Recognizing Abuse
Most abused children will not report it. Often you will witness it in their behavior. If you notice one or more of the following, there is a possibility that abuse has occurred:
Neglect: Neglect is the failure to provide for a child’s physical needs. This includes lack of supervision, inappropriate housing or shelter, inadequate provision of food, inappropriate clothing for season or weather, abandonment, denial of medical care, or inadequate hygiene.
Physical Abuse: Any non-accidental injury to a child. This includes hitting, kicking, slapping, shaking, burning, pinching, hair pulling, biting, choking, throwing, shoving, whipping, or paddling.
Emotional Abuse: Any attitude or behavior that interferes with a child’s mental health or social development. This includes yelling, screaming, kid in corner name-calling, shaming, negative comparisons to others, telling children they are “bad”, “no good”, “worthless”, or “a mistake”.
Sexual Abuse: Any sexual act between an adult and child for the gratification of the adult. This includes fondling, intercourse, penetration, exploitation, pornography, exhibitionism, child prostitution, group sex, oral sex, or forced observation of sexual acts.
Most abused children will not report it. Often you will witness it in their behavior. If you notice one or more of the following, there is a possibility that abuse has occurred:
- mood swings
- withdrawal depression
- bed wetting, eating problems
- fear of adults
- sleeping problems/nightmares
- self-destructive behaviors
- frequent school absences/tardiness
- strange bruises
- burns or bites
- extraordinary number of doctor or ER visits
- sexually acting out, including touching self, other kids, speaking about sexual acts not age appropriate, and propositioning adults.
Neglect: Neglect is the failure to provide for a child’s physical needs. This includes lack of supervision, inappropriate housing or shelter, inadequate provision of food, inappropriate clothing for season or weather, abandonment, denial of medical care, or inadequate hygiene.
Physical Abuse: Any non-accidental injury to a child. This includes hitting, kicking, slapping, shaking, burning, pinching, hair pulling, biting, choking, throwing, shoving, whipping, or paddling.
Emotional Abuse: Any attitude or behavior that interferes with a child’s mental health or social development. This includes yelling, screaming, kid in corner name-calling, shaming, negative comparisons to others, telling children they are “bad”, “no good”, “worthless”, or “a mistake”.
Sexual Abuse: Any sexual act between an adult and child for the gratification of the adult. This includes fondling, intercourse, penetration, exploitation, pornography, exhibitionism, child prostitution, group sex, oral sex, or forced observation of sexual acts.