How to Recognize Child Abuse

You can’t report child abuse if you don’t recognize what it is. There is a natural reluctance to report what appears to be child abuse.

For one thing, there would be a natural fear of getting involved and becoming a target of the abuser. Anonymity is assured in most cases and fear for your own safety should not be an excuse. Then there is that thing about minding your own business. The problem with this credo is that while you are tending to your business and trying to ignore disturbing indicators, a child may be in harm’s way, a pawn in a living nightmare.

There are multiple types of child abuse, and sometimes a parent can be abusive by failing to protect and care for a child. This is neglect, and it’s more than being a bad parent. Neglect is a repeated failure to provide essential care, protection and attention. The physical signs of neglect are poor hygiene, poor nutrition marked by delayed physical development, such as being underweight, or recurring illness, and evidence that there is little supervision in the home.

Children who are neglected often arrive at school very late or very early or miss a lot of school altogether. Perhaps they dress inappropriately for the weather. Fatigue and hunger are also signs of neglect at home, and stealing food may be more than just a behavioral concern. It is also considered neglect when a child is not afforded medical treatment when it is clearly needed.

Mental abuse, which is also known as emotional or verbal abuse, often is about demeaning or terrorizing a child with repeated threats and insults. This can be crushing to their self-esteem and keep them in a constant state of fear or embarrassment. A youngster who seems immature or too childish for his or her age, perhaps exhibiting radical change in mood and behavior, is likely to be such a victim. Again, slowed physical development, lack of confidence and speech disorders are signs to look for.

Physical abuse is the most clear-cut of all the forms of abuse, but kids are kids, and cuts, bruises and broken bones do not necessarily come from an abusive household. Children who are intentionally abused do exhibit the aforementioned injuries, but the explanations may not make sense or a child may come right out and say he was beaten or physically assaulted.

Unfortunately, an injury-prone child, whose bruises and injuries are recurring, is a classic victim of this kind of abuse. Burns are also a sign that a child is being abused, particularly if burn injuries keep showing up.

Children tend to be embarrassed by burn marks, cuts and bruises and may often wear clothing that covers this evidence. Wearing long sleeves in very warm weather and long skirts and long pants may also be signs. A fear of going home, a reluctance to talk about their family life, showing inappropriate aggression, and cowering or shying away from physical contact are also signs of physical abuse.

“Sexual abuse of children refers to sexual behavior between a child and an adult or between two children when one of them is significantly older or uses coercion. The perpetrator and the victim may be of the same sex or the opposite sex. The sexual behaviors include touching breasts, buttocks and genitals whether the victim is dressed or undressed; exhibitionism; fellatio; cunnilingus and penetration of the vagina or anus with sexual organs or with objects. Pornographic photography is usually included in the definition of sexual abuse. It is important to consider developmental factors in assessing whether sexual behaviors between two children is abusive or normative.”

This pretty much covers the gamut of sexual abuse of children, and things that should tell you a child is a victim include some of the obvious: torn, stained or bloody underwear; bruising, bleeding, pain or itching in the genital area; difficulty walking or sitting, and a sexually transmitted disease.

Children victimized by adults or older children or teens in such a way may seem to know a lot more about sex than others their age, or, as is often the case in physical abuse, become withdrawn and depressed. A sudden weight gain or loss in a child has been cited as a sign, as is the inordinate fear of a particular person or an abnormal reluctance to go home.

There is also a state Child Abuse Registry you can utilize (1-800-932-0313), but the local contact numbers given earlier should get quicker response. In an emergency situation, of course, it is appropriate to call 911