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Child abuse can be tough to identify, primarily because of the numerous layers of secrecy employed by many of those involved, from the child to the perpetrator and even the victim's family. This happens because of different factors, for example, the young one may feel guilty and afraid to come forward and report the abuse, especially if the attacker is a trusted or respected authority figure like a school teacher, uncle, aunt or parent. Other factors include: the perpetrator may be the victim's cousin or friend or the parents may not want to report the incident even if it comes to light for fear or societal and familial scorn and denigration.
Understanding the insidious nature of child abuse, adults at home and in the neighbourhood must, therefore, be especially vigilant toward any strange or unusual behaviour exhibited by children, strangers loitering near places where children gather like playgrounds and schoolyards, and indications of frequent and violent domestic disputes. Adults must also take on the responsibility of educating themselves on the different forms of child abuse, their symptoms, and understand how to protect children from it.
Here are the different types and signs of child abuse:
Physical abuse: Children suffer physical abuse most often at the hands of their parents, teachers, and caregivers. Physical abuse can take the form of shaking, shoving, slapping, hitting and beating with a belt or some other object. More extreme forms of physical abuse include burning the kid with cigarettes or matches, scalding the kid with hot water, breaking the child's bones, pulling the child's hair out and not permitting the child to eat, drink, sleep or use the bathroom.
Some of the signs associated with physical abuse in children are:
Visible, frequent surface injuries
Imprints of instruments like a belt or a stick
Bandages and other forms of wrapping
Unusual bruising, especially on places that wouldn't normally become bruised
Wounds that are at different stages of healing
Injuries that appear after absences (for example, from school) or after the weekend
Fractures in strange places like the face
Overall poor physical health
Their explanation of the injuries is not believable, or the boy/girl won't explain the injuries at all
Aggressive or withdrawn behaviour
Edgy, fearful behaviour
The child is overly eager to please adults
The youngster is wary and unnaturally uncomfortable around adults
The child is afraid to go home or expresses fear of his/her parents
The young one is afraid to get into trouble
Sexual abuse: Children can suffer sexual abuse from anyone ranging from the parents to extended family members like aunts, uncles, and cousins, friends of the family who frequent the house, older friends of the victim, teachers, coaches, and even complete strangers. Some forms of sexual abuse include fondling the child's genitals, having intercourse or oral sex with the child, having sex in front of the child, making the child touch an older person's genitals, using the child in pornography and showing the child X-rated books or videos.
Some of the signs associated with child sexual abuse are:
Pain, bleeding, itching or bruising in the child's genital or anal area
Blood on the child's underwear
Repeated bladder infections
Discovery of an STD (sexually transmitted disease)
Pre-teenage pregnancy in girls
Complaints of headaches and sickness
Sudden, noticeable change in the child's behaviour
The child regresses in behaviour, becoming even more child-like
Displays signs of depression or suicidal tendencies
The child runs away from home
Changes the relationship toward adults by either becoming clingier or avoidant
Drop in academic achievement, and involvement in school activities
Talks about a friend who is unusually older than the child
Shows sexually provocative or promiscuous behaviour
Tries exceptionally hard to avoid physical contact or undressing at school
Neglect: Caretakers either at home or school can neglect a child, potentially causing him/her terrible, long-term harm. Some forms of neglect include not providing adequate food, water, clothing, shelter and safety to the child, leaving the child unattended before he/she is old enough, abandoning the child in an unsafe place, not seeking medical aid for the child if needed, and not permitting the child to attend school.
Some signs of neglect are:
The child is unnaturally thin or underweight
Ongoing health concerns that are unattended like coughs or infections
Poor hygiene, body odour and an unkempt, dishevelled appearance
Lacks suitable clothes based on the season
Lacks the supervision normal for his/her age
Displays frequent hunger at school
Cannot stay awake in class, or seems listless
Shows clinginess or signs of depression
Begs and steals food and other people's property
Doesn't seem eager to go home - comes to school early and leaves late
Says there is no one at home to take care of his/her needs
Emotional abuse: Children can suffer emotional abuse by their parents, siblings, teachers and other important figures in the child's life. Some forms of emotional abuse include constant ridicule, frequent and consistent rejection, blaming the child when things go wrong, comparing the child unfavourably to his/her siblings, expecting too much from the child regarding academics, athletics or some other talent.
