groups and, in most cases, become more vulnerable. This paper, using groups such as children and aging adults as examples, will reveal existing problems and suggest solutions. The most vulnerable period of a persons life is childhood because children primarily depend on others for their basic needs. Children separated from their caregivers or parents are vulnerable. Moreover, the elderly in society are considered a vulnerable group even when the older adult is in a complete mental state, and most aging adults cannot take care of themselves. The essay describes the challenges, experiences, and strengths of two different selected vulnerable groups. This essay will demonstrate factors about these groups that may have existed before the trauma and may lead to problems. It is essential to show that injustice and rejection are things that can and should be addressed through quality health care for vulnerable social groups.

The Challenges Children Face as a Vulnerable Group

Children are often considered vulnerable because their innocence and fragility are susceptible to exploitation and abuse. They are more susceptible to disease, malnutrition, and abuse than adult members of society and are overrepresented among the disadvantaged. In war zones, children experience sexual violence and abuse (Hamilton & Tidmarsh, 2022). The conflict encountered in war zones contributes to hunger and diseases, leading to many children suffering. Some of the children end up dying due to attacks from illnesses and hunger (Çelik & Özp1nar, 2017). Further, children are abducted and coerced into armed forces in which they are trained to carry out attacks and wars. Children on the battlefield are deprived of living or experiencing the typical childhood life.

In addition, there are cases where children are denied access to health care and education because they are dependent on their guardians or parents for social protection. In Africa, many children living in persistent conflict areas are escalating, and their education and health are deteriorating daily (Denov, 2020). The loss of guardians or parents to cancer or AIDs may have serious implications for children s access to basic needs like food, clothing, shelter, education, and health. Poverty negatively influences children because they are deprived of their fundamental needs for protection, survival, development, and participation. The abject poverty has contributed to most poor non-parents typically opting to release vulnerable children they are taking care of to work for people as houseboys or maids to generate some money leading to child labor. Vulnerable children have no alternative but are given out to wealthy friends or relatives in exchange for their upkeep or to fulfill unpaid loans other than attending school. The vulnerable children experience the issue of discipline cases because many of them are mentally influenced because of many issues they experience in life.

Strengths Children Have in a Case Study

Children gain their strengths from social protection that targets and assist them in attaining their basic needs, establishing their human capital, conquering obstacles to access services, and reinforcing families aptitude to care for children. This social protection strengthens caregivers, who can be grandparents, parents, or other guardians, to fulfill the needs of children and to support these children to have access to education, health, and care services. For example, the case of the South Africa Child Support Grant for vulnerable children and orphans influences minimizing risk behavior and sexual maltreatment and delaying sexual debut (Bello & Pillay, 2019). Further, there is substantial proof that cash transfers in different nations have had positive influences on school attendance and enrolment. In the long-term, proof of the influence of conditional cash grants in Latin America gets that programs assist vulnerable children to attain better grades and support the attainment of higher schooling levels.

The Challenges Aging Adults Face as a Vulnerable Group

Aging adults face several challenges comprising lack of access to constant income, healthcare, and work; decreasing mental and physical capacities; and dependency in the household. Having no work or income, aging adults will have to depend on other people for their upkeep and survival. In addition, they typically have a higher need for healthcare services and domestic assistance, and they experience the challenge of shifting the illness burden. Older women, mostly window in African countries, have high susceptibilities because they have no assets, land rights, or mobility to look for employment due to cultural beliefs and norms. Aging people experience a challenge with daily mobility and activities because individuals dexterity and mobility naturally decrease as they age, making it more challenging to complete daily activities.

Strengths Aging Adults Have in a Case Study

The aging populations interaction with social protection programs is typically in the sort of the old-aged pension or cash transfer sort. The contributory pensions in the middle and low-income nations are limited because they depend on formal employment, and rates of coverage are low. Nonetheless, substantial progress has been established in expanding the pension coverage system with an observable trend in these developing nations. Currently, approximately all Latin American nations have social pensions, while Sub-Saharan African economies experience some of the biggest old-aged social pension processes based on the share of senior citizens covered. Hence, social pensions resolve the gap for underprivileged aging people, specifically women. In addition, older people can also care for their grandchildren; hence, they get child benefits for them. Further, more support through social protection for aging people has been established to enable them to live independently via programs and products that center on balance, safety, mobility, and fitness to guarantee they may continue to flourish as individuals.

