According to theguardian.com, America has, "…has the worst child abuse record in the industrialized world." To a whole lot of people, that would seem surprising, considering that America is the wealthiest nation in the world and prides itself on being the bastion of fair opportunity and egalitarian principles. However, beneath the shining exterior in which America leads the world in all sorts of enviable categories such as in the market capitalization of its stock market, its technology innovations and prowess, and its world renowned institutions of higher learning, is that there is a huge underclass of impoverished, ill-educated, and deprived peoples, that have nothing of substance that is their own, and no real hope of extricating themselves from a well-nigh depressing and hopeless situation.
Poverty, most definitely breeds discontent, and people that are impoverished, before they invariably slide into total apathy, are often angry, frustrated, and ready to strike out against the system and further will often take out their aggression on those that cannot fight back. While child abuse can occur in any neighborhood, of any background, and any given situation, such abuse is much more prevalent amongst those that are impoverished, because, they are often, the ones that are the most frustrated.
By nature, for better or for worse, people are always going to compare themselves to other people, and when the media makes it a point to show us ostentatious displays of wealth as well as achievement, and when a given person is lacking in both of these, and additionally they are without any realistic hope of becoming ever a person of even moderate means, then that person feels shame on the outside as well as on the inside, for their lack of accomplishments and achievements; in which they usually have not achieved a viable coping mechanism or reasoned maturity, making them prone to snapping, and snapping in a violent way, which is most often directed against those that are not physically able to well defend themselves.
After all, for those in which everything that they touch turns to gold, or all those that are able to live in a decent neighborhood with decent schools and are able to keep their bills current, are going to be in a situation in which though they may experience some sort of stress or frustration from time-to-time, over all, they feel pretty good, because they are at a minimum holding their own, or are doing a whole lot better than holding their own; so that, when something unexpected comes up, they often are able to deal with it in a manner that does not involve physical abuse.
On the other hand, those that lack good and affordable healthcare, a safe neighborhood, good schools, childcare assistance, a steady job, suffer from oppression from the law, discrimination, and lack a living wage, are almost always going to be on the edge, and those on the edge, as well as being under pressure, and of low self-esteem, will far too often take out their aggression on those that are not able to effectively fight back, because in a very sick way, abusing and beating down children, demonstrates their power.
The child abuse in America is so bad, because millions upon millions are not only impoverished, but also these same people are without any reasonable hope that they or their love ones will ever escape from such; so then, they attack their own, because to attack the system, instead, will invariably lead to them suffering their own abuse, justifiably or not.