Some signs of emotional abuse are:
Slow or delayed emotional development
Poor self-esteem and lacks self-confidence
Becoming socially withdrawn, and awkward
Depression
Avoiding certain situations like taking the school bus
Desperately seeks affection
Poor performance in school and lacks interest in school activities
Loss of previously acquired developmental skills
Now that you know the signs of child abuse, it's important to know how to protect your loved ones, to make sure they never become a victim of one of these crimes.
Follow these steps to protect your loved one from child abuse
It's important to know who is a part of your child's life. Make yourself familiar with your child's teachers, school principal, music teacher, sports coach, friends, parents of friends and anyone else with whom your child comes in regular contact. Get involved in the activities that involve your child by volunteering for events, and visiting recitals, practices, and school games. If you have a nanny, make it very clear who your child is allowed to be alone with in your absence. Make surprise visits to the nursery, and the school to check in on your child's well-being. If a class is going on, peek in through the window to make sure your child is in a safe environment.
Now that you are familiar with the signs of child abuse keep an eye out for any symptoms or other factors that raise a red flag to you. If you suspect that your child or someone else's child is the victim of abuse, it's crucial not to investigate it independently, rather, report the matter to your state's Child Protection Services agency immediately.
Make sure your children know that they can speak to you about anything that they experience. Teach them the difference between 'good touch' and 'bad touch.' As early as age three, make sure your children understand that parts of their body are private (those covered by a swimsuit) and should not be touched by just anyone. Help them understand that mummy and daddy or a primary caregiver can touch them when they are being cleaned. A doctor can touch them too, but only when mummy or daddy are in the room at the same time.
Make sure you use real names for body parts instead of making up funny, cute names because this will just confuse the child, and make him/her feel like there is something shameful or strange about their bodies. Feelings like this may inhibit your child from confiding in you.
Acknowledge to yourself and your partner that a large degree of child abuse, especially sexual abuse, is inflicted by a known, respected friend or family member. By bearing this in mind, you can be more vigilant and scrutinize more carefully who your child spends time with.
Most sexual abusers tell children not to tell their parents of the abuse, claiming it's 'their little secret' or saying that mummy and daddy will be angry with the child if they find out. Therefore, it's important to make sure your child understands that no adult should ask him/her to keep a secret. Neither should you ask your child to keep a secret either as it might confuse him/her as to why it's okay for you, but not some other adult.
Make it a practice to believe what your child tells you. If you keep questioning the truth of what he/she says, it may make your child reluctant to tell you the truth if something has happened. Let your children know explicitly, and without doubt, that if someone touches them inappropriately, you will always believe what they say, and you will never be angry with them.
Be wary of your child being singled out as 'special' by a teacher or coach. Many predators groom children to go along with the abuse and not report it to their parents by making them feel special.
If a teacher or instructor has approached your child for one-on-one time for special instruction or individual coaching, don't permit it.
Be careful who you introduce into your child's life. If you are a single parent, avoid leaving your child alone with your 'significant other' until you are sure that you can trust him/her to treat your child with care and respect.
Be cautious about planning sleepovers. Only permit your child to go to a sleepover if you know the family he/she is staying with well and if you've visited their home numerous times. Make sure you know who will be supervising the sleepover, who will be at home during the night, and what they will be doing.
To be prepared, japanese movie keep the number for Child help USA in your phonebook to get immediate guidance from experts on how to proceed. You can contact them using their 24-hour National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child/1-800-422-4453 or on website
In conclusion, through my years of experience, I've witnessed the scourge that is child abuse at close quarters. Please feel free to reach out to me directly if your child or someone you know has gone through a traumatic experience. I'd be more than happy to offer you advice and guidance in this regard.