Factors about Children that Contribute to Challenges

Maltreatment comprising violent punishment that entails physical, psychological, and sexual violence can contribute to trauma among children leading to challenges in their lives. In addition, neglect of children and infants by caregivers, parents, and other figures of authority in society. Another factor is bullying by a group of children or another child who are neither romantic, nor does sibling association with the victim contribute to them having issues. Psychological violence comprises restriction of the childs movements, intimidation and threats, denigration, discrimination, ridicule, denunciation, and other non-physical acts of hostile treatment. Sexual violence contributes to their challenges as it involves attempted sexual acts and contacts of a sexual nature.

Older adults risk aspects that contribute to their challenges involve an increase in physical health conditions/problems. For example, they are prone to non-communicable diseases such as stroke, heart disease, and Alzheimers illness. In addition, older people experience losses where they lose independence, relationships, self-worth, work and income, flexibility, and mobility contributing to their social isolation. Aging people have a significant change in their living arrangements, for example, the shift from living independently to the home care environment.

How Vulnerable and Marginalized Groups Face Unfair Treatment after Trauma

Inequality and discrimination limit every spectrum of life opportunities for marginalized and vulnerable groups. After trauma, psychological distress and perceived discrimination among these groups have been persistently demonstrated to be associated with poorer mental health and well-being (Matheson et al., 2019). They have unfavorable outcomes in the availability of appropriate health care compared to others in the community because they live in difficult circumstances. These groups are excluded from critical services because of age, ethnicity, or other characteristics.

Ways to Increase Access to Quality Care for Vulnerable Groups

The following are ways to make quality care more accessible to these groups. Strengthening social determinants to support healthy lifestyles. Providers need to address the social determinants of health through a sequence of steps that includes proactive services and patient screening (Rootman et al., 2021). Governments must adopt practices that improve access to care, including addressing low health literacy and illiteracy, expanding the range of services offered, identifying cost-effective resources, and improving the patient-caregiver relationship. In addition, a modern system of care, nursing, and counseling in the health care field must be created. This aspect will make it possible to digitize the medical field and provide services to all in need regardless of age and other factors. The new system will make it possible to seek help not only offline but also online, which will make services more accessible and of higher quality. Each method will be effective and essential for creating a safe environment for vulnerable social groups.

Conclusion

Vulnerable groups in society experience many challenges in life that have dire consequences on their well-being. They, for example, experience malnutrition, disease, and maltreatment. They may face the challenge of lack of education and poor healthcare due to reliance on substance abuse caregivers. In addition, aging adults experience challenges in life such as shifting health burdens, low income, and a higher need for domestic assistance influence their well-being. However, the emergence of social protection programs in many countries has come to the aid of these vulnerable groups and addressed some of the challenges they are facing.

References

Bello, T., & Pillay, J. (2019). Development and implementation of an evidence-based nutrition education programme for orphans and vulnerable children in Soweto, South Africa, 1(3), 1-18. Web.

Çelik, N., & Özp1nar, S. (2017). Children and health effects of war being a war child& Cumhuriyet Medical Journal, 639-643. Web.

Denov, M. (2020). Children born of war in northern Uganda. Handbook of Political Violence and Children, 1(4), 276-300. Web.

Hamilton, G., & Tidmarsh, P. (2022). Children, family violence, and sexual abuse. The Intersections of Family Violence and Sexual Offending, 3(2), 71-85. Web.

Matheson, K., Foster, M. D., Bombay, A., McQuaid, R. J., & Anisman, H. (2019). Traumatic experiences, perceived discrimination, and psychological distress among members of various socially marginalized groups. Frontiers in Psychology, 10. Web.

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