Child Abuse

Child abuse is when a parent, guardian or caregiver (could be any adult), whether through action or failing to act, causes injury, death, emotional harm or risk of serious harm to a child. There are many forms of child maltreatment, including neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, exploitation and emotional abuse.

TYPES

The World Health Organization distinguishes four types of child maltreatment. They include:

• Physical abuse
• Sexual abuse
• Neglect and abandonment abuse
• Emotional and physiological abuse

Physical abuse: Physical abuse of a child is when a parent, guardian or caregiver causes any non-accidental physical injury to a child. There are many signs of physical abuse.

Physical abuse includes striking, kicking, burning, biting, hair pulling, choking, throwing, shoving, whipping or any other action that injures a child. Even if the caregiver didn’t mean to cause injury, when the child is injured it is abuse. Physical discipline from a parent that does not injure or impair a child is not considered abuse; however non-violent alternatives are always available.

Signs of physical abuse in a child:

Physical

• Bruises, blisters, burns, cuts and scratches
• Internal injuries, brain damage
• Broken bones, sprains, dislocated joints
• Emotional and psychological harm (to mention a few)

Behavioral:

• Aggression toward peers, pets, other animals
• Seems afraid of parents or other adults
• Fear, withdrawal, depression, anxiety
• Wears long sleeves out of season (to mention a few)

Sexual abuse: Sexual abuse occurs when an adult uses a child for sexual purposes or involves a child in sexual acts. It also includes when a child who is older or more powerful uses another child for sexual gratification or excitement.

Sexual abuse of children includes:

• Non-contact abuse
• Making a child view a sex act
• Making a child view or show sex organs
• Inappropriate sexual talk (to mention a few)

Signs of sexual abuse in a child:

Physical:

• Difficulty sitting, walking, bowel problems
• Torn, stained, bloody undergarments
• Bleeding, bruises, pain, swelling, itching of genital area (to mention a few)

Behavioral:

• Eating disorders, preoccupation with body
• Aggression, delinquency, poor peer relationships
• Poor self-image, poor self-care, lack of confidence
• Sudden absenteeism, decline in school performance (to mention a few)

Neglect and abandonment: Child neglect and abandonment is when a parent, guardian or caregiver does not give the care, supervision, affection and support needed for a child’s health, safety and well-being. Child neglect includes:

• Physical neglect and inadequate supervision
• Emotional neglect
• Medical neglect
• Educational neglect

Physical Neglect: Children need enough care to be healthy and enough supervision to be safe. Adults that care for children must provide clothing, food and drink. A child also needs safe, healthy shelter, and adequate supervision.

Examples of physical neglect:

• Deserting a child or refusing to take custody of a child who is under your care
• Repeatedly leaving a child in another’s custody for days or weeks at a time
• Failing to provide enough healthy food and drink
• Failing to provide clothes that are appropriate to the weather (to mention a few)

Emotional Neglect: Children require enough affection and attention to feel loved and supported. If a child shows signs of psychological illness, it must be treated.

Examples of emotional neglect:

• Ignoring a child’s need for attention, affection and emotional support
• Exposing a child to extreme or frequent violence, especially domestic violence
• Permitting a child to use drugs, use alcohol, or engage in crime
• Keeping a child isolated from friends and loved ones

Medical Neglect: Parents, guardian and caregivers must provide children with appropriate treatment for injuries and illness. They must also provide basic preventive care to make sure their child stays safe and healthy.

Examples of medical neglect:

• Not taking child to hospital or appropriate medical professional for serious illness or injury
• Keeping a child from getting needed treatment
• Not providing preventative medical and dental care
• Failing to follow medical recommendations for a child

Educational Neglect: Parents and schools share responsibility for making sure children have access to opportunities for academic success.

Examples of educational neglect:

• Allowing a child to miss too much school
• Not enrolling a child in school (or not providing comparable home-based education)
• Keeping a child from needed special education services

Signs of Neglect and Abandonment in Child:

• Often hungry, stockpiles food, seeks food, may even show signs of malnutrition (like distended belly, protruding bones)
• Very low body weight, height for age
• Often tired, sleepy, listless
• Hygiene problems, body odor (to mention a few)

Emotional and physiological: When a parent, guardian or caregiver harms a child’s mental and social development, or causes severe emotional harm, it is considered emotional abuse. While a single incident may be abuse, most often emotional abuse is a pattern of behavior that causes damage over time.

Emotional abuse can include:

• Rejecting or ignoring
• Shaming or humiliating
• Terrorizing
• Isolating

Signs of emotional abuse in a child:

Physical:

• Delays in development
• Wetting bed, pants
• Speech disorders
• Health problems like ulcers, skin disorders

Behavioral:

• Habits like sucking, biting, rocking
• Learning disabilities and developmental delays
• Overly compliant or defensive
• Suicidal thoughts and behaviors (to mention a few)

Signs exhibited by adults who abuse or maltreat Children:

• Routinely ignores, criticizes, yells at or blames child
• Poor anger management or emotional self-regulation
• Untreated mental illness, alcoholism or substance abuse
• Displays indifference or lack of care toward the child
• Views child negatively
• Relies on child for own care and well-being
• Parent fails to supervise child
• Jealous/possessive parent
• Can’t or won’t explain injury of child, or explains it in a way that doesn’t make sense
• Delays or prevents medical care for child
• Has history of violence and/or abuse

EFFECTS OF CHILD ABUSE

Child abuse can result in immediate adverse physical effects but it is also strongly associated with developmental  problems and with many chronic physical and psychological effects, including:

• Subsequent ill-health (including higher rates of chronic conditions)
• High-risk health behaviors and shortened lifespan.
• Maltreated children may grow up to be maltreating adults (A 1991 source reported that studies indicate that 90 percent of maltreating adults were maltreated as children.)
• Relationship difficulties (to mention a few)