Layfield & Barrett is a highly rated personal injury law firm in the United States, dedicated to helping negligently injured victims get justice and compensation. L&B's harassment lawyers have years of experience in recovering millions in compensation for numerous clients in a variety of cases including personal injury, auto accident, wrongful death, child injury and police brutality. Get a free consultation today at Layfield & Barrett.
Understanding the insidious nature of child abuse, adults at home and in the neighbourhood must, therefore, be especially vigilant toward any strange or unusual behaviour exhibited by children, strangers loitering near places where children gather like playgrounds and schoolyards, and indications of frequent and violent domestic disputes. Adults must also take on the responsibility of educating themselves on the different forms of child abuse, their symptoms, and understand how to protect children from it. Here are the different types and signs of child abuse:
Physical abuse: Children suffer physical abuse most often at the hands of their parents, teachers, and caregivers. Physical abuse can take the form of shaking, shoving, slapping, hitting and beating with a belt or some other object. More extreme forms of physical abuse include burning the kid with cigarettes or matches, scalding the kid with hot water, breaking the child's bones, pulling the child's hair out and not permitting the child to eat, drink, sleep or use the bathroom.
Some of the signs associated with physical abuse in children are:
Visible, frequent surface injuries
Imprints of instruments like a belt or a stick
Bandages and other forms of wrapping
Unusual bruising, especially on places that wouldn't normally become bruised
Wounds that are at different stages of healing
Injuries that appear after absences (for example, from school) or after the weekend
Fractures in strange places like the face
Overall poor physical health
Their explanation of the injuries is not believable, or the boy/girl won't explain the injuries at all
Aggressive or withdrawn behaviour
Edgy, fearful behaviour
The child is overly eager to please adults
The youngster is wary and unnaturally uncomfortable around adults
The child is afraid to go home or expresses fear of his/her parents
The young one is afraid to get into trouble
Sexual abuse: Children can suffer sexual abuse from anyone ranging from the parents to extended family members like aunts, uncles, and cousins, friends of the family who frequent the house, older friends of the victim, teachers, coaches, and even complete strangers. Some forms of sexual abuse include fondling the child's genitals, having intercourse or oral sex with the child, having sex in front of the child, making the child touch an older person's genitals, using the child in pornography and showing the child X-rated books or videos.
Some of the signs associated with child sexual abuse are:
Pain, bleeding, itching or bruising in the child's genital or anal area
Blood on the child's underwear
Repeated bladder infections
Discovery of an STD (sexually transmitted disease)
Pre-teenage pregnancy in girls
Complaints of headaches and sickness
Sudden, noticeable change in the child's behaviour
The child regresses in behaviour, becoming even more child-like
Displays signs of depression or suicidal tendencies
The child runs away from home
Changes the relationship toward adults by either becoming clingier or avoidant
Drop in academic achievement, and involvement in school activities
Talks about a friend who is unusually older than the child
Shows sexually provocative or promiscuous behaviour
Tries exceptionally hard to avoid physical contact or undressing at school
Neglect: Caretakers either at home or school can neglect a child, potentially causing him/her terrible, long-term harm. Some forms of neglect include not providing adequate food, water, clothing, shelter and safety to the child, leaving the child unattended before he/she is old enough, abandoning the child in an unsafe place, not seeking medical aid for the child if needed, and not permitting the child to attend school.
Some signs of neglect are:
The child is unnaturally thin or underweight
Ongoing health concerns that are unattended like coughs or infections
Poor hygiene, body odour and an unkempt, dishevelled appearance
Lacks suitable clothes based on the season
Lacks the supervision normal for his/her age
Displays frequent hunger at school
Cannot stay awake in class, or seems listless
Shows clinginess or signs of depression
Begs and steals food and other people's property
Doesn't seem eager to go home - comes to school early and leaves late
Says there is no one at home to take care of his/her needs
Emotional abuse: Children can suffer emotional abuse by their parents, siblings, teachers and other important figures in the child's life. Some forms of emotional abuse include constant ridicule, frequent and consistent rejection, blaming the child when things go wrong, comparing the child unfavourably to his/her siblings, expecting too much from the child regarding academics, athletics or some other talent.
Some signs of emotional abuse are:
Slow or delayed emotional development
Poor self-esteem and lacks self-confidence
Becoming socially withdrawn, and awkward
Depression
Avoiding certain situations like taking the school bus
Desperately seeks affection
Poor performance in school and lacks interest in school activities
Loss of previously acquired developmental skills
Now that you know the signs of child abuse, it's important to know how to protect your loved ones, to make sure they never become a victim of one of these crimes.
Follow these steps to protect your loved one from child abuse
It's important to know who is a part of your child's life. Make yourself familiar with your child's teachers, school principal, music teacher, sports coach, friends, parents of friends and anyone else with whom your child comes in regular contact. Get involved in the activities that involve your child by volunteering for events, and visiting recitals, practices, and school games. If you have a nanny, make it very clear who your child is allowed to be alone with in your absence. Make surprise visits to the nursery, and the school to check in on your child's well-being. If a class is going on, peek in through the window to make sure your child is in a safe environment.
Now that you are familiar with the signs of child abuse keep an eye out for any symptoms or other factors that raise a red flag to you. If you suspect that your child or someone else's child is the victim of abuse, it's crucial not to investigate it independently, rather, report the matter to your state's Child Protection Services agency immediately.
Make sure your children know that they can speak to you about anything that they experience. Teach them the difference between 'good touch' and 'bad touch.' As early as age three, make sure your children understand that parts of their body are private (those covered by a swimsuit) and should not be touched by just anyone. Help them understand that mummy and daddy or a primary caregiver can touch them when they are being cleaned. A doctor can touch them too, but only when mummy or daddy are in the room at the same time.
Make sure you use real names for body parts instead of making up funny, cute names because this will just confuse the child, and make him/her feel like there is something shameful or strange about their bodies. Feelings like this may inhibit your child from confiding in you.
Acknowledge to yourself and your partner that a large degree of child abuse, especially sexual abuse, is inflicted by a known, respected friend or family member. By bearing this in mind, you can be more vigilant and scrutinize more carefully who your child spends time with.
Most sexual abusers tell children not to tell their parents of the abuse, claiming it's 'their little secret' or saying that mummy and daddy will be angry with the child if they find out. Therefore, it's important to make sure your child understands that no adult should ask him/her to keep a secret. Neither should you ask your child to keep a secret either as it might confuse him/her as to why it's okay for you, but not some other adult.
Make it a practice to believe what your child tells you. If you keep questioning the truth of what he/she says, it may make your child reluctant to tell you the truth if something has happened. Let your children know explicitly, and without doubt, that if someone touches them inappropriately, you will always believe what they say, and you will never be angry with them.
Be wary of your child being singled out as 'special' by a teacher or coach. Many predators groom children to go along with the abuse and not report it to their parents by making them feel special.
If a teacher or instructor has approached your child for one-on-one time for special instruction or individual coaching, don't permit it.
Be careful who you introduce into your child's life. If you are a single parent, avoid leaving your child alone with your 'significant other' until you are sure that you can trust him/her to treat your child with care and respect.
Be cautious about planning sleepovers. Only permit your child to go to a sleepover if you know the family he/she is staying with well and if you've visited their home numerous times. Make sure you know who will be supervising the sleepover, who will be at home during the night, and what they will be doing.
To be prepared, japanese movie keep the number for Child help USA in your phonebook to get immediate guidance from experts on how to proceed. You can contact them using their 24-hour National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child/1-800-422-4453 or on website
In conclusion, through my years of experience, I've witnessed the scourge that is child abuse at close quarters. Please feel free to reach out to me directly if your child or someone you know has gone through a traumatic experience. I'd be more than happy to offer you advice and guidance in this regard.
Layfield & Barrett is a highly rated personal injury law firm in the United States, dedicated to helping negligently injured victims get justice and compensation. L&B's harassment lawyers have years of experience in recovering millions in compensation for numerous clients in a variety of cases including personal injury, auto accident, wrongful death, child injury and police brutality. Get a free consultation today at Layfield & Barrett